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Friday, January 1, 2010

Topsy-Turvy Resolutions and Waffles In Flight

Do you keep your New Year's Resolutions?

I blush to admit, I do not. Well, rarely. So, this year, to increase the odds of my accomplishing something
successful in the New Year, my resolutions will be the opposite of what I really want to, or should, do.



So, for 2010, I resolve:

. . . to spend more time sitting at the computer and being sedentary,
until moss grows up my North side, and cheerful little woodland creatures nest in my hair.

. . . to let that protective coating of dust grow thicker at That Old House.

. . . to gain 50 pounds.

. . . to waste money.

. . . to stay at home and eat bagels and read The Sunday New York Times instead of going to church.

. . . to pro. cras. tin. ate.

. . . to gossip.

. . . to encourage invasive weeds and those giant weird sticky-bush thingies to take over the flower borders.

. . . to neglect the blog.

. . . to worry and fret and stew about things instead of leaving them in the Lord's capable hands.

There.
That about covers it, don't you think? If I follow my usual pattern,
I'll have broken all of those resolutions within a couple of months. Wish me luck!


What about you? Any fierce resolves for 2010?

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And speaking of deliciousness (and when are we not speaking of deliciousness?) our daughter Anne made the most amazing waffles on Christmas morning. She used our big Hofritz waffle iron and the Special Waffles recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, a.k.a our Kitchen Bible.

(Recipe at end of post.)

Sugar, flour, eggs, butter . . . .


Here, on our big kitchen isthmus, the assembled ingredients plus some stragglers that don't belong in the picture but were there when Annie took the shots. In the bowl of the Kitchen Aid, the whisk shows traces of beaten egg white; this is not a waffle you whip up in minutes from a mix, it is the real deal.

Batter:


Waffle iron -- I won it in a raffle -- it makes 4 at once:


You can tell this was a project I was not involved in,
or the electrical appliance would not have been right next to the sink.

Prepared waffles, waiting in the warm oven:


And the lighter-than-air result:


If you held one of these waffles in your hand, you could not detect its weight; they nearly flew, that's how light they were. And crispy. And tender. All the wonderful things the perfect breakfast waffle is supposed to be, and so often is not.

Plus, since they were so light, they had no calories.
That is my story, and I am sticking to it, just as those nonexistent calories will stick to me.

Thanks to my daughter Annie, who made these amazing waffles and took such beautiful pictures of them,
and to my daughter Alida who watched her sister and cheered her on, and ate her share of the deliciousness.

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Tomorrow, Saturday, we plan on trekking out to Long Island to our family beach house, to check on conditions and make sure the ice-eater is merrily gobbling the ice by the dock pilings. You may not be familiar with Long Island, so here's a map:


We live about an inch-and-a-half to the left of this map, in New Jersey, and our beach house is way the heck out on the North Fork of the Island. See that second little spit of land that hangs down into Peconic Bay to the left of Shelter Island, like the uvula that hangs down at the back of your throat? (Right near the Wineries designation.) That's Hog Neck; that's where we are headed. We'll get some pictures of a wintry farm and beach landscape!

Happy New Year to ALL! -- Cass

Special Waffles, adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3 t baking powder
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 3/4 C milk
  • 4 T butter, melted
  • 3 T sugar
Warm up the waffle iron. Put flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and combine. Beat the egg yolks, separately, with a whisk and add the milk and melted butter. Combine with the dry ingredients, and mix until smooth. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff but not dry. Slowly add the sugar to the whites, beating constantly. Mix 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then fold in remaining egg whites carefully. Put 1/2 cup (or appropriate amount) of waffle batter in the hot iron, and bake. Don't overfill the iron, or the waffle will squish out the sides and make a dismal mess and you will curse the day you decided to make Special Waffles.

29 comments:

  1. Hi Cass

    Loved your LI map...I'm on the lgest piece hanging right above The Great South Bay...our community juts out into the water. Hopefully all is well out there...loved your resolutions, I believe I could keep up with that list! Haha! Enjoy your jaunt east, wave as you go by! :0)

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  2. Your approach to resolutions is refreshing! Point well taken.

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  3. I love your backwards resolutions! Let us know how it goes! The mosaic of you is great!

    The waffles sound yummy, I might give the recipe a try this weekend!

    I hope you had a good trip!. I know Long Island as far as Bethpage!

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  4. Cass,
    Way to go on your refreshing New Years Resolutions. I know I rally keep any I make, so this year there will be no resolutions to break. I do enjoy reading everyone proclaim their own...especially in a funny light, such as yours. Lovely photos of the waffles. I know Long Island well, due to growing up in NYC, I seldom went as far out on the Island as your lovely home seems to be. Have fun!
    Maureen

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  5. Happy New Year, Cass ~ Love your approach to resolutions.

    TTFN ~ Marydon

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  6. Those waffles sure look good. They are one of My Sweet Hubby's specialties. Good luck with the resolutions. I'm still thinking about mine.
    Kat

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  7. I'm glad that you doing the opposite of thsoe listed--some of those are tough.

