Easter Weekend Waffles and My First $5 Purchase

Happy Easter! I hope all of you had a fantastic day with family and friends. I had the privilege of staying home this year.  Believe me, I had every opportunity to join the family in a number of festivities this weekend. I just happen to live 3.5 hours north of the festivities. I went downstate last weekend - and I have to go twice in May. So, I chose to enjoy a relaxing weekend at home. It was a fantastic weekend, though! Just what I needed to rest and rejuvenate after a busy winter. I went hiking in Petoskey on Friday, which was GORGEOUS!!! It was such a beautiful day!  On Saturday, I slept in a bit - then made a special Easter weekend breakfast!! I love celebrating special occasions!

Although I have only made them once in my life, I was inspired to make waffles! These are definitely not something I can eat every day, but they are fun for special occasions - or to pull out when company comes. They freeze incredibly well, so all I have to do is pop them in the toaster, and they are ready to go! No need for store bought waffles. Obviously, these take a little more time, but it is wonderful to know the ingredients used to make them.  After a little prep time, this was the result:

Definitely worth my time and effort! I topped them with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a splash of maple syrup, a sprinkle of homemade granola, and some organic berries. They were amazing!

Part of the inspiration for the waffles was the Greek yogurt. I began making homemade Greek yogurt a couple of months ago. I will share that story sometime soon when I make some more yogurt.  In the process of experimenting with homemade yogurt, I learned it is the gift that keeps on giving. After the yogurt is strained (making the yogurt 96% lactose free - or so I've heard), there are a number of ways in which the whey (liquid) can be used. I typically wait until I have made a couple of batches of yogurt, boil the whey a second time to make ricotta cheese, and then use the leftover whey for baked goods.  Whey can be used in place of buttermilk (or milk or water) in a recipe . Obviously, buttermilk is not something a girl who has issues with dairy can consume on a regular basis; however, I have managed to use it for entertaining purposes. And for these waffles.  So, with a little leftover whey eyeing me in the fridge, I knew it was waffle time.

I found the recipe Buttery Golden Buttermilk Waffles by Sprinkle Some Sugar from Pinterest - my go-to when it comes to trying new recipes or using new ingredients.  The only thing I did differently was use Safflower oil instead of melted butter. I did not have enough butter to make this recipe and another one on my list, so I chose to use another pantry item! I have not used that oil in quite awhile, so I will be excited to have it out of my cupboard.  

Another fun fact: I acquired my waffle maker with the purchase of my cabin! I had never owned a waffle maker, nor had I ever used one. It was close to a year after I purchased my house before I convinced a friend to come and make her "Snow Day Waffles" with my waffle maker - despite the fact that it was the middle of the summer.  It took over a year from that time before I attempted to use it on my own.  I am now quite excited about my acquired freebie.  After waiting patiently for each set of waffles to cook, I ended up with this final product:

Assuming most people would eat two waffles in a sitting, that is eight meals of waffles right there! Enough for company, a family, or even a rainy day. After they cooled, I bagged them up with parchment paper between the layers - and I have myself a handful of breakfasts, ready to eat as quick as it takes to toast them!

Along with making (and enjoying) my waffles this weekend, I also spent some time meal planning and thinking through my first $5 purchase of the challenge. I scoured coupons, weekly ads, and even stopped at a couple of stores to check on prices before making my final decisions.  After thinking through my supplies and various pantry items I need to use, I chose to purchase a jar of True Goodness creamy peanut butter (next best thing to organic - and the only ingredient is peanuts, which is rather difficult to find), a package of cream cheese, a package of yellow squash, two cucumbers, and bananas.  I bought the peanut butter from Meijer for $2.39.  I purchased the remaining items from Aldi, which is new to Gaylord; this was my second visit to the store. The cream cheese was $.85, and it is for a pantry item I need to use. The yellow squash were $.79, the cucumbers were $.25/each, and the bananas were $.14/lb for two pounds. I was quite impressed with myself!

Just in case you are doubting me, here are the receipts:

I requested $5 in cash back from Meijer, so I could make my purchase at Aldi's in cash - and keep the change for future weeks!  This leaves me with $.08 for another week!

Thank you for joining me on my first week of my $5/week food challenge. Stay tuned for more foodie adventures in Week 2. I have been busy making food all day in preparation for next week!