Vegan Waffles Easier said than done

After a year of debating and deciding and hesitating and changing our minds, Husband and I have finally decided that we are going to do our first home improvement on our vintage, as-is 1969 home.  It came to a head when I noticed that one of the sinks wasnt working properly so I took a wrench to it and discovered some rusty bits of crud blocking the filter which allows the water to come through.  We have known that it needed to be done, but those of you who have ever taken on home improvement know this - once you start, you cannot stop.  Beginning this process is like opening of floodgate of things we are going to have to fix.  New pipes.  New kitchen.  New bathrooms.  New carpeting.  Removing popcorn from ceiling.  Repainting interior and exterior. New windows.  New. New. New.  Replace. Replace.  Fix. Fix. Fix.  We were both reluctant to start the process, but start it we have, because of our urgency to get new pipes.  (The water pressure in this house is so poor, you would not believe.)

This evening I began the process of looking for the RIGHT plumber to do the job.  Unfortunately, due to the internet, a simple "find a plumber in the yellow pages" has turned into "Scour every single name on yelp and on Angies list until you go blind."  After 2 hours of trying to find someone, I gave up.  I cant do it.  The process overwhelms me and gives me the willies.  Too many choices, too many reviews, too many things to consider.  Ive been asking friends for recommendations and now, Im through.  Im not sure I have it in me to attack any level or any bit of this home renovation/fix-up/repair process because I cant stand the thought of choosing the wrong person or getting a bad deal (this second part is really Husband.)

Easier said than done.  Ive been waiting for the green light from Husband for a year, and now that I have it, I cant execute.  I cant act.  I cant take charge.  My head hurts from scrolling down all these different reviews, and I still dont have a SINGLE name Im interested in seeing for an estimate.  Easier said than done.

About 2 years ago, once Son became more cognizant about what our food was compared to what HIS food was, I put away the waffle iron.  I tried a couple of times to create a waffle that he would be able to eat, but failed a miserable several times.  Therefore, I tucked my favorite waffle iron way back in the pantry.  And left it there.  It was in Sons search for a missing lego piece last week (in our pantry - dont ask) that he discovered the iron and asked, "What is this mom?"

"Its a waffle iron honey."

"Waffles?  Whats that?"

"Kind of like a pancake.  You get to dip it in syrup."

"I want a waffle.  Can you make me a waffle mom?"

I looked at him and thought, yeah right.  Easier said than done.  After all, I had TRIED it already several times and they didnt come out right.  But he looked so excited about the waffle, I thought to myself, I could TRY again.  After all, my vegan pancakes are really good, so how much harder could creating a better waffle be?

I made them both on Saturday and Sunday.  I experimented with using some whole wheat flour mixed in with the white flour (wasnt thrilled with the whole wheat) and came up with this version. Children have asked for them for breakfast AGAIN tomorrow, so theyll be making an appearance for the THIRD day. This ended up being easier DONE than said. (Try saying "Vegan Waffle" 10 times really fast.  Wegan Vaffle comes out at some point.)

Just so you know - if you make the other waffles on my blog (here), these are different.  Eggs add a bit of tender chewiness that is missing in the vegan version.  I tried to combat it unsuccessfully with bananas the last time I tried, and this time, I went with the vegan pancake method of simply leaving out any sort of egg substitute.  This is also a method Ive used with vegan cupcakes, so it seemed as if it would make sense.  These have a crispier, almost cracker like quality, with a bit of moist fluffiness in the middle.  Ive also shredded ham and sprinkled it on top of the waffle right before pressing down the top (which eliminates the vegan factor I know) and it was a bit of salty tender chewiness on top of crispy crunchy waffle dipped in gooey sweet maple syrup.  If youre curious about that one, Ill try to post more details (with photos) later.

Vegan Waffles
Makes 4 to 6 waffles, depending on your iron

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

2 ½ cups coconut milk (Trader Joe’s brand or So Delicious Brand in the carton) (almond or soy is also fine)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method
Preheat waffle iron. Allow it to get super hot.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. To the dry mix, add coconut milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Using a wooden spoon or spatula (not a whisk) carefully mix together, trying NOT to create too many bubbles. Go gently and slowly until mixture is nice and smooth and uniform in texture.

If desired, grease waffle iron with cooking oil spray. (This is optional, but it does help speed up a golden crust.) Carefully scoop enough mixture (only you know your waffle maker) into your preheated iron and allow to cook until golden brown. My waffle iron beeps a minute too early for my choice of golden waffles. I just watch for a reduction in the steam coming out from the sides of the iron. Lots of steam means it still needs more time.

Serve warm with fresh fruit and lots of wonderful maple syrup.

Printable recipe

My beloved Villaware Waffle Maker isnt being sold anymore, but this one got fantastic reviews and I love the flip action (for more even cooking and spreading.)

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Vegan Blueberry Banana Muffins with Carazuc The things we do for love

With Husband now home, there has been a lot of adjustment.  Ill be truthful - the first days of adjustments have been hard for me.  The wakeups happen much earlier, there are additional lunches and breakfasts to pack and prepare, and I need to be much more alert and on the ball.  Im helping manage and orchestrate the lives of five people, not four, and Tuesday - lets just say Tuesday was extra special.

In an effort to help Husband adjust to the commuting life back in the US, Ive found myself doing things I never thought I would.  Ive analyzed bus routes, compared alternative modes of transportation, looked at carpooling possibilities and hunted down a bus line in order to see how his commuter life could improve.  On Tuesday, I got out the map that charts the bus that travels around our city and takes its passengers to the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station.  I wanted to find every single stop near our house - ones that could be reached by foot, others that could be driven to.  I wanted to check ease of parking, ease of access, and the best scheduling in terms of his early morning commute.  As I drove the route, I began planning in my head, my future as a bus driver.  Just kidding.  As I drove, I had a moment of wondering - WHY AM I DOING THIS?

Let me be clear.  Husband didnt ask me to do it.  I wanted to do it. I wanted to find the best way for him to get to work.  I wanted to help him negotiate a tough commute and give him lots of options.  I wanted to get him to work faster, easier, with less stress.  And so I took an hour out of my day to figure it out.  Turns out there is a bus stop right near our house, a quick 4 minute walk away, that he doesnt have to drive to, and he can catch the bus there.  When I found the stop and measured and calculated time and scheduling efficacy, I did a huge fist pump in the air as I felt it was pretty darn awesome.

Why do all of this nuttiness?  Because Im crazy?  Maybe, but not likely.  Because I love driving around aimlessly up and down streets, as if Im on a treasure hunt for bus stops? Not quite.  Because I have time to spend and gas to burn?  No way.  I do it, because I love Husband.  I find myself wanting to do something lovely for him, even if that loveliness is something as mundane as working out his morning commute.  I dont want to go into a full sappy speech about why he is so wonderful and how much I love him.  I know it.  Because there is no one else on earth that would get a personalized bus route and parking analysis except for Husband.

After driving like a bus driver all over my city, I came home and whipped up some of these muffins.  Im continually experimenting with Stephen James Organics Carazuc, because I love the flavor and the sweetness it adds while being a healthier choice than refined sugar.  You can use maple sugar or brown sugar in place of the carazuc if you cant get your hands on carazuc.    The muffins turned out to be something that Children loved, so it turned out to be a pretty darn good day after all, with the bus routes, yummy muffins, and a lot of love.

Vegan Blueberry Banana Muffins (with Carazuc)
Makes 12 to 14 regular sized muffins

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
? cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
?  cup unsweetened coconut milk (from a carton - Trader Joes or So Delicious)
½ cup carazuc (or brown sugar)
3 large ripe bananas
1 cup fresh blueberries, or frozen unthawed

Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cupcake/muffin pan with liners. In a medium bowl, measure out and mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mash and squish bananas and carazuc (or sugar) together.  Add vanilla, oil, and coconut milk..  Mix well.

Add blueberries to the dry mixture. Toss until blueberries are well coated with flour mixture. Add dry blueberry mixture to the wet mixture. Use a VERY light hand to mix at this point. The more mixing you do the tougher the muffin so try not to over mix. You want everything well mixed together but not over mixed.

Divide batter equally in liners. Bake until golden brown, about 22-30 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then enjoy.

Printable recipe

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