    Have a great trip!

    Melinda

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  8. I'm back. I couldn't resist pointing people to your creative approach. Unless you tell me to take it off, I'll leave the link on my 1/1/10 post to THIS one. Thanks!

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  9. Cass, I had to laugh at your "resolutions". My resolution each year is to not make any resolutions. That way I dont diappoint and all good things re a bonus. HA! Nhahh I do set goals, but I call them such-not resolutions.
    THOSE waffles look divine!
    Happy New year!

    Leigh
    Tales from Bloggeritaville
    www.lbratina.blogspot.com

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  10. I'm so glad you stopped by to say hi, so I could find your wonderful blog. Your post made me LOL!!

    I'll be seeing you again in 2010.

    Happy New Year,

    Jo

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  11. Good looking waffles! I do hope you have a Happy New Year!

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  12. Oh my!!!! I will have three waffles please and lots of syrup. :). When it comes to sresolutions..I have only 1...and that's clean up your clutter CC..clean it up and clear it out..
    Happy New Year..may it bring many wonderful blessings.

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  13. Mmm, I want some waffles. I gave up on resolutions years ago. The harder I try to be good, the badder I get. Have a safe trip. Rosie

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  14. I could make a list a mile long in either direction. To do and not to do. Aack.
    Why do we always set ourselves up to break our resolutions. At least yours are good ones.
    Looks like you are heading to a great spot. There is lots of snow there now isn't there?

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  15. I love your list of resolutions!! Made me laugh! Hope you have a great trip..now I'm hungry too after seeing those wonderful waffles! Miss Bloomers/Sonia

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  16. i am sure you will read plenty of yums...lol
    how delightfully fluffy!

    and who cannot be taken seriously as a cook when all there tools are waiting on soapstone counter?

    Happy New Year.

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  17. Your resolutions make me smile. I, too, plan to do a lot of eating this year. I will start with your waffles tomorrow morning! Have a great time at the beach and a wonderful 2010.

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  18. Great idea about the resoulutions! Let me know how that goes! Your daughtgers waffels looked to good.. we have becaome so lazy and have been buying them frozen... SHAME on me! I should make up a batch and freeze my own! Let us know how the beach house looks.. and take some photos of the ice eater.. I have know idea what that could possibly look like... (Totally a West coast girl here) Have a safe trip...
    I'm having a little New Years Give away too... stop by and enter if you get a chance...
    ~Really Rainey~

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  19. Great post, Cass... great photos too... and GREAT RESOLUTIONS!..lol.. you gave me a laugh today too... Yes, those dogs are emotional whores, best way to describe it I've ever heard.

    Lucky you to have a beach house, photos please! I'm from Staten Island originally.. used to summer at our rented beach bungalow at Cedar Grove, not far from the Verazanno!.. It's a dump now, sad but true. The Sound has definitely cleaned up in recent years, I'm finding. I'm a kayaker so I'm "in it" frequently.

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  20. Oh man.....a beach house....how wonderful! Can't wait for pictures.
    Never been a waffle fan but need to get out of my shell and try new things. I thnk I'm the only person on this planet not fond of them. I'll keep trying.
    Hugs and Happy New year.
    Karen

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  21. Oh, Cass - they look delicious! I love a light & crispy waffle!

    I'm loving your 'reverse psychology' method of making New Year's resolutions! I didn't bother to make one (well... one... to get fit... but that's a constant in my life... :-P ) I should just decide to eat myself out of house & home and see if that works, right?!

    Love your post!

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  22. Love your answer to making resolutions! :-) Have a safe and warm trip. Enough of this cold already!

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  23. Happy New Year Cass! I loved having a catch up on your last few posts. We've had a full house and I didn't get to the computer until the 31st. I enjoyed your post about the flatware and wondered about the back story. One year I found some Shelley's Dainty Blue for my sister - and there IS a back story to that!

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  24. Hi Cass :)

    Your resolutions are perfect for me and in fact I think those were mine from last year LOL

    Happy New Year dear friend!!

    much love,
    rue

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  25. Over here at the urging of Rebecca. You made me laugh, and for that I'll come again!

    peace~elaine

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  26. Hi Cass,

    Thanks so much for your kind words and I appreciate you visiting my new blog. I'm having too much fun with it and meeting some neat people too. Hey, those homemade waffles, yum yum!

    Happy New Year!

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  27. That is some light waffles! I haven't made them homemade in years! Hubby planned to make some Christmas Morning, but forgot. lol I think our tree is the same sounds like I have a missing star and music. But for $1.00 I do love it and use it in my little sun room. Have fun at the Beach House. Doc has me grounded I've got hurt 4 times since just before Christmas. Hoping for a year of fun and Happiness!

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  28. Happy New Year, Cass!

    Love your idea for reverse resolutions! I must try that myslelf. And those waffles do look so light and airy and delicious! MMMmmmm...!

    -Pam

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  29. Here it is almost 11:00 on Saturday night and I need some waffles!! Those sound wonderful but they don't match wit my resolutions. :)

    Speaking of resolutions, I love your thinking!

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