Dinner: St. Patrick's Day Meal

Several of you have asked me to post this. We do make this every March17th, although my sister informed me that Corned Beef and Cabbage is not really eaten in Ireland. Oh well, I tried. My absolute favorite part of the meal is the soda bread. I usually use this recipe. But after talking with a few foodies, I am really tempted to try this one. I'll let you know which one I use and how it turns out. Either way, this meal really is not complete without fresh butter on soda bread. And you may be scared of the caraway seeds, but they really make the bread. Happy St. Patrick's Day. Even if my beloved Irish technically don't eat Corned Beef and Cabbage, it is and always will be one of my very favorite things to eat.

Dessert: Banana Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Have old bananas lying around? Make these. You will die. We can't keep the dough around long enough to have many cookies. And if you're worried about the butter and sugar, all of the good stuff (whole wheat flour, rolled oats, bananas, walnuts) makes the guilt melt away. Yummers.

Breakfast: Whole Wheat Waffles

Last week I found an extra gallon of milk that had to be used, and fast. So, I made a double batch of whole wheat waffles. I cooked them, cooled them, piled them into ziplock freezer bags (each one separated by little squares of parchment paper so they wouldn't stick together). Wha-La-our very own homemade, whole wheat eggos. In the morning, I grab a few, toast them for a few minutes, and the school girls are very happy.


Whole Wheat Waffles (Large Batch)

2 1/2 cups sifted whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons sugar, brown or granulated (I use brown)
2 1/2 cups milk
6 eggs, well beaten
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together dry ingredients. Combine eggs, milk, oil, cinnamon, and extracts. Stir in flour mixture. Bake in waffle iron.