Great things are always happening outside! Whether it’s great outdoor grilling tips or trekking along a scenic, wooded hiking trail. I’d like to share with you some of my most enjoyable outdoor experiences. As time permits, we may step back inside from time to time. Because for me, it’s also satisfying taking care of the many wonderful aspects of a home & garden, but I’ve gotta admit, my heart & soul just sings whenever I’m in the great outdoors!
You gotta love the sights & sounds (quiet) and the peace and serenity found along a winding country road.
I don’t know about you, but piping hot waffles, fresh off the griddle are a perfect start of a brand new day.
This golden treat is especially welcomed after an invigorating morning run or long hike through the woods.
On occasion I may add pecans or walnuts, but to me, plain with a touch of butter & pure maple syrup is one of the best ways to enjoy waffles with their pure & simple goodness!
You must try one of my favorite waffle recipes below: I’m going to go into great detail here, but once you make waffles a couple of times it’s really pretty simple.
Waffle Recipe:
Since waffles are basically pancake batter fancied up a bit, there’s really no reason to re-invent the wheel here. Just start with these fresh ingredients to whip up a nice -n- fluffy batter.
1 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
4 tsp of baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
1 ¾ cup of milk
½ cup of melted butter
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Now let’s get busy:
Using two small mixing bowls, separate the egg whites
from the yolk.
Using a wire whisk, whip the egg whites until fluffy.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the vanilla extract, milk, yolk & butter.
Now add the salt, sugar & baking powder.
Last, but not least, slowly add the flour until all ingredients are incorporated. DO NOT… I repeat… DO NOT over stir.
Stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated and the batter is smooth & fluffy, then leave the batter alone! Take heed with this, because it provides the lightest waffles possible.
Heat the waffle iron now, it should have been heating while you were making the batter, I failed to mention this earlier, but no matter.
The batter can either rest while the waffle iron’s heating or it’s perfectly fine to pour the batter right onto a pre-heated, medium-hot waffle iron.
Pour enough batter to cover the entire iron, then close & rotate or simply close, allowing the waffle to cook for approximately 2 minutes.
You may adjust your timing, depending upon how soft or crisp you’d prefer your waffles.
Get butter, syrup and a beautiful serving plate ready to receive the waffles.
Serve immediately or keep tightly covered in a warming oven.
Enjoy! :))
The beauty of fall is upon us. Shifting from the hot & hazy, lazy days of summer to the cool & crisp, welcoming season of fall.
If you’ve ever wondered why the trees leaves change colors, it all has to do with nutrition.
By fall, when the hours of daylight are lessening and the colder temperatures are increasing, the trees no longer need the heavy food production that they previously needed during the growth phases of spring and summer. Phases where lots of food production is carried out by the leaves, in their multi-cell chambers containing chlorophyll.
Chlorophyll is the green pigment responsible for giving leaves their green color. Since there’s no longer a need for the food production, the chlorophyll slows, and with it, the green pigment, allowing the fall colors to finally emerge through!
Nature always seems to have an abundance of both beauty & utility.
For quite a while now, I’ve been known as an independent free-spirit! I’m one who has an affinity towards most things in the creative realm.
My heart & soul sings freely whenever enjoying the great outdoors, and I try to make that happen as often as possible.
Taking long hikes in the woods, while listening to the most pleasing of nature’s sounds, the sound of birds singing, in what resembles a concert all around! Or how about pulling your oars through the clear, rippling waters, as your canoe glides gently downstream. You look out over the canoe’s edge, at the smooth polished rocks, seeming to be gleaming directly at you, as you continue to float on by.
Such enjoyment of the great outdoors, one begs to question: Must we get back so soon??? We long to extend this heavenly oasis, but realize it’s almost supper time! So we reluctantly head on back to the campsite. After unpacking & setting up the few pieces of cooking gear, along a welcoming stretch of river bank, we take in a most savory outdoor meal!
This is a most splendid life…
And each day becomes as exhilarating as the last! Now don’t get me wrong, I like to “glam it up” every now & again, just as much as the next gal. But churning out a great home made pie or working on a new DIY project in a soft pair of well-worn jeans! Now that’s my idea of heaven on earth and that’s when I feel most comfortably at home, in my true natural element!
Come along & join me!
The Great Outdoors! 