Waffles for the freezer

As I may have mentioned, school (and everything else) started this week. 

Everything kicks in all at the same time. It's quite a full-system shock.  Along with the radical full-family schedule change that is "school", there's also weekly Bible study group, music lessons, fall stuff going on at church, homework, fundraisers, field trips, substitute teaching, weekly early morning meetings, schedules, lunch-packing, driving, driving, driving, phone calls to make, appointments to keep, and the resuming of busy-ness, obligations, "have to's", and responsibilities.  Suddenly life moves WAY faster, and it's tricky to find a handle to hold on to it.  Some people thrive on a fast pace of life, and lots of structure.  Me...not so much.  In fact, not at all.

Usually when September comes I'm at least somewhat mentally prepared.  Ready to shoulder and carry all that structure again.  Not this year.  I'm feeling nostalgic for the old pre-school days which, in my memory, were the essence of sweetness: crafts, play-doh, reading library books all snuggled up the big chair, swinging at the playground, housework, cooking, and laundry hanging on the line in the back yard.  Life moved slowly, because there were rocks to inspect, clouds to view, and bugs to discuss.  Time moved in natural ways, with the rhythm of the sun, and the seasons. Days were long, in a really good way. 

The non-schedule of summer is reminiscent of that (minus the play-doh and picture books now-a-days.).  Summer is when we are carried along by creativity.  We can be fully immersed in a project or task without the burden of watching the clock. 

But then September arrives, and for the next 9 months I have this thought about a hundred times a day:  "I have to HURRY".  No more creative flow, instead it's "hurry".  September is time to switch gears, even though the sun is still hot.  I'm still wearing flip-flops and shorts, but we're back on a time-schedule; the clock and the calendar loom large, and my brain can't process that dichotomy.  The clock becomes a hard task-master; it pushes, presses, hassles, and and harries.  Time moves in quick, jerky, robotic, and stressful ways--not natural, and not according to the sun and the seasons, but according to the artificial and contrived demands of the schedule, the calendar and other people. 

Time to be "grown-up" again.  Time to forgo the simple, sweet joys reading in the sun, swimming, making popsicles, vacation Bible school, strolling around the neighborhood with the dog at 9:00 pm when it's still light outside (but finally cool enough to walk), listening to the frogs and crickets, and (for me) blogging to my little heart's content, in my sweats and tee-shirts, with my trusty early-morning coffee by my side.

I don't really love the whole "being-a-grown-up" thing. 

Being a kid is so much more fun.

 I love to lose track of time, rather than keep track of it.  

I'll probably mourn for a few more weeks.  But once October hits and the leaves change, and the weather cools, I'll recover.  Eventually this new pace will be "normal" again, I hope.  When I pull out the fall decorations, and the pumpkins turn orange, I will re-energize.  There's a lot to love about fall too.  I'm just not there yet.

I gotta find a way to snap to, and pull it together here.  Time to engage, face facts, and get down to some prep-work that will make life simpler in the next few weeks, and ease the transition back to reality.

Hence:  Freezer Waffles.  I'm doing double duty, using up some gigantic bags of Pamela's Gluten-Free baking mix, AND stocking my freezer with waffles for quick breakfasts and lunches on the go.  I'm also hoping to get down to business on some breakfast burritos before Monday.

Now, waffles.  Are they really the healthiest thing ever?  No, not really.  I wouldn't be eating them every day, or soaking them with added sugar (like syrup). 

But some busy days, I feel ok about a breakfast of homemade waffles, topped with high-quality protein, like eggs, or turkey and cheese, and maybe a piece of fruit on the side.  It's not a fresh veggie scramble with sautéed organic greens, but it's not a store-bought pastry or cereal either.  For me, I'd say it's a compromise between perfection and reality.    

Here's the reason why I emphasize homemade waffles, as opposed to store-bought:

If you have food allergies or sensitivities you can make waffles (or pancakes or muffins for the freezer...) to your specifications: no dairy, no sugar, no gluten...however you need them to be. 

If you eat grain-free (Paleo or Primal) you can certainly make them with almond flour or coconut flour instead of grains. 

Even if your family eats grains, this might be a great place to diversify the grains you consume...try out something other than wheat for a nice change.  The nutrient profiles of various grains are different, and you may really enjoy the varied flavors and textures. There are zillions of choices to try:  buckwheat, teff, sorghum, coconut flour, brown rice flour, quinoa flour...endless possibilities.  

Recipes are everywhere on the internet, and there are some fantastic cookbooks available at the library.  Three books I really love are: Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, by Amy Green, and The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, and Nourishing Meals both by Ali Segersten and Tom Malterre.  Both Amy, and Ali and Tom have great websites and recipe blogs. 

When you make things yourself you can choose what you want your family to consume, and really, that's the whole point. 

One of my goals this year is to learn to make gluten-free waffles and other baked items prepared by traditional techniques such as soaking/sprouting/fermenting, like (buckwheat sourdough) (see Sally Fallon's book Nourishing Traditions and Ali and Tom's book, Nourishing Meals) but meanwhile, I need to use up this Pamela's mix, and my family really loves these quick easy waffles, so here we go:

STEP 1:  No new info here folks; just mix up your favorite waffle recipe. 

One thing I've noticed is that if you follow the advice of many recipes and whip the egg whites separately, and them fold them into the batter for a crispier waffles, what you end up with is a waffle that is STUCK like cement to the waffle maker!  So I just add the eggs in whole and do not separate them.  Also, even if your waffle maker is "non-stick", still...grease that puppy up unless you want to be digging rock-hard waffle batter out of every nook and cranny for the next 30 minutes.

STEP 2:  Then bake in a waffle maker.  I find that if I use a flat edged bamboo (or wooden) spoon to scoot the batter evenly into all the corners I get a much better looking waffle.

STEP 3:  Cool on baking racks--that's important, so the waffles do not go soggy on you.

STEP 4:  Then package into Ziplock freezer bags.  I sometimes like to put sheets of parchment between them so they don't stick together, but that's optional. 

STEP 5:  Label with the date and freeze.

Keep frozen until ready to use.  They go directly from freezer to toaster oven (or a regular toaster, I guess...we use a toaster oven). 

Here are some fun toppings and fillings for your waffles:

• fried or scrambled eggs and cheese
• fried or scrambled eggs and bacon
• egg salad
• nut butter (almond or cashew are a fun change) and low-sugar jam, or fruit preserves
• nut butter and banana slices
• turkey and swiss
• chicken salad, made with apples and walnuts in it, yum!
• or top with sliced peaches or berries, and yogurt with a cinnamon sprinkle.

What are your ideas for using frozen waffles on busy weekdays?  Chime in the comment section and tell us what you think.