Amazing Waffles

It's Sunday morning and our routine in the winter usually involves a nice breakfast and Scrabble.  This waffle recipe is AMAZING.  I found it a few years ago and now it is the only one I use.

Combine and let sit for 5 minutes:
1/2 Cup warm water
1 Package Yeast
2 tsp. sugar or honey

Combine:
Yeast mixture
3 Cups Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick melted butter
2 Cups Milk

Cover and refrigerate over night and the batter will look like this, and smell like heaven.

Mix in 2 eggs and 1/2 tsp baking soda and mix well.  The batter will look like this...

Now, cook in your waffle maker and they will look like this...

Enjoy!!

Rough days

So far this New Year has been a bit of a bust.  With the news of my Mother's diagnosis and then being sick for a week myself, I haven't been able to do much of what I had planned.  That is the way life goes I guess, but I still have hopes that things will get on track and I can accomplish some of my goals.

While I was sick I re-watched the Netflix series The Big Family Cooking Showdown. It is a popoff of The Great British Bake Off.  I really like the chemistry of the hosts and the skills and personalities of all of the contestants.  What makes the show really great for me is that each family makes a meal for the judges in their own homes.  I love that part the most.  It is fun to see their kitchens and how they interact with their family in their own homes. It reminded me of being in the kitchen with my Mother and Grandmother cooking a meal.

Season two is not as good.  The hosts have changed, the set is not as welcoming and they omitted the cooking at home part. Netflix, please bring back the original format and hosts.

Well, I'm off to start my day. The Big Guy has caught what I had and I can hear him coughing down the hall.  Poor guy.  I have to catch up on a weeks worth of tasks here at home and be somewhat prepared to go to work Monday and catch up on everything there.  Sometimes being a responsible adult bites.

Bad news soothed by cake

It's hard to believe we are already 13 days into the New Year.

Our New Years Eve was quiet.  We played Scrabble and had a few cocktails and appetizers.  I was in bed by 11pm and said hello to 2020 around 8am on the first.

I meant to post sooner but I've been hit with some news that has taken some serious processing. My Mother has been diagnosed with dementia.  At first I had a really good cry.  Something I haven't done in a very long time. Now I am somewhat numb.  I don't know what to think or how I feel. My Grandmother also suffered from dementia so I am somewhat familiar with how this is going to unravel.  I got the news from my Step Father.  My Mother and I haven't really talked about the diagnosis other than she told me she "has a really bad memory and  there is something wrong with her brain and she can't get a new brain."

My Mother is an amazing baker and cook as well.  One of my favorite cakes that she made for me throughout my entire child hood is Orange Kiss Me cake.  It is a delicious cake that is not too sweet and can be eaten for breakfast as well.  I remember my Dad would always get so upset with my Mom for letting me have cake sometimes for breakfast but she just shooed him away and said "it is no different than a donut."  Thanks for letting me have cake for breakfast Mom.

For the cake:
3/4 Cup Orange Juice ( I used the juice from one orange and the zest )
2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 Cup shortening or butter
1/2 Cup milk
1 tsp Triple Sec
2 Eggs
1 Cup raisins
1 Cup chopped Walnuts

Combine Orange Juice with flour, sugar and salt.  Add butter, milk, eggs and triple sec and mix with an electric mixer on medium for about 2 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and flour a 9 x 13 cake pan
Bake approximately 40 minutes until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Nut Topping:
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup chopped Walnuts
1 tsp. cinnamon

Drizzle warm cake with OJ or the juice and zest of one orange.
Sprinkle on nut topping.

* My Mom originally used 1 can of frozen orange juice concentrate.  She did not mix with water but used half of the can for the cake and half f the can for the topping.