"The only real stumbling block is the fear of failure. In cooking, you have got to have a what-the-hell attitude." ~ Julia Child

The waffles of summer

by Julie Tilsner on June 17, 2009

in Adventures in Parenting

Lovewaffles I have acquired a waffle iron. A new one, fresh from the box.

What does it mean when you own a waffle iron? Does it mean you've been crushed to your knees by domestic stereotypes? Forced to bow before the ruthless expectations of Good Mothering and all that is Martha Stewart and rise before dawn to make your children fresh, healthy meals every morning?

No way. To me a waffle iron means leverage. My ace in the hole. In other words, "Pick up your room, you grubby little nits, or you WON'T get any waffles."

It works every time.

Yesterday came the waffle iron I ordered off of Amazon. I pondered this purchase for months, always holding off in the name of frugality. Until I suddenly realized that spending $50 on a device that would earn me hours of leverage in the handling of my children this summer was a smart investment indeed.

This morning I laid the groundwork, whipping up a nice waffle batter using Mark Bittman's easy recipe. I even busted out and separated the egg yolk from the whites and whipped the latter into a merangue sorta thing, folding it gently into the rest of the batter.

The results were excellent. The kids were thrilled, each eating three, plus fruit. Their minds and desires are now mine! Mine to exploit throughout the summer for my greater good.

That's my thinking, anyway.

Did they pick up their towels after playing on the Slip n' Slide today? Well, no. Obviously there has to be a waffle build-up.

Stay tuned…

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

transiit June 17, 2009 at 8:47 pm

Last summer I tried the french toast in the waffle iron trick. They might be more versatile than previously believed.
http://mmmm-donut.blogspot.com/2008/06/waffle-iron-vs-french-toast.html
I’m currently considering if leftover mashed potatoes could go into one.

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kumudha June 18, 2009 at 2:37 pm

Waffles look so delicious!

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Lisa June 18, 2009 at 11:32 pm

Sounds like an excellent plan – let us know how it works out!

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waiter June 26, 2009 at 5:44 am

Those waffles look good. I wish my wife could cook.

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