Cuisinart Waffle Maker Winner

by The Meal Makeover Moms on February 22nd, 2010

Two weeks ago, we posted a new recipe for Banana Brownie Waffles along with a giveaway for a Cuisinart 4-Slice Belgian Waffle Maker. Over 260 entries later, we’re pleased to announce that Ellie B., a mom of two from South Riding, Virginia, is our official winner.  Here’s what she had to say: I am the only member of my family who does not like pancakes. I just don’t like the mushiness of them. But I love the crunch I get from a waffle!

Your blog and Facebook comments kept us laughing out loud, and the waffle recipes many of you shared including Whole Wheat Waffles topped with berries from Amy at Super Healthy Kids had our stomachs growling.  A nice surprise came from Kristen over at EatingRD who made our Banana Brownie Waffles in her heart-shaped waffle maker and then posted the delicious results to her blog. We encourage all of you to read Kristen’s post and to try the decadent yet healthy peanut butter mousse recipe she whipped up as a special topping!

Here are just a few of the many comments we received during the giveaway:

> Katie: We do not own a waffle maker, but my 5-year old son has been asking for one for months. I occasionally buy frozen waffles, but we usually just eat a lot of pancakes. We like your pumpkin chocolate chip pancake recipe. It would make my son so happy to have our own waffle maker.

> Shelley from My Journey to Fit:  I love waffles but sadly have been without a waffle maker for more than a decade (I know, the humanity). I would love to win this and would use it to make some protein-packed waffles – I’ve seen recipes floating around the blog-o-sphere, but never bothered to write them down because I don’t have a waffle maker … yet.

> Bethany: One of my favorite memories, when I was a little girl, is of my dad making waffles every Saturday morning. He always had a secret ingredient, usually apples, carrots or zucchini. My brother and I would even wake up early just to eat these waffles. We love waffles and would love to have a Belgian waffle maker so we could try your waffles.

> Kim: Would love, love, love a modern waffle maker! My grandmother’s waffle maker is tucked away in a drawer (think black and white woven thread-wrapped cord). My son loves whole-wheat waffles for breakfast on school days, and I’d love to make them from scratch.

> Jen: This recipe sounds awesome!! We would LOVE a new waffle maker! The last time I used mine, I was cleaning it up a bit before using and apparently got it a little wet. Plugged it in and POP!! I killed it.

> Paula from Gulf Coast Cottage: We love Belgian waffles. If you use club soda it helps to make an extra light waffle that is delicious. Topped with fresh fruit and a dollop of whipped cream, it’s perfect for a weekend breakfast. The waffle machine is a great way to bring family together to do something fun!

> Susan:  My son loves waffles in the morning, and our favorite waffle recipe is Buttermilk Pecan Waffles, a recipe I found several years ago in A Taste of Home magazine. They are tender and delicious.

> Sandy: We use Pamela’s wheat-free/gluten-free pancake & waffle mix. I love it because unlike so many mixes, this one still expects you to separate the eggs and beat the whites stiff for folding in after other ingredients are mixed … the single must-have step in great waffles. The mix begins with brown rice flour and then incorporates other really nutritious items like ground almond meal. It also makes great pancakes and whether or not you are gluten free, this mix rocks.

Thanks again for all of your wonderful comments. For those of you who own a waffle maker (or shall we say, a waffle maker that’s still working), we hope you’ll try our Banana Brownie Waffles. And when our new book comes out — which we absolutely promise will be some time in 2010 — you will also have an opportunity to try our new pumpkin waffles … a recipe we just created but are keeping locked up in “the vault” until book #2 is published. Happy waffle making everyone.

Our new Pumpkin Waffle recipe will be in book #2!

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3 Comments | Filed Under Breakfast, Fruits, Giveaways 

Podcast 92: Banana Brownie Waffles & Giveaway for a Cuisinart Belgian Waffle Maker

by The Meal Makeover Moms on February 10th, 2010

Valentine’s Day is just days away, and if you’re planning breakfast in bed for your special someone (or hoping YOU get breakfast in bed), we hope you’ll try our delicious new Banana Brownie Waffle recipe. Read on for the recipe or listen to this week’s Cooking with the Moms radio podcast to hear all about it.

Ah, but what if you want to make our recipe but don’t own a waffle maker? No worries because our latest blog giveaway features a fabulous Cuisinart 4-Slice Belgian Waffle Maker. To enter, all you have to do is post a comment telling us about your favorite waffle recipe or why you want to win the giveaway.

