Dad's Sourdough Waffles

I can't remember a time when there wasn't a jar of sourdough fermenting in my parents' refrigerator.  My dad frequently made bread and sourdough waffles and pancakes for us when I was growing up, and still does when I visit.  During orange season, he makes a sauce out of fresh squeezed orange juice with a little grated rind and some tapioca to thicken it.  So good!

I got this recipe from him.  It actually calls for the eggs to be separated so that the whites can be beaten and folded in at the end, to make the waffles more light, but I've found they're light enough without that extra step.  I've also sometimes substituted melted butter or ghee for all or part of the oil, and I'm guessing melted coconut oil would also be a tasty option.

I make my sourdough with 100% white whole wheat flour, but my dad uses red wheat flour, and that's also good.  The fermenting process helps break down the whole grain so it's a little more tender and easier to digest.  It works well to feed your sourdough the night before making this so you have plenty to use and so that the sourdough isn't too sour (since this recipe doesn't call for any additional flour, I've found that if I use really ripened sourdough without feeding it first, the flavor is a little too strong).

Dad's Sourdough Waffles

2 1/2 c. sourdough

milk to thin (or buttermilk or yogurt, or water)

2 eggs

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 Tbs. sugar

1/4 cup oil (or melted butter, ghee, coconut oil)

Mix together the baking soda, salt, and sugar in a small bowl.  Stir together the sourdough, eggs, and enough liquid to make it a good waffle consistency, then stir in the oil and the dry ingredients just to blend.  Cook in waffle iron.

Note:  it works well to freeze any leftovers and then warm them in the toaster when ready to eat them.

Microwave Oatmeal

There's no need to spend money on instant oatmeal, when this takes only a few seconds longer and tastes SO MUCH BETTER!  If measuring 1/2 cup of oats in the morning is too much, then measure them out and put in baggies the day before - do enough for a couple of weeks at a time.  You could even add dried fruit, nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon to your mixes.  Then just add water and microwave.  Lately I've been using some freeze-dried diced apples with a hint of cinnamon and brown sugar.

Microwave Oatmeal - Basic Recipe for 1

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. water

Put in a large cereal bowl (it needs room to boil) and microwave 2 minutes on high.  I've found that sometimes I need to adjust the time when I have different brands of oats - one needed 3 minutes to get soft enough and another only needed 1 1/2 minutes, so cook until it's the texture you like.  You also might prefer to add more water, but I like mine fairly dry since I top it with milk or almond milk.

I like to add toppings like 1/2 cup of frozen berries or chopped apples and cinnamon (microwave 30 seconds longer) or 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, chopped bananas, and pumpkin pie spice.  Also fresh fruit like berries or peaches are great, or some dried blueberries and walnuts.

Refrigerator Oats

I got this Refrigerator Oats recipe from someone on Pinterest.  It was a bit difficult to find the chia seeds (let me tell you I got some funny looks from Pittsburghers when I was asking in the different grocery stores).  I found some in bulk at Whole Foods for a good price, but when I went back, they only had packaged seeds.  I got the lb. bag of Bob's Red Mill because it was the best price.  I've since found them at Costco and the East End Food Coop.  Before I found the chia seeds, I just made it without, and I actually prefer it without, but the chia is a very healthful addition (high in fiber, protein, and omega-3), so I've gotten used to it.  If you make it without, you'll need to reduce the amount of milk to about 1/2 cup.


Refrigerator Oats - Basic Recipe for 1
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup milk
1 Tbs. chia seeds


I like to put it in pint jars, and each one holds 1 serving.  It will need to sit overnight, or at least for an hour so the oats and chia can absorb the liquid.  I make about 4-6 at a time, and we eat them over the course of a few days.  You could do all kinds of different flavors.  I just add flavors when it's time to eat so that the fruit stays fresh.  My favorite right now is fresh cubed mango, a dash of almond extract, and slivered almonds.  We've also liked any combination of fresh strawberries, blueberries or peaches, bananas and maple syrup.  Flavors that haven't been requested for a repeat include peanut butter & chocolate and applesauce cinnamon.  I think cooked apple chunks would be better texture-wise.  I've been meaning to try pumpkin spice.

