Lots of Kids Might Mean Breakfast for Dinner
Tomorrow morning our good friends and neighbors are heading out of town for 11 days. Last week their babysitter had to cancel, so we are going to take their 4 children while they are gone. I love these kids- ages 3,5,9 and 11 (and of course add Walker in who is 10). They are exceptionally well behaved and the older two boys are completely independent and Walker’s best friends- so Walker is beyond excited. The girls- ages 3 and 5 are super adorable and sweet. All that being said, I am slightly nervous about all of a sudden having 5 children to feed and well, let’s be honest, keep alive. Corby is just a touch more than a little nervous and is currently wondering what we were thinking when we offered. Fortunately, my neighbor has cooked up a storm and left menus and lunches and snacks and pretty much everything we could need, so I really think this will be a lot of fun and quite an adventure for us. I am most nervous about doing the girl’s hair- especially for ballet. In researching things that could be fun for all of us to do and fun for all of us to eat, I came across this recipe for Grilled Ham and Cheese Waffle Sandwiches- or breakfast for dinner. It looks great and will be a fun treat for the kiddos. I will keep you posted of how it all goes!
Grilled Ham and Cheese Waffle Sandwiches
Ingredients:
8 frozen toaster waffles
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
1/2 pound sliced deli ham
1/4 pound Cheddar, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions:
Place 4 of the waffles on a work surface. Spread one side of each with the mustard (if using). Top with the ham, cheese, and the remaining waffles. Spread the top of each sandwich with 1/2 tablespoon of the butter. Melt the remaining butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the sandwiches in the skillet, buttered-side up. Cook, pressing occasionally with the back of a spatula, until the cheese melts and the waffles are golden, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
One of the easiest and best breakfasts is to make a German pancake. First they are delicious, second they poof which is fun to watch at any age, but especially for kids (I am talking really poofy if you are lucky), and third you can serve it with anything- fruit, syrup, powdered sugar, nutella etc. We did try to make one once when we were up in the mountains, and the altitude was a problem and the pancake did not poof which was rather disappointing. However- if you are not way up in the mountains, this is a fun tasty breakfast idea.
For some reason this year, I don’t feel like Valentine’s Day has been hyped or celebrated (at least in my family) at all. Maybe it is because of yet another fake snow storm that closed schools and bridges Wednesday and Thursday. Maybe it is because Corby’s birthday is this weekend, and I am focused more on that. Really, I think it is because Walker’s class did not have a Valentine’s Day party, and so we did not make Valentine’s for his classmates. He did insist on wearing a pink tie to dancing school on Wednesday night though which was pretty cute. Anyway, it doesn’t really feel like Valentine’s Day to me especially since we are celebrating Corby’s birthday with my parents tonight with take out and the new season of House of Cards (so ridiculously excited to watch it). So, to get in the Valentine’s Day mood, I thought I would try making some chocolate fudge this afternoon as a little Valentine’s Day treat (granted it won’t actually be eaten on Valentine’s Day as the recipe calls for it to sit overnight, but better late than never). This recipe looks delicious,and I can’t wait to try it!
As this is a baking blog, I am not sure if I have mentioned my preferences in alcohol. I like beer. Light beer. Ultra-light beer. That’s about it. I will occasionally drink red wine and perhaps a glass of champagne, but I have never enjoyed liquor. I, of course, tried shots of liquor in college when that seemed like a fun thing to do, but now on the very rare occasion that I am offered a shot of something, I generally turn it down because I do not like the taste of liquor at all. This little strawberry recipe however, I can get involved with, and it is a really cute idea for a Valentine’s Day cocktail party treat.