Our Banana Brownie Waffles blow the doors off frozen waffles because they’re made with good-for-you ingredients — things like whole wheat flour, wheat germ, bananas, and omega-3 eggs — and they’re so delicious your family will request them again and again. The recipe makes eight waffles (or more depending on the type of waffle maker you use), and they freeze really well. We suggest you cook up a batch, freeze a bunch, and then reheat whenever the waffle  mood strikes!

Banana Brownie Waffles

Makes Eight 4 ½ x 4 ½-inch Waffles

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup wheat germ
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups 1% milk
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
  • 2 large eggs, beaten (we like to use Eggland’s Best eggs)
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, bananas, eggs, canola oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.  Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.

4. Coat the hot waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron (about 2 cups or according to your waffle iron) and cook on medium-high setting.  Repeat with the remaining batter.

5. Serve with sliced bananas or strawberries on top and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 waffle):  310 calories, 12g fat (1.5g saturated, 0.8g omega-3), 300mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 10g protein, 20% calcium, 15% iron

Print Recipe

To Enter our Cuisinart 4-Slice Belgian Waffle Maker Giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us about your favorite homemade waffle recipe, your favorite brand of frozen waffles, or why you want to win the waffle maker. Sharing a link to your favorite recipe would also be great.

We Will Enter You into the Giveaway Multiple Times if you do any or all of the following (just be sure to leave us a new comment every time you do one of these things):

> Tweet about our giveaway on Twitter or tell your Facebook friends about it with a link back to this blog post.

> Become a Facebook Fan.

> Add one of our buttons/widgets to your blog or website. They are located in the upper left sidebar of our blog. We have three to choose from: Our blog post widget, our Recipe badge, and our Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen badge.

Our giveaway ends on Monday, February 22, 2010 at noon. As always, we’ll use Random.org to choose the winner. By the way, in case you’re wondering, we do not work for Cuisinart. They’ve just been incredibly generous, and we thank them!

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205 Comments | Filed Under Breakfast, Fruits, Giveaways, Grains, Podcast 

Podcast 84: Boon Fly Cafe … and Breakfast Any Time

by The Meal Makeover Moms on December 8th, 2009

The inspiration for this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast was our trip to Napa, CA in November and a rib-sticking breakfast at the Boon Fly Café. On our final morning, we ate at the Boon Fly, located at the fabulous Carneros Inn. Knowing we’d be flying all afternoon and into the night and knowing they’d starve us on the plane ride back to Boston, we went all out. The meal began with the restaurant’s signature Boon Fly Donuts (one small donut per Meal Makeover Mom was a wonderful indulgence). From there, Liz ordered the B.E.L.T.; applewood smoked bacon with one egg any style, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on sourdough. Janice had the Breakfast Flatbread with two fried eggs, bacon, caramelized onions, and mozzarella.  As you can see from the photos, we had plenty of leftovers for the journey home.

The Breakfast Flatbread was so yummy (though clearly uber high in fat and calories) that it motivated us to create a brand new recipe for Green Eggs & Bacon Pizza. Wow. Where do we begin? There are so many great things to say about this recipe. For starters, it’s hearty thanks to the eggs and the bacon. Second, it’s nutritious thanks to the spinach, eggs, and cheese. And finally, Janice’s daughters and Liz’s boys all gave it two-thumbs up!  We consider four happy kids at the dinner (or lunch) hour a huge success.

Green Eggs & Bacon Pizza

Makes 5 Servings

  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped (about 2 packed cups)
  • 5 large eggs, beaten (we like Eggland’s Best)
  • 4 slices nitrite-free bacon, cooked, patted well between paper towels to remove excess fat, and chopped into small pieces
  • One 12-inch pre-made pizza crust (we used Boboli original crust)
  • 1 cup reduced-fat preshredded Italian cheese blend (we used Sargento 4 Cheese Reduced-Fat Italian)

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (or the temperature indicated on your pizza crust).  Bake the pizza crust according to package directions (in the case of the Boboli, about 8 minutes).

2. While the pizza crust is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 1 minute.

2. Raise the heat to medium-high.  Add the spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the eggs and the bacon and scramble until the eggs are set, about 3 minutes.

