Blender Mania! Waffles...

There's a new kitchen gadget in my life... lovely, huh?  My husband and I will be celebrating our 20th anniversary in March.

I told him I wanted a blender.
  
I picked out this beauty at the Bed, Bath, and Beyond Store. 
I was looking for blenders which do NOT have to be
dis-assembled to be cleaned. 
This one met that criteria.
When I am done using it, I rinse it out,
add a few drops of liquid dish soap,
and then blend again. 
I LOVE that!

It's like a TORNADO!  Just as soon as I got my new toy essential kitchen appliance out of the box, I quickly assembled the ingredients to make this recipe. I had been wanting to try this recipe for blended waffle mix since my friend, Harriet, told me about it. 

Mmmmmmm...... waffles!

Waffles ready for the freezer...
individually wrapped in plastic wrap
and packed in a gallon size zip close bag.

OAT WAFFLES from HARRIET (Thanks, Harriet!)

3 cups of rolled oats
3 cups of cold water
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup raw cashews (I used walnuts and I added 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed meal)
4 dates or 1 tablespoon of agave nectar (honey could be substituted)
1/4 tsp. salt


Blend all in blender until smooth. (Add a little more water if needed for desired consistency). Pour correct amount for your waffle maker into heated and oil sprayed waffle iron. Bake until done.


These can be cooled and frozen. They can be reheated in a toaster.

There are two things I'd add to Harriet's recipe notes above.  I would recommend letting the batter sit for maybe 5 to 10 minutes to see how much it thickens.  Initially I added a few more oats since my batter looked too thin, but as my waffle iron heated up, the batter got TOO thick; I added more water... no problem.  Also, I think my waffle iron is a Belgian waffle iron which means it makes really thick waffles.  I noticed my waffle edges were a little underdone, so for me this batter worked best when I cooked the waffles on the darker setting versus a lighter setting (but of course waffle irons vary).  I made up this batch of waffles and packaged them up for the freezer and have been having great waffle breakfasts.   

Also, I've been having a blast making super simple smoothies... such difficult decisions FIRST thing in the morning... waffle or smoothie... waffle or smoothie...  ?

Uhhh, brace yourself for a TON of smoothie recipes.