Waffle Time

Last night was my first official night to cook dinner as a wife. Work was so crazy last week that my first week as a wife including no cooking. That's right. None. (Well, I did make a pot of soup on Sunday, but it wasn't at meal time. So that doesn't count.) Guess who cooked? My husband. He's wonderful! So, after seventeen days of nothing-but-a-pot-of-soup-at-a-non-meal-time, last night I made my debut as a wife who cooks.

With fall in the air, I feel the need to consume as much pumpkin and butternut squash as possible. This feeling only intensified by the butternut squash ravioli we had at Flavor--a restaurant in Santa Rosa, California. I'm pretty sure that's what we'll eat in heaven.

(I know, we won't need to eat in heaven, but come on, people, it's just so enjoyable! I want to eat in heaven!)

(And...I bet God knows the best way to prepare His creations!)

Husby & I both love breakfast, especially breakfast for dinner. And, really, if I say the word 'waffle', he starts salivating. So, last night our menu included: Pumpkin-Ginger Waffles (from the October 2009 issue of Country Living) with maple syrup, turkey bacon, and fresh pears. It was delish!

Breakfast for dinner + (pumpkin + ginger) = awesome. Give it a try...

Pumpkin-Ginger Waffles

Yield: 5 5-inch round waffles

1 1/4 C all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 C finely chopped crystallized ginger

2 large eggs

3/4 C buttermilk

1/2 C canned pumpkin puree

1/2 C sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Directions

1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon in a large bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture and toss with the crystallized ginger in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, pumpkin, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Combine with flour mixture. Stir in butter and fold in reserved crystallized-ginger mixture. DO NOT OVERMIX.

3. Heat a waffle iron and make waffles, using about a 1/2 cup batter per waffle. Keep warm in oven at 200 degrees, if desired.

**I could not find crystallized ginger, so I omitted that step, and they were still great. I did, however, find it the following day when I was at the store, while not looking for it. Of course.