4. Remove the cooked pizza crust from the oven. Top evenly with the egg and spinach mixture. Top with the shredded cheese. Place back in the oven and cook until the cheese melts, another 2 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 slice):  320 calories, 14g fat (5g saturated, 0.2g omega-3), 660mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 20g protein, 25% calcium, 20% vitamin A, 15% iron

Print Recipe

> Dashboard Dining: We recently received an email from one of our listeners, Nicole P., asking for breakfast ideas for her 3-year old son who never seems hungry first thing in the morning but who often asks for breakfast on the ride to preschool. Here are a a bunch of suggestions when dashboard dining is your only option.

The second recipe in this week’s podcast also features nutrient-packed eggs. This B.L.T. with More hits the spot any time of the day.

B.L.T.  with More

Makes 4 Servings

  • 1 teaspoon canola oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 to 8 teaspoons light canola mayonnaise
  • Four 100% whole wheat sandwich thins, lightly toasted
  • 4 Romaine lettuce leaves, washed and dried
  • 4 to 8 thin slices tomato
  • 8 slices nitrite-free bacon, cooked, patted well between paper towels to remove excess fat, cut in half

1. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Crack each egg open into the skillet. Gently break the yolk. Cook 2 minutes, flip, and cook 1 additional minute.  Season with salt and pepper.

2.  To assemble, spread the mayonnaise over each half of the sandwich thins. Layer 4 of the halves with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 to 2 tomato slices, 4 pieces of bacon, and an egg. Top with the remaining halves, slice in half, and serve.

Nutrition Information per Serving:  300 calories, 16g fat (4g saturated, 0.7 omega-3), 730mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 17g protein, 10% vitamin A, 10% vitamin C, 15% iron

Print Recipe

If you have a favorite breakfast recipe you’d like to share or a favorite breakfast cafe suggestion, please post a comment to our blog.  Cheers!!

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7 Comments | Filed Under Breakfast, CulinaryAdventures, Dinner, Eggs, Lunch, Pizza, Podcast, Vegetables 

Raspberry Breakfast Cake

by The Meal Makeover Moms on September 4th, 2009

Last week I celebrated my birthday (let’s just say it wasn’t “the big one” but it’s getting way too close for comfort).  Tim was out of town on business, so Josh and Simon did their best to fill in. Together they bought me a charm bracelet, “took” me to see Julie & Julia (Josh said, “it’s a movie for old people,” but he seemed to enjoy it nonetheless), and they even bought me a chocolate birthday cake at Wilson Farms, a family-owned farm that lucky for me, is less than a mile from my house.

So what does my birthday have to do with today’s post for Raspberry Breakfast Cake?  Well, actually not a whole heck of a lot other than the fact that when the boys tried it, they actually admitted that it tasted better than my birthday cake. Yes, it’s hard to believe that a cake with raspberries could outshine one with chocolate, but I promise I’m not making this up.

This cake is super easy.  I was inspired to create it after making Raspberry Buttermilk Cake from the June issue of Gourmet magazine.  Gourmet’s recipe calls for a cup of flour, half a stick of butter, half a cup of buttermilk, and 2/3 cup sugar (among other things). It was yummy, but I knew that with a few simple tweaks, I could lighten it up, boost the good nutrition, and still keep the same delicious flavors.

Basically, I replaced half the white flour with whole wheat, replaced all of the butter with canola oil (a heart-healthy oil), tossed in some vitamin E-rich wheat germ, cut the sugar a bit, and added lemon juice with the milk in lieu of the buttermilk. Here’s what I came up with:

Raspberry Breakfast Cake
Makes 8 Servings

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup wheat germ
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup 1% lowfat milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries

1.  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined.

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the canola oil until well combined. Whisk in the milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.

4.  Mix the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top. Arrange the raspberries evenly over the top and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.

5.  Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool in the pan and serve.

Nutrition Information per Serving:   210 calories, 8g fat (1g saturated, 0.7g omega-3), 190mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 5g protein

This cake is so nutritious I feel comfy serving it for breakfast!  The next time I make it, I’m going to try frozen raspberries, and the time after that, I’ll use 2/3 cup blueberries.  I suspect this recipe will become a regular around my house.

If you get a chance to try it, be sure to let us know if your family likes it. We’d love to hear from you.

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12 Comments | Filed Under Breakfast, Desserts, Fruits, Snacks 
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