Love Thy Neighbor

I remember a simpler time. An easier time. A time where neighbors could turn to each other when in need of a mere cup of sugar. Wait… never mind, that’s just the opening from one of my favorite elementary reads, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.

So what does this book have to do with the pursuit of all things tasty? Well other than sugar and the possibility of pork roast, not much. But the story’s intro echo’s a fun idea for this week’s post: rather than borrowing ingredients, why not borrow kitchen appliances?

Those close to me will know that I’m a waffle guy. Crepes, pancakes and French toast all have their moments, but I just can’t say no to a waffle. That being said, I’m not the biggest fan of spending money on a waffle maker.

This is where my neighbor came in. We were walking and talking one summer night when she brought up her new waffle iron. That’s when the proposal came down: her waffle iron for my stick of butter. How was I supposed to say no to that? She was also kind enough to lend me the waffle recipe!

While we were making the waffles, we both agreed that waffles without fixings isn’t much of a waffle experience at all. Originally, I was planning to whip up a strawberry and-kiwi fruit compote, but I set the blender for too long and ended up with more of a smoothie. Whoops. Well, you learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. Case in point:

Light and Fluffy Waffle Mix with Strawberry-Kiwi Drizzle.
Recipe courtesy of Dana Li

What’s In It:

-Three (3) eggs
-One cup (250 mL) of milk
-Half a cup (125 mL) of melted butter
-Two cups (500 mL) of all-purpose flour
-Pinch of salt
-Three tsp (15 mL) of baking powder
-Two tsp (10 mL) of sugar

Strawberry-Kiwi Drizzle
-Splash of Orange juice
-Five large strawberries, hulled and quatered
-Half a kiwi, peeled and sliced.

Makes nine waffles (varies with waffle maker), serves three.

1. Beat whole eggs in a bowl until thick.

2. Whisk milk and melted butter into eggs.

3. In a seperate bowl, combine salt, sugar, baking powder, and flour

4. Shift into egg mixture and mix well.

5. Add about two Tbsp of batter into waffle iron to make one waffle.

For the Strawberry-Kiwi Drizzle:

In a blender or food processor, add a splash of orange juice with strawberries and kiwi. Quickly pulse the ingredients repeatedly until fruit mixture is thick and chunky. For a thinner drizzle, hold and blend for five seconds.

6. Savour the waffles with remaining strawberries, drizzle, and/or syrup.

Notes:

-You can save yourself some time by going with premixed flour. Spend less time measuring and more time eating!

-A BIG thank you to Janice Lee for helping out in the kitchen and for the waffle iron.