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!

| |
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!

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

New Grant Brings Fruit & Vegetable Gardens to Schoolyards!

by The Meal Makeover Moms on January 16th, 2010

Welch’s is one of our blog sponsors, and when they told us about their new Harvest Grants program, we were eager to share the news with all of you. In conjunction with Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine, Harvest Grants aims to help schools across the U.S. plant and grow fruit and vegetable gardens.

Two K-8 schools in every state will receive a Welch’s Harvest Grant:  Welch’s will award 100 garden packages, together valued at $35,000, to the winning schools.  Five schools will receive $1,000 packages; 25 schools will receive $500 packages; and 70 schools will receive $250 packages. Each package will be filled with a variety of tools, seeds, and educational materials that will help students connect with nature and better understand the origins of their food supply.

Between leaders like Michelle Obama whose White House Garden ignited the public’s interest in backyard vegetable gardens and chefs like Alice Waters who founded the Edible Schoolyard, there is no doubt in our minds that the popularity of fresh produce straight from the backyard garden is growing (even Liz, a self-professed plant killer, sowed her first backyard garden last spring with her family).

Getting kids out of the classroom and into the dirt teaches children about sustainability and where their food comes from, and it motivates them to eat nutritious fruits and veggies. They learn as they dig, and it’s fun!

If this sounds like something you think YOUR school would be interested in starting (or if they already have a garden that you think could use a little nurturing), tell your children’s teachers about the Grant (they’re the ones who can apply). Entries will be judged by experts at the National Gardening Association, and the deadline for submission is February 6, 2010. For all the details and the official rules go to the Scholastic Harvest Grants page. By the way, our friends at Welch’s tell us the application will only take 10 minutes to fill out!

| |
1 Comment | Filed Under CulinaryAdventures, Fruits, GivingBack, Vegetables 

Magical Mango Snack Cake

by The Meal Makeover Moms on January 8th, 2010

If you like the recipe we recently posted for Sweet Spiced Persimmon Bars but don’t have ripe persimmons on hand (or you’ve never cooked with persimmons and don’t plan on taking the plunge any time soon) … consider this made-over version featuring a gorgeous, ripe mango instead. Our kids all tried this sweet and satisfying treat, and it was a resounding success with each and every one of them. Even Liz’s 14-year old son, Josh, who just got braces (ouch) managed to down quite a few.

The other motivation for creating this snack cake came from a blog post on Gourmet Mom on the Go asking readers to submit recipes for the National Mango Board’s Mom & Mangos recipe contest. Mangos are an excellent source of vitamins A and C and a good source of fiber, and their fabulous tropical flavor can’t be beat.

Magical Mango Snack Cake

Makes 24 Servings

  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 very ripe large mango, peeled, pit removed, and pureed in a food processor (to yield about 1 cup)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
  • Confectioners’ sugar, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, and canola oil until well combined. Add the mango and whisk to combine.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, walnuts, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.

4. Stir the flour mixture and the chocolate chips into the mango mixture until just  combined

5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool, slice, and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar as desired.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 160 calories, 9g fat (1g saturated, 0.9g omega-3), 85mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 2g protein

Print Recipe

This snack cake is perfect for a mid-morning pick-me-up, a lunchbox treat, or for something special when you’re entertaining. In other words, it’s a crowd pleaser!

| |
5 Comments | Filed Under Desserts, Fruits, Snacks 
Next Page »