Cinnamon Rolls or Sticky Buns

Zoe and I made a quadruple batch of these for Zoe's classmates last week.  They were a big hit.  We had the sticky bun version for Christmas morning (just shape the night before and refrigerate overnight then bake in the morning), but Zoe thought they would be too messy for school, so we served them plain with frosting on the side.

This recipe is adapted slightly from The Joy of Cooking

Cinnamon Rolls


If you have a breadmaker, just combine all the dough ingredients (up through the 6 Tbs. butter) in the breadmaker and run the dough cycle. When the dough is ready, follow the instructions for shaping, rising and baking.

If you don't have a breadmaker, combine in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes:

1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm (105-115 degree) water

Add:

1/2 cup cake flour (all purpose is ok)

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix by hand or on low speed until blended.  Gradually stir in:

2 cups bread flour (all purpose is ok)

Mix for 1 minute until the dough comes together.  Knead by hand for about 10 min. or with the dough hook on low to medium speed for 5-7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to your hands or the bowl.  Add:

6 Tbs. very soft butter

Vigorously knead in the butter until completely incorporated and the dough is once again smooth.  Place the dough in a large buttered bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours. (Refrigerate if you need more time before you shape it).  

Punch the dough down and roll it out on a floured surface into a 16x12 inch rectangle.  Brush the dough with 

1 Tbs. melted butter

Sprinkle with 

1/3 cup sugar mixed with 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Starting from the long side, roll up the dough as you would a jelly roll.  Cut crosswise into 12 slices.  Arrange the slices cut-side down in a greased 9x13 pan, spacing them equally in the pan.  Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Top with cream cheese frosting if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Have the cream cheese cold and the butter at room temperature.

In a medium bowl, beat until just blended:

8 oz. cream cheese

5 Tbs.unsalted butter

2 tsp. vanilla

Add one third at a time and beat until just smooth and the desired consistency:

2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

If the frosting is too stiff, beat for a few seconds longer.  Do not overbeat.  This keeps, refrigerated, about 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.  This is going to be a lot more than you need.  So you can freeze the rest to use later, or just make a half recipe.

Sticky Bun Variation:

(Instead of topping with frosting) 

Bring to boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar: 

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

8 Tbs. butter

1/4 c. honey

Remove from heat and stir in:

3/4 c. chopped pecans

Pour the hot syrup into the baking pan and spread it evenly.  Let cool while you shape the dough.  Use brown sugar instead of white inside the cinnamon rolls, and proceed as in the other recipe.  When done baking, let cool 5 minutes, then invert the pan onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil to catch the hot syrup.

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

In case your gardens are still producing zucchini (my squash vines have all succumbed to powdery mildew), I present for your consideration Zucchini Carrot Muffins.

These are yummy, relatively healthy, and freeze well. I usually freeze whatever we don't eat when they're fresh from the oven and throw them into Zoe's backpack for snack time. I used to send one of these with a yogurt for a lunch, but she eats a lot more than that now. The frozen ones are best reheated a bit in the toaster oven to get that crunchy top back. I also often freeze extra zucchini (shredded), in the amounts for my favorite recipes, and this is one of them.

I've adapted this recipe from one my sister sent me for Trail Ride Zucchini Muffins. I substituted carrot once when I was short on zucchini, and I like the flecks of color - I would do about 2 c. zucchini and 1/2 c. carrot. I also like the extra brightness the lemon peel gives them.

Zucchini Carrot Muffins
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. oil
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. nonfat dry milk
2 1/2 c. zucchini and carrot, grated
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
1/2 c. raisins (optional - I haven't used these yet)
1/2 c. chopped nuts
zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Sift flours, soda, baking powder and cinnamon together in a bowl; set aside. Combine egg, oil, sugar, dry milk, zucchini/carrot, vanilla and lemon extract in another bowl; beat thoroughly. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture just until smooth. Stir in raisins and nuts. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until done. Other whole grain flours are good.

Puffy Pancakes with Peach Sauce

We have a peach tree that is much later to produce than others in the area. We're just now starting to get peaches from it. Some of them are pretty great, but far too many are small and green and spotted with some kind of fungus. We tried to thin them and spray the tree, but obviously didn't do enough. The tree is weighed down with peaches and 2 of the branches have broken off because we didn't thin the peaches enough.

What to do with this bounty?

This morning we had oven pancakes with peach sauce (pureed peaches with a bit of OJ to thin it and a dash of almond extract and a spoonful or two of sugar).

Oven pancakes aka David Eyre's Pancakes aka Dutch Babies aka Puffy Pancakes

for each serving, mix together
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. flour
1 egg
a pinch of salt
(so if you're making it for 4, use 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour, 4 eggs, etc.)

Melt some butter in a baking dish (9x13 is good for 4 servings) at 450 degrees. Use 2-4 Tbs. Pour the batter into the hot dish, and put it back into the oven. Bake until puffed up and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately with toppings of your choice. Some ideas: fresh fruit and whipped cream, fruit sauces, applesauce, maple syrup, jam, powdered sugar...

(The photo is from our anniversary breakfast in bed, which Z made for us on our anniversary)

Cooking Lessons with Zoe 2

Here's a lesson neither of us are going to forget any time soon: fresh goat milk and fresh goat milk yogurt from the Amish farmer at the farmer's market? We thought, "that sounds great - we like goat cheese, we like raw milk, we like homemade yogurt - let's go for it!" Later, still gagging on the aftertaste that's like licking a goat, we think we'll stick with the goat cheese.

As for the more formal lessons, we've made it through poached eggs, fried eggs sunny side up, and making bread in the breadmaker. It seems like for the last few days, though, I haven't had time to cook anything, let alone take the extra time to let Zoe do it.

I did finally look up instructions for fried eggs and figured out that I've been cooking them over heat that's too high. That's why I've always had trouble getting the whites fully cooked. We had some lovely sunny side up eggs with the whites fully cooked but not rubbery, and the domed yolk just beginning to firm up around the edges. Perfect for dipping toast made from that breadmaker bread. I used the recipe from the Joy of Cooking, if anyone cares to look at it. Well, actually, I should confess that only one of the eggs was perfect. The other was flat, with a broken yolk. The problem was that the first egg we cracked into the pan was not very fresh, which causes the white to spread out thinly and the yolk to often break. We got the second egg from the new carton of eggs, and it was perfect. I should have taken a picture; it was a perfect demo of fresh versus not so fresh.

Cooking Lessons with Zoe

This summer Zoe has requested cooking lessons. She's had enough of my overly ambitious attempts to teach her where I end up hovering and doing things for her, so she has specifically requested instruction in the basics. Really basic building blocks. Like white rice. Couscous. Fried eggs. Cooked beans. Plain pasta. The idea is to eventually explore the more adventurous variations of each item. Like going from white rice to brown rice to sushi rice, then to pilafs and risottos. BUT. For now I'm not allowed to jump ahead. I have to give a self-satisfied smirk, though, that she considers cooking dried beans from scratch a basic skill. I agree with her, but I realize many excellent cooks don't. We also get to tackle basic white bread in the breadmaker, muffins, marinara sauce, roast chicken, and even fish.

Tomorrow it's how to poach eggs and how to cook pasta. We'll have the poached eggs with toast for breakfast, and for dinner I'll make some kind of pasta sauce out of the spinach from our farm delivery and some ricotta that is crying to get out of the refrigerator.

I'm really looking forward to this!

Poached Eggs

Bring a shallow pot of water to a gentle simmer. Spray a little cooking oil on the surface of the water to help keep the eggs from sticking to the bottom. Crack the eggs and slide them gently into the water (some people like to crack them into a bowl first to make it more gentle, but I only rarely bother). Splash a little water over the top if the egg is not fully submerged. Cook until the yolk is as done as you like it, then remove with a slotted spoon. The trick with poached eggs is to keep the temperature of the water right: you don't want too much movement in your simmer - no rolling boils - because that jostles the eggs too much and breaks up the white into lots of foamy little bits that float around. A lower temperature makes for a more shapely egg. Also, it works best with really fresh eggs because the whites are tighter and don't spread out as much.

My favorite way to each poached eggs is on an English muffin with a thin slice of sharp cheddar and maybe even some bacon or sausage. So much better than what you get at Mickey D's.

I think Zoe likes poached better than fried because I'm better at getting the white completely cooked. Maybe I need to read up on fried eggs so I can figure out how to get it right.

Valentine Birthday Waffles

Ok, here's proof that my daughter is the sweetest thing since that lemon cheesecake she made for my birthday. Here is a photo of the waffles she made for breakfast the next morning - complete with heart-shaped slices of strawberries and flower garnish.