Polly's Four Stone Up & One Stone Down...

I recently received a comment from Mike over on The Wine Buff. Simply put, Mike was wondering if I was ever going to pull my finger out and actually post on this blog at any time in the future...? Oooops!

The simple answer to that question is errrr, yes, that is my intention! It has always been my intention, but sadly it's something I haven't been doing for a while. Thinking about this, it occurred to me that my waffley bad blogging schedule started sometime last May, around the time I returned to work! The truth is I've been doing too many things (or maybe not in this case) and to be honest I've been advised by more than one source to slow things down a little but surely that doesn't mean grind to a halt, does it?

There have honestly been times when that's pretty much what I've done. In the past year I've spent much of my time when not working resting either in bed, having off days or sitting in zombie like fashion infront of this very pc (actually, it's more likely that it was the one I killed or the borrowed laptop that went back when I resigned as secretary of the dyslexia group!!!) Alternately, I may have been working like a beaver to fill orders for greeting cards - as time is at a premium these days I have to slip this in in between scouting, etc...

Cooking hasn't exactly been high on my list of priorities either. I've cajoled 'the boys', any or all three of them to whip up culinary delights on my behalf, persuaded DG to bring home disasterous takeaways or worse still resorted to the occasional emergency bottle of readymade sauce! Yuck - at least that's what my conscience tries to tell me on these (bottled) occasions.

The boys really are quite accomplished cooks, the youngest concocts a presentable panna cotta from memory. Only the eldest one, ie the 40 year old is truly accountable for his actions though, he actually clears up afterwards. I shame when he arrives home after a long days work only to make dinner for four because the lady is out in the shed making greeting cards! I sometimes wonder if it's worth it, and I'm quite sure he does so regularly...

This said, there is perhaps method in such madness. The whole house has suffered in this past year, more than any other, to the extent that teenage boys have discovered the delights of bargaining and persuasion alongside those of vaccuming and lawnmowing. My partner in life has realised that maybe we do need a new cooker. The gas pressure steadily drops off while he's in the midst of something requiring crucial timing - ie it's got to be cooked by bedtime!

How many times have we slapped medium rare best Irish beef steaks (from our beloved Aldi) onto our plates only to have to whip them back off again, wash the plates and recook them under the ailing grill, while the veg stews? We no longer eat roast meats, roast potatoes or yorkshire puddings anymore, unless my Mum rushes to the rescue which is typically on a Monday evenings due to my involvement with scouts...

Okay, I did purchase a brand new microwave rice & pasta cooker recently. Actually, it was a freebie due to the fact that the blessed thing went missing in the post and then promptly arrived on my door step the day after the company had reimbursed my credit card. They insisted that I kept it by way of compensation for the extraordinary nine weeks in transit, which was mighty decent of them, especially as their promotion had promised free shipping, the cost of which was promptly added to the price after we'd reached checkout!

Ah yes, life in the Pierce household has been 'interesting' over the past year or so. My inactivity and penchant for fine red wines has led to me gaining an extra-ordinary four stone over the past five years. The last one has yoyoed horrifically. Each time I've congratulated myself on losing it I've celebrated this by adding to the fortunes of my local vintners (including Wines Direct) and master chocalatiers...

Yesterday I treated myself to a brand new copy of this months "Weight Watcher's Magazine" and a double decker! And yes, my intentions are once more GOOD...

Polly's A-Waffley Bad Blogger...!

Okay, so I'm a bad blogger! I haven't put pen to paper, metaphorically speaking for months on end. Perhaps this has something to do with my return to work back in May? Or maybe I've just lost the knack? Personally I think it's got more to do with my addiction to Facebook!

I tried tweeting for a while. Actually I quite enjoyed writing updates in 140 characters or less, in the beginning, but I soon got bored with it. Facebook is definitely my favourite form of micro-blogging. What I like about it is the fact that it's interactive, whereas blogging tends to attract the occasional remark - if you're lucky! Fair enough, maybe my copy should be more interesting and uplifting, surely if it were I'd get loads of remarks. Wouldn't I?

I don't know the answer to that one. What I do know is that if one neglects their blog, they sooner or later lose their readers. I mean, why on earth would anyone follow a blog that's not active? I know from personal experience that it's easy to lose interest if your favourite blogger doesn't blog - I won't mention any names, but the guilty will probably know exactly who they are! Anyway, enough of the waffle...

Speaking of which Lidl, the eponymous discount store ran a special on waffle makers a while ago. Seeing as I am a big fan of these light, fluffy batter confections I rushed home with one and eagerly made up my first batch. The result? Absolutely revolting, they ended up in the bin!

Luckily my now 13year old LB took matters into his own hands recently. Having demanded that I Google 'the perfect waffle recipe' a simple breakfast waffle was chosen from the Mr Breakfast.com site. As luck would have it the recipe was entitled Best Ever Waffles Ever and my kitchen turned happily into an impressionist version of the preverbial bombsite.

The inaugural waffle was dreadful. So much so that even the dogs turned their noses up at it! This was probably something to do with the fact that the recipe site had suggested the waffle maker wouldn't need to be oiled. I'd passed this information on without first checking the instruction booklet and true to form the first waffle had stuck, burnt to a crisp and failed to rise. Plus it was raw in the middle!

Having very carefully de-crisped the machine with a sharp knife (not to be recommended), placed some damp kitchen towel between the irons and steamed the mess off, LB tried again. Only this time he lightly oiled the irons...

Best Waffles Ever (5 servings)

• 1 and 3/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 beaten egg yolks
• 1 and 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 egg whites - beaten stiffly

Mix all dry ingredients. Combine yolks and milk. Stir into dry ingredients. Stir in oil and mix. GENTLY fold in beaten egg whites, do not over mix.

Pour about 1/2 cup at a time into waffle iron.

 

The result: wonderful! Well, nearly wonderful. Considering that my youngest chose to follow the recipe to the letter, using a small blue and white cup rather than a proper measuring cup, plus the fact that he beat the egg yolks and stirred in the whites it was a specially good attempt at making waffles.

Okay, the mistake with the eggs might have resulted in disaster, but, thankfullyt it didn't. So what if the resultant waffles were a little, well, flat! Served on their own they were delicious. Served with maple syrup they were divine. My only complaint? I'd to share them with the rest of the family...

Sadly there are no photos. This is due to the fact that Miss Piggy here ate them all before it was possible to get any shots in. Needless to say, LB's discovered a new family favourite and the fun hasn't stopped there and for some strange reason I seem to have put a few pounds on over the holiday season.