Waffles

A jean jacket.

My mahogany wood side tables.

A lace wedding dress.

Black high heels.

Quick...what do all of these things have in common? This should be easy. They're all classics. They never get old. They're timeless. And you never ever get sick of them. In some weird, culinary way, I think that waffles fit into this category. The beautiful thing about this breakfast (or lunch, or dinner) recipe is that it can be kid-friendly, a perfect comfort food, or a dressed-up "fancy pants" meal fit for a queen. Or your mother-in-law.

Waffles are a really fun idea for a party, especially a brunch. Set out all the optional toppings on a table and let everyone choose their own. Here are some great ideas of add-ins for the batter:

• Cocoa powder
• When stirred into the batter, it will make the whole waffle dark and chocolately
• Fresh fruits
• Chocolate chips
• Pecans
• Bacon
• Believe it. This is actually a popular one.

And here are some topping options once the waffle is finished cooking:

• Powdered sugar
• Syrup
• Jam
• Nuts
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate sauce
• Ice cream
• Fresh fruit

Okay, I'll stop telling you how to live your life. I'm just here to offer suggestions. Here's a delicious recipe for a basic, buttery waffle. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups warm milk
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended.
• Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

Love and waffles,

Turkey, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Quesadilla

So Tim and I have this thing that we do. And by "we," I mean "I." Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, Tim asks for scrambled eggs and my breakfast potatoes. Now, these are all depressing days for me: Monday is, well, Monday. Wednesday is the middle of the week, which is depressing in-and-of itself. And Friday, well, all I can think about is, "One more day until I get to sleep." Plus I go to the gym at 5 am on those mornings. At least Tuesdays are Taco Tuesdays and Thursdays have Grey's Anatomy.

I'm rambling.

A few mornings ago, Tim woke me up with his signature line: "Eggs and potatoes, cheeks?" Cheeks is a new nickname we're trying out. It's still a toss-up. Anyway, he wants these eggs and potatoes, and I'm just not into it. It's the end of the month, I'm out of grocery money, and unbeknownst to him, I've been out of red potatoes for 9 days. So I go to the kitchen and think this up after throwing together the 5 things I had in my fridge.

"And it was good."

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 tortilla
• 2 slices provolone or American cheese
• 2 slices turkey, ham or favorite sandwich meat
• Salt, pepper

Directions:

• Crack eggs and put yolk/whites in bowl. Add about 1/8 cup water and whisk.
• Pour eggs into small pan and turn heat on medium low. Let cook in that position without stirring. If the eggs start to get overcooked on the sides, turn the heat down, which will help the eggs cook more evenly.
• Using a spatula, lift cooked egg from the pan and place flat on an open tortilla. 
• Top with slices of cheese, sandwich meat. Add salt and pepper.
• Fold tortilla in half and place back in pan. Turn heat on medium high.
• Let the tortilla cook for about 5 minutes before flipping. Tortilla should be golden brown.
• After cooking both sides, remove from heat and cut in half.
• Serve warm as a quick, easy breakfast!

Love and the-most-important-meal-of-the-day,

Rachael