Mmmmm...Carrot Cake Waffles...what a GREAT idea!

"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. -- John 15:13 --

Good afternoon my friends...feeling extremely grateful this Memorial Day for the many freedoms I've been afforded through the blood and sacrifice of others...first and foremost, my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ...then the many men & women who have served so gallantly in our nation's military to protect those freedoms that most of us tend to take for granted each day.  THANK YOU will never be enough…

Thanks to Facebook, I recently came across a blog, called Willow Bird Baking:  Lessons in Life & Kitchen Confidence  by Julie Ruble.  I found this delicious-sounding recipe there (and you should see the mouth-watering pictures that go with it!), and since I had a day at home today (VERY unusual on a weekday), I decided to give it a try.  I’m posting the link to the recipe on Julie’s blog here.  However, as most of you know, I can never quite make a recipe exactly “as is”, sooooo...  J

For those of you who are interested, here are the changes I made…

Waffle Ingredients:

1.   I used 3 parts all-purpose flour to 1 part whole wheat flour.

2.   I halved the amount of salt.

3.   I used 1 part regular sugar and 1 part Smart Sugar.

4.   I reduced the nutmeg by 25%.

5.   I was out of buttermilk, so I used fat free (skim) milk with vinegar.

6.   I used HEB Real Egg instead of the egg yolks.

7.    I omitted the raisins.

8.    As a TEXAS girl…I proudly used pecans in place of the walnuts.

Maple Nut Cream Cheese Spread Ingredients:

1.    I used fat free cream cheese.

2.    I used REAL maple syrup as called for and then added 1 Tbsp. pancake syrup for flavoring.

3.    Once again I substituted pecans for the walnuts.

4.    I added 3 Tbsp. powdered (confectioner’s) sugar.

Some of my family was out working on fences here in Zig Zag this morning (while I played in the kitchen), so I got a batch ready for them as a mid-morning snack.  Once the tasting began, I got “thumbs up” all around.

I didn’t serve them quite the way Julie did (no layered waffle “cakes” here)…just individual waffles with the spread on the side for folks to spread as little or as much as they wanted.  NOTE:  I halved the waffle recipe, but used the full recipe for the spread.  (I wanted to have some left to try on a bagel later!)  It’s a good thing…no one even wanted the syrup I offered with it…the spread was plenty good on it’s own!

Folks…you really should try these…they are SOOOOO GOOD!!!  I hadn’t ever actually taken the time to “bloom” my spices before, but I did that today.  What wonderful smells poured forth from my kitchen!!  It’s easy, and doesn’t take too much longer.  Try it!

I hope you are spending today with your family, and taking a minute to reflect on the high cost of the freedom we enjoy here in the United States of America…both our spiritual freedom, and our national freedom.

In the words of Ronald Reagan (from his 1986 Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery):  “Today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again.  It’s a day of thanks for the valor of others, a day to remember the splendor of America and those of her children who rest in this cemetery and others.  It’s a day to be with the family and remember…”

Remembering…

--Faithy