Sheree

  • How to Make Waffles Without a Waffle Maker

    Here are the best waffle recipes that are easy to make when you’re stuck at home! 

    Do you LOVE waffles? I mean, is that even a question?! Waffles are such a classic delicious comfort food fitting for any meal or occasion. 

    We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. Please click my disclosure policy to learn more. I only recommend products & services I’ve used, vetted, & love! I appreciate you.

    Why Make Waffles at Home?

    For obvious reasons, maybe you can’t get to a restaurant. Many of us are unable to due to regulations and closures. But, besides THAT, homemade food is always better! When you opt to make your meals at home, you know the exact ingredients in your food.

    Are Waffles Healthy?

    Well, that depends, LOL. Most flour carb-based products are entirely healthy. However, with the right choices and food swaps, everything has potential. If you opt for a healthy flour base that doesn’t include white flour, cut the sugar down, and rid the butter, you can have healthy waffles. So, cook your waffles with the best ingredients you can afford, and you’ll have a healthier result.

    How to Make Waffles Directions

    Step 1

    In a large bowl, mix your flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Then, set it aside. Preheat your waffle iron to the desired temperature.

    Step 2

    In another bowl, mix the eggs. Then, stir in the milk, butter, and vanilla. After, pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and mix until blended.

    Step 3

    Pour the batter into the preheated waffle iron. Then, cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

    What If I Don’t Have Cooking Spray? 

    If you realize you don’t have cooking spray while cooking, you can use butter or oil for coating your waffle grill, pan, or mold. More potent flavored oils like olive oil, although healthier, will make the waffles taste slightly different! My favorite cooking spray is this one HERE but any will do.

    Can I Make Waffles Without a Waffle Maker?

    If you want to make waffles without a waffle maker, then you’ll want to buy a multi-functional appliance like this one HERE. You can make waffles, pancakes, paninis, and even burgers! 

    Now, you’ll either use this grill pan or a waffle mold like this one HERE. Although both methods will work, the best way to make waffles will always be in a waffle griddle iron. 

    Note: Waffles made with a grill pan or waffle mold may look a little bit like pancakes. But wait, they are still waffles!

    The outside has a crispy exterior as a waffle would, and the inside is chewy, just like any other waffle made in a waffle iron.

    Cooking Directions:

    Preheat your grill pan to medium heat. 

    Lower the heat on the grill pan.

    Step 1

    In a large bowl, mix your flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Then, set it aside. Preheat your waffle iron to the desired temperature.

    Step 2

    In another bowl, mix the eggs. Then, stir in the milk, butter, and vanilla. After, pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and mix until blended.

    Step 3

    Pour the batter into the preheated waffle iron. Then, cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

    Cook for 3-4 minutes until the waffles feel crispy. 

    Then, take a spatula or any tool you prefer and flip the waffles over.

    Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. 

    Take out the waffles from the grill pan and place them on a wire rack and let cool.

    Serve immediately.

    Your waffles may end up looking wonky, but they’ll taste delicious. 

    How To Make Waffles Using A Silicone Waffle Mold

    Whisk all the wet ingredients in a bowl until the mixture is smooth. 

    Now, whisk the dry ingredients into a separate bowl. Now, slowly mix the wet and dry ingredients, and keep whisking until the batter is super smooth and don’t see any lumps.

    Bring out your waffle molds and place them on a baking sheet. Make sure the sheet fits in your oven. Fill the waffle molds with your batter and level it with a spoon. Remember don’t overfill the molds!

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the baking sheet alongside the filled waffle molds in the oven. Bake for approximately 9-10 minutes or until golden brown. Take out the sheet and waffle molds from the oven.

    Turn the waffle molds over and make sure to use gloves as the silicone waffle molds get very hot.

    Then, put the waffles and the baking sheet (without the waffle mold) back into the oven. Bake them for an extra for 3-5 minutes or until golden in color. Remove the waffles and set aside to cool.

    Finally, serve with toppings such as berries, maple syrup, homemade jam, or whipped cream. Yummy!

    Can I Use Homemade Pancake Batter?

    Yes! If you need some homemade pancake recipes, I’ll share some below!

    What to Serve with Waffles?

    One of the reasons I love waffles is because they go with everything! You can easily add ingredients on top or the side. In my eyes, because waffles are so fluffy, versatile, and doughy, they go with everything. Besides breakfast, you could easily serve it up with your meat choice like the southerners do it. Or use it as a side, similar to how Indians use naan bread, or Americans use garlic bread/knots with pasta!

    What Kind of Waffle Maker Do I Need?

    This waffle maker HERE is great because it heats up fast, cooks fast and makes delicious fluffy waffles quick. It has nearly 4,000 five star reviews which is why I purchased it to begin with! LOL It’s lived up to the ratings for sure and its easy to clean. Win!

    What Ingredients Are in Waffles? 

    Flour

    Butter

    Brown or white sugar

    Yeast

    Milk

    Eggs

    Vanilla

    Dry Waffle Ingredients

    Flour

    Yeast

    Sugar

    Wet Waffle Ingredients

    Eggs

    Milk

    Vanilla

    Butter

    How to Freeze Waffles: Freezer Friendly Waffles

    While you’re cooking, go ahead and double or triple up the recipe so you can save and meal prep for later! You’ll save a ton of time and energy, and they’ll taste delicious. Allow them to cool to room temperature. Then, arrange them in a single-layer file on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Then, put the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid. Once they’re completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container.

    How to Make Waffles

    Can I Make Waffles In The Oven?

    Preheat the oven to 400F. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Put aside. Then, mix eggs, sugar, and melted butter till light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla and mix it for a further minute. Add the flour mixture and beat till it is mixed. Pour in the silicon mold and bake for 10-12 minutes till the sides start to brown. Finally, finish it off with your favorite toppings. 

    How to Reheat/ Preheat Waffles

    Suppose you need to reheat waffles or even pancakes. Here’s how to do it. Take your waffles out of the freezer, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Remember to loosely cover waffles with foil so that they don’t dry out. You can also place the waffles in your toaster, just like store-bought waffles. 

    Favorite Waffle Recipes:

    Homemade Breakfast Waffle Recipes

    https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/eggs-recipes/brilliant-breakfast-waffles/

    Homemade Lunch Waffle Recipes 

    https://www.brit.co/sweet-savory-waffle-recipes/

    Homemade Dinner Waffle Recipes

    Waffles For Dinner?! 3 Insanely Easy (& Delicious!) Recipes Your Whole Family Will Devour.

    Homemade Waffle Snacks

    https://www.momontimeout.com/waffle-saurus-after-school-snack-idea/

    Gluten-Free Waffle Recipes 

    Gluten-Free Waffles – Make now or store for later!

    Sweet Waffle Recipes 

    Savory Waffle Recipes

    https://beyondmeresustenance.com/25-mostly-savory-gourmet-waffles/

    Favorite Toppings for Homemade Waffles

    • Bananas
    • Blueberries
    • Fruit
    • Cinnamon
    • Whipped cream
    • Double cream
    • Ice cream
    • Maple Syrup (Real Maple Syrup)
    • Flavored Syrups
    • Compote
    • Conserve
    • Butter
    • Any Nut Butter

    Easy waffle recipes

    Angela

    Waffles with a crunch, the pecans are lightly toasted in the waffle iron giving these low carb waffles a delicious flavor and smell. 

    Gwen 

    Quick and easy to make waffles free from eggs, dairy and wheat, but no one will know! They’re perfect for serving brunch or breakfast. Top with maple syrup and your favorite berries to take over the top.

    waffles
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    waffles
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    waffles

  • self help tips for anxiety

    Self-Help Tips for Dealing with Anxiety

    Everybody experiences anxiety from time to time in their life. You can’t always breathe through an anxiety attack either. Anxiety attacks people in different ways. Some have trouble breathing, their heart races, with flushed skin and chest pain. If you have frequent anxiety attacks, try these self-help tips for dealing with them.

    1. Exaggerate your biggest fear

      Talk to a friend about your biggest fear, whether it be giving a presentation to your class or riding a roller coaster. Make it as dramatic as possible with lots of descriptive words and plenty of your raw emotions. Then when it comes time for you to do that thing that scares you, it won’t be as horrifying because you’ve already ruled out all the possible horrible things that can happen to you. After talking to your friend about this a couple of times, your stories and exaggerations will start to become very silly and something you can laugh about together.  

    2. Distract yourself

      In your scary situation, don’t think about where you are or what you’re doing. It seems easier said than done, but with practice, it’ll almost be like you aren’t even in the situation that causes your anxiety.

    3. Exercise

      Stress and anxiety both release the same hormone: adrenaline. When you exercise, you are releasing this hormone, making your anxiety levels go down.  

    4. Do not consume too much caffeine or alcohol

      Both are stimulants and will only make your anxiety worse. Instead, turn to drinks like milk and water. Some general foods that are good to bring down your anxiety levels include nuts, berries, yogurts, legumes, and dark orange vegetables.  

    5. Meditate

      Calm yourself down and focus on your breathing; nothing else. Tune out everything going on around you and count each breath you take.  

    6. Break down the days into minutes

      Instead of stressing yourself out about what you’re going to do in the next three hours, focus on the seconds and minutes you are living in right now. This will help to eliminate some worries and anxiety you may have for a certain part of your day.  

    7. Use visual anchors

      If you feel yourself getting anxious, find something that brings a sense of