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Today my best friend turns 26.
And apparently 110 years ago today air conditioning was invented, according to my friend Doris, whose birthday is also today. Oh, and several of my friends and blends have anniversaries today (namely Lauren and Janetha — not married to each other, but they would make a cute couple!)
We’ve been celebrating Mark’s birthday with a month-long train of fun events (in true Calee style) — ranging from brunch, to margaritas, to camping and canoeing.
However, this is his first birthday we’ve celebrated as a couple and not had a special trip planned — in fact, he’s working today. Last year we were in Chicago with his family, and the first year we spent his birthday together as a couple, we went to a B&B in Galena.
Both of us did have a vacation day yesterday — to recover from camping/canoeing (Cabrewing) over the weekend (recap coming when I piece together the best parts and get pictures as evidence). Since we were home, I decided to make Mark a birthday breakfast. When I asked what he wanted, he jokingly responded “waffles!” I haven’t used my waffle iron since I lived with college boyfriend (more than 3 years ago), but Mark knew of the waffle iron’s existence since he’s moved it to a new apartment (twice).
I busted out some gluten free waffle mix I’d been hoarding since my first month of Foodie Pen Pals.Normally I use applesauce as a substitute for oil, but we didn’t have any since we hadn’t gone grocery shopping since returning from camping. But, we had apple butter and peanut butter. I thought PB would be too much, so I opted to try adding both ingredients. The result was a light apple flavor with a peanutty finish. And oddly enough, these were the easiest waffles I’ve ever made. I never mastered the art of not burning waffles or cleanly pouring batter into the maker — even with plain jane waffle mix.
So once again, I present to you another recipe born from both laziness and cheapness.In case you’re curious, that’s beet juice, not red wine, that I’m drinking with my waffles. C’mon guys.
apple peanut butter gluten-free waffles
Ingredients
- 1/2 pkg Namaste Gluten Free Waffle / Pancake mix
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 c water (you can add a bit more if the texture is too thick for your liking)
- 2 T freshly ground peanut butter
- 1/3 c apple butter
Directions
- Heat waffle iron and spray with cooking spray, or oil, or whichever method of grease you prefer (hint: bacon grease is flipping awesome for this — not healthy, but we’re making waffles here people).
- Pour mix into large bowl and make a well in the middle for the rest of the ingredients.
- Dump wet ingredients into the well and whisk until combined. Batter should be well-combined and not lumpy.
- Follow directions on iron for how much batter to pour in and cook until waffles are to your desired doneness.
PS: Agave nectar makes a lovely syrup substitute!
Now that Mark’s aware of my waffle-making ability, I’ve been researching options for healthier waffles. Stay tuned. I’m thinking cottage cheese + lemon chobani protein packed waffles + a blueberry agave nectar syrup.
On the agenda for today, the actual day of Mark’s birth: birthday cake.
Mark’s a little kid at heart (see: Legos) and I know that he wants to blow out his candles and open a gift or two. Since it’s generally hotter than hell around his birthday, I have gotten creative with birthday cakes in the past (see: homemade ice cream cake). This year, I took an idea from Iowa Girl Eats and got a Pepperidge Farm Cake.I’d rather have something homemade, but I’ve not delved enough into gluten-free baking to trust my skills enough to make my foodie-critic beef a treat worthy of his tastebuds — especially not in this heat.I’ve alsogiven up ice cream this month, and we already had rice krispie treats recently — so this was my best idea for something to stick candles into (though, I briefly considered Lou Malnati’s sausage pizza — candles would melt!). Mark will just have to enjoy the cake all by himself. Either way — easiest cake ever. $5 for cake and icing and 10 minutes of time gets you something somewhat fancy.
We’re planning to grill out this evening and hit up either the new local wine bar or one of our favorite local restaurants for a drink or two to celebrate.
What’s your favorite birthday treat? And have any creative ideas for waffles?
