When I was a kid, my mom loved to make heart-shaped waffles (she is crazy about hearts). But, she had a recipe that I was finally able to replicate...they were so good, I had to! The only waffles that have come close to these (that I have not been able to make gluten-free) was a recipe from my sister-in-law, using a sourdough starter. I found a recipe for "Norwegian Sour Cream Waffles" that was close to my mom's, added my gluten-free ingredients and, voila!
This morning, for the first time since going gluten-free, I made waffles for my family.
Gluten-Free Norwegian Waffles
5 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. gluten free flour blend (I use 2 parts organic brown rice flour and 1 part tapioca flour)
1 t. ground cardamom or ginger or lemon zest (I used cardamom for the first time ever this morning; but, my mom's way is with lemon zest...I love them both!)
1 c. sour cream (this morning, I had some part-skim ricotta I need to use up...worked great!)
4 T. unsalted butter, melted
Beat the eggs and sugar together for 5-10 minutes (I throw it in my stand mixer and wait until they are super-frothy and thick). With a rubber spatula, fold in half the flour, cardamom (or ginger or lemon zest) and sour cream (or ricotta cheese), and then the remaining flour/s.. Lightly stir in the melted butter and set the batter aside for 10 minutes. Heat waffle iron. Pour about 3/4 c. of the batter in the center (I used the belgian waffle side this morning because I did not feel like turning them around) and close the lid to cook for 5 minutes. Serve with jam (they suggested lingonberry in the recipe; but, we used strawberry jam that was just sweetened with fruit juice). Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
My Changing Consumerism
I can't remember the last time I went shopping without a purpose. I always have a list, whether I am going to the grocery store, the mall or downtown.
There once was a time when I would just "go shopping", spending my hard-earned money (all of it, I might add) on things I thought were "cute" or "cool" or "a good deal".
I cannot pinpoint exactly the moment that I made a change to more purposeful, more conscious (in many ways!) shopping. I feel like it started before I got married; and, it must've been a gradual process. It could have been when we started shopping for furniture. It could have been that I began to have more important things to do and think about!
Also, the year we were married, we were both laid off from our jobs, we moved from Chicago to a small town (Ottawa, IL) and we bought a house. Did I mention it was the year we were married? So, juggling our wedding budget (we paid for it all ourselves), our budget for buying a house, getting appliances, and making sure we had enough to live on (and still getaway for our honeymoon) may have inspired me to do more mindful shopping. I was (and am) not only concerned about the cost and the appearance of things, but also the impact on the environment. Research, research, research. Hello, mindful shopping.
Next came tracking our expenses in order to be more mindful of EVERYTHING. After tracking our expenses for a few months, I put together a household budget. I still track ALL of our expenses. I know exactly when grocery prices go up because little pennies add up to big dollars each month; so, I have to constantly figure out where to cut back. Now that we have kids, being mindful has become even more important.
There are not only changes in prices, but in how things are made. I continue to check ingredient lists, consumer research sites and environmental sites to make sure the things I like are still the same quality. It feels good to buy the things I need and like and to stay within our budget. Try it!
P.S. I still go "window shopping", whether online or on the street. It is always nice to dream!
There once was a time when I would just "go shopping", spending my hard-earned money (all of it, I might add) on things I thought were "cute" or "cool" or "a good deal".
I cannot pinpoint exactly the moment that I made a change to more purposeful, more conscious (in many ways!) shopping. I feel like it started before I got married; and, it must've been a gradual process. It could have been when we started shopping for furniture. It could have been that I began to have more important things to do and think about!
Also, the year we were married, we were both laid off from our jobs, we moved from Chicago to a small town (Ottawa, IL) and we bought a house. Did I mention it was the year we were married? So, juggling our wedding budget (we paid for it all ourselves), our budget for buying a house, getting appliances, and making sure we had enough to live on (and still getaway for our honeymoon) may have inspired me to do more mindful shopping. I was (and am) not only concerned about the cost and the appearance of things, but also the impact on the environment. Research, research, research. Hello, mindful shopping.
Next came tracking our expenses in order to be more mindful of EVERYTHING. After tracking our expenses for a few months, I put together a household budget. I still track ALL of our expenses. I know exactly when grocery prices go up because little pennies add up to big dollars each month; so, I have to constantly figure out where to cut back. Now that we have kids, being mindful has become even more important.
There are not only changes in prices, but in how things are made. I continue to check ingredient lists, consumer research sites and environmental sites to make sure the things I like are still the same quality. It feels good to buy the things I need and like and to stay within our budget. Try it!
P.S. I still go "window shopping", whether online or on the street. It is always nice to dream!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Each Purchase, One Vote
The main reason that I make an effort to buy responsibly-produced food and products for my family is to do everything I can to ensure my family is (gratefully) healthy. The other reason is to make a difference. Every choice I make at the store is a vote for what I, the consumer, want; and, therefore, what they, the companies, should be selling (sometimes, more important is also, "how" the food is raised/products are made--fair wages, ethical, etc.).
I went to our local butcher shop because I heard they get their pork from a small farm in Wisconsin. I heard wrong. I am so surprised that the owners of this great butcher shop know everything about their meat except the farm on which it was raised. To me, that would be the ultimate piece of information. To know the source. To know the animals are treated humanely. To know what they are fed. That is how you know your meat!
I have a friend who raises cows. Guess where I get my beef? Does anyone know a pig farmer? I also know where my chickens are raised. I buy wild salmon and responsibly farmed tilapia fish (mainly). I get the most amazing eggs from a friend of a friend's free-range chickens! I love buying things straight from the source at the local farmers' market (I had the good fortune of setting the standards for the market and I know the farmers and which ones use pesticides and which ones do not, as it takes much time and money to be certified organic!).
Everyone of us wields a very powerful thing called INFLUENCE. You have the power to make a difference today--choose wisely! Find out where and how your food is grown. Find out if the products you buy are responsibly produced. If you find out something negative about a company or product, then find a company you do like and buy their products instead! Make a DIFFERENCE! Let's create a new "norm"--fair wages, fair labor practices, ethical standards, natural products, and much, much more to make our world a little better each day! Let's make our world the way we want it, a little at a time (each purchase, one vote...for your world)!
I went to our local butcher shop because I heard they get their pork from a small farm in Wisconsin. I heard wrong. I am so surprised that the owners of this great butcher shop know everything about their meat except the farm on which it was raised. To me, that would be the ultimate piece of information. To know the source. To know the animals are treated humanely. To know what they are fed. That is how you know your meat!
I have a friend who raises cows. Guess where I get my beef? Does anyone know a pig farmer? I also know where my chickens are raised. I buy wild salmon and responsibly farmed tilapia fish (mainly). I get the most amazing eggs from a friend of a friend's free-range chickens! I love buying things straight from the source at the local farmers' market (I had the good fortune of setting the standards for the market and I know the farmers and which ones use pesticides and which ones do not, as it takes much time and money to be certified organic!).
Everyone of us wields a very powerful thing called INFLUENCE. You have the power to make a difference today--choose wisely! Find out where and how your food is grown. Find out if the products you buy are responsibly produced. If you find out something negative about a company or product, then find a company you do like and buy their products instead! Make a DIFFERENCE! Let's create a new "norm"--fair wages, fair labor practices, ethical standards, natural products, and much, much more to make our world a little better each day! Let's make our world the way we want it, a little at a time (each purchase, one vote...for your world)!
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