I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

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Banana Buttermilk Waffles

Banana Buttermilk Waffles

I’m going to Seattle tomorrow!! And I am so freaking excited!!! SO EXCITED!!!

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I am going there to visit my best friend Emily, who moved out there just about 2 summers ago. I haven’t seen her since last Christmas (’13) when she was back visiting family in CT and came up to Boston for an overnight so we could hang and she could meet Autumn. So it’s been far too long since I’ve seen her.

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I’ve had this trip planned for months and months. I’m packed and ready to head to the airport from work. Autumn is staying home with dad so this is the longest time that I will be away from her. That will be hard but I think the trip would be tough on he/us. Plus, they get to have a funny Daddy & Daughter weekend together.

Emily and I have been planning fun things to see and do. And, of course, delicious things to eat and drink.

I’m looking forward to checking out Pike Place Market, Gas Works Park, and taking a Ferry Ride. Plus, I think I kinda have to check out the Sleepless in Seattle houseboat. Oooh, maybe even the Grey’s Anatomy House. I’m such a dork.

We have been sending back a “Seattle Restaurant Tread” email for the past few weeks that is stuffed full of restaurants and bars that we could check out. The plan is so eat, walk, eat walk, and repeat all day. I can’t wait to check out places like Revel, Local 360, Toulouse Petit, and Marination in Ma Kai. So good!!!

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I’ve posted a few banana enhanced waffle recipes recently, so I was not too sure about posting these Banana Buttermilk Waffles now, but I couldn’t resist.

Buttermilk waffles are always a great waffle. A family favorite! And with the added banana it just knocks the flavor out of the park. Plus, it just enhances the texture.

We always have bananas on hand and sometimes they get too brown and soft to eat, I’m sure the same happens in your house, so whip up these waffles with those brown bananas.

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So, while you are enjoying these waffles this weekend I’ll be enjoying Seattle. I think it will be a great weekend!

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Banana Buttermilk Waffles

Makes approximately 16 waffles, depending on waffle maker

Ingredients

  • 2 bananas, mashed
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 Cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 Cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  •  2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Process

  1. Preheat your waffle iron according to your manufacturer’s instructions.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, melted butter, and the vanilla extract. Pour into dry mixture, and combine.
  4. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter.
  5. Ladle about 1/4-1/3 cup batter, depending on your waffle iron, onto each section of the waffle grid; spread batter almost to the edges. Close lid, and bake until steam no long emerges from waffle iron, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  6. Transfer the cooked waffles to a cooking rack lined baking sheet; place in an oven set to low heat, about 200 degrees, while you finish making the rest of the waffles.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Classic Homemade Waffles

Classic Homemade Waffles

After I read Amy Poehler’s Yes Please I started to binge watch Parks and Recreation. I never got into it when it first started. I think my DVR and brain were already too full to take on another show then. Not that I didn’t like it, I just never gave it the time of day. So I’m just a few years late but I’m loving it!

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I love the weirdness and quirkiness of all the characters. They are all so strange in their own ways from their relationships, weird mural designs, and anger towards opossums. And poor, poor Jerry! No one understands his awesomeness!!

Plus, it’s about city government, which Price and I are just starting to get involved in, serving on the Conservation Commission and Planning board, respectively. Our monthly meetings won’t compare to their full time jobs in the Parks and Recreation Department but I’m sure there will still be silly moments that will remind me of the show in some way or another.

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And Leslie Knope is just such a great character. She is so blindly optimistic that it’s sad and beautiful. I wish that more people in public office were like her so that the world would be filled with more parks and things like that. She just wants for a more, more, more. But her positive, hard-working approach is refreshing and fun. Plus, we share the same birthday! (January 18th!!!!) and we both ‘effing love waffles.

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I seriously love waffles. They are crispy on the outside, and light and airy on the inside. They aren’t grossly dense like pancakes. For real, aside from a rare few recipes, half way through your plate of pancakes you start praying for death to come upon you just to get you out of the rest of that situation. But when it comes to waffles you get to enjoy the amazing texture and density, plus there are all those little built in bowls of butter and syrup. A syrup trap!

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For the last few years I’ve done some food centric themes that has resulted in some fun and creative recipes. I’ve done NASCAR themed recipes, Amanda and I did Thirsty Thursday post to make a drink recipe every week, and then I just did The Year of Pies when I shared a pie recipe every Friday. And I’m hoping to keep up with a waffle recipe every week this week… Waffle Wednesday.

Price might call off the wedding in June with this insanity, but we’ll see how this goes. Fingers crossed!

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I’m starting this adventure with a simple waffle recipe. It’s a classic. It’s a great recipe to satisfy a waffle craving. Nothing too jazzy about it. But you will get amazing waffles.  I swear. I have been using this recipe for years because it’s so good and you’ll always have everything you need right at home. It just works with its golden crispy outside and soft, tender inside.

Plus, they freeze so, so well. Just lay them out on a single layer on a baking sheet and put that in your freezer. Once they are all frozen store them in a zip-loc bag or plastic container. I reheat them by putting them on our pizza stone (which always hangs out in our oven), or just directly on the oven rack. I put our broiler on low and after a few minutes I flip them and they are done soon after that. You can also just toast them but I don’t bother bringing out storage.

It’s going to be an adventure making all these waffles. I swear we might go crazy but that it will be fun. And delicious.

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Classic Homemade Waffles

Makes 12-14 4″ Square Waffles (Qty will vary per waffle iron)

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/1 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon  sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Process

  1. Preheat waffle iron.
  2. Vigorously whisk the eggs in large bowl until fluffy.
  3. Mix in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract until just smooth.
  4. Spray the preheated waffle iron with a non-stick cooking spray.
  5. Ladle 1/4-1/3 cup of the batter the onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot iwth butter & syrup.

 Inspired by All Recipes