My Favorite Part of Winter!

Literally! This is what I get the most excited about when the weather starts getting cool and apple cider starts lining the shelves of the grocery store. My mother has made it since I can remember and it is one of my favorite things to smell in the house. I have a few friends that don't really enjoy cider and still drink this cup full after cup full! I have a carafe just for this with a basket for the spices and everything, but most people don't and you can still make this in a big pot on the stove. I have done so many variations of this recipe when I didn't have the exact ingredient handy that I will put them in parenthesis next to them "official" ingredient. Throw away those nasty apple cider packet mixes, this is the real thing!

Ingredients:

2 quarts of apple cider

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp whole allspice (I have used ground, but it is a little to potent)

1 cinnamon stick (I never have these on hand, so I always put in ground)

dash nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1 orange cut into wedges (I have often used orange juice instead)

I combine all the ingredients into a cheesecloth, if I am making it in a pot on the stove so I can lift it all out easily and no one is drinking allspice berries. If you don't have cheesecloth, just ladle out the orange wedges and berries when you are ready to serve. I just let the cider warm over the stove for 15-30 minutes before serving.

Whole Wheat Waffles (ok, 1/2 whole wheat)

This is a tried and true recipe if anything is! We use this ALL THE TIME. These are adapted from a Mark Bittman recipe and they are yummy! I always double this recipe so I can have more the freeze and put into the toaster the next day. So the following recipe is ALREADY doubled. Most of the time I substitute half the the buttermilk for sweet potato puree or carrot puree. If time is an issue you can skip separating the eggs and beating the whites, but I really recommend it since whole wheat flour can make the recipe too heavy and the beaten egg whites fluff up the texture. The flaxseed meal and wheat germ are also not necessary but they are so good for you, why not?

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

3 tsp baking soda

3 1/2-4 cups buttermilk (or 3 cups sour cream or plain yogurt thinned with milk to make up the rest)

4 eggs, separated

8 TBS (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine dry ingredients. Mix together the buttermilk (puree) and the egg yolks. Stir in the butter and vanilla.

2. Spray waffle iron with PAM. Stir the wet into the dry ingredients. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. FOLD them gently into the batter.

3. Put about 1/4 cup of batter in each side of the waffle maker (this depends on your size of waffle maker).

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

This has become a quick family favorite. I will add some extra flaxseed meal and wheat germ to the dry ingredients for extra nutritional punch. I also love that this recipe is so simple and therefore easy to whip up in the morning, when you want your recipes to be simple!


Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
2 cups milk, plus more if necessary
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon sugar
1 cup blueberries

Directions
1.Sift together flour and baking powder, set aside. Beat together the egg, milk, salt and artificial sweetener in a bowl. Stir in flour until just moistened, add blueberries, and stir to incorporate.
2.Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan for each pancake. Cook until bubbly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn, and continue cooking until golden brown.