Why Not Wednesday

I adore breakfast. I love muffins, cinnamon rolls, pastries, pancakes, bread and jam. Okay, so maybe it's carbs I adore. But, I think it is safe to say that breakfast, in all its early morning splendor, provides some of the best carbohydrate offerings of the day. As a little girl, one of my favorite things was when my dad would make breakfast for dinner. Eating pancakes and bacon while the sun was setting rather than rising seemed such a lovely, luxorious treat.

I woud love to tell you that I share this sweet memory with my girls whenever I make them breakfast for dinner. I would love to say that, but I cannot as . . . oh the shame: I never make them breakfast for dinner.  Before you think of this as a mothering fail, let me say, in my defense, the hubs is solidly against and not a fan at all of breakfast for dinner. I know, right? And yet, nearly 20 years later, we remain happily married. Proof of the Holy Spirit, right there.

As fate would have it, this week the hubs was not home for dinner on Wednesday. Usually, when he is out, the girls and I eat salmon as, second only to breakfast, fish is his least favorite dinner. But this time, I had a rare moment of inspiration: waffles. 

My littlest little, Jilly, got me a waffle make for my birthday last month. We have not used it nearly as often as we should. Why should we use it more often? Because, well, waffles. Waffles are wonderful. Even the word: waffle. It just feels nice when you say it and immediately the smell and taste of maple syrup fills your senses and nothing will satisfy until, well, waffles.

So, waffles on Wednesday? Why not? Here is our preferred waffle recipe:

Whole Wheat Waffles
(makes 3 large Belgian waffles)

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar*
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1/3 cup canola oil

Cook according to your waffle maker specifications. We like ours on the darkest setting for a crispy waffle. The girls got a little fancy and put some dark chocolate chunks in their waffles. I am a purist and ate mine straight up with butter and pure maple syrup. Yummmm. 

*You can also use a sugar substitute here if you prefer. We are fond of the Splenda baking blend. 1 tablespoon is plenty.

 

They were scrumptious. The time in the kitchen and sharing this sweet memory with my daughters was delicious. In fact, I think Wednesdays will become Why Not Wednesday. I wonder what we will think of for next week. 

Whatever it is, why not?  I'm sure it will be quite simply, so lovely.

xoxo

Quite Simply, So Lovely

My writing fingers itched and my creative juices began bubbling as I helped my girls create their own blogs this week. What a joy, as a mother, to watch my babies find their young woman voice and have the courage and boldness to share the same with the world. They, as they often do, inspired me. I was inspired to return to work, once again, on my own blog. 

For the past six years I have been blogging at abettercircus.blogspot.com. I wrote about a lot and a whole lot of nothing. It was an early attempt to challenge myself to share my ideas and writing and, in that sense, it was a success. What is wasn't was focused, intentional and often, sadly, authentic. As I read my early posts, they seem so guarded, the work of a nervous woman still scared what people would think of her genuine opinions, writing skills and perspective.

Six years later, my writing voice is still shaky, uncertain and yes, nervous. But, happily, and hopefully noticeably, less so.  There is a confidence that comes only with getting older. It is a lovely gift that seems to imeasurabely make-up for the gifts of wrinkles and gray hair that also come with getting older. As I age, I care less what others think and more about being the woman God created me to be. This, dear friends, is a rich blessing.

So, while I am not sure where this new blog will take me, or what its topics will encompass, my hope is that it will be real. It will be authentic. It will be quite simply, so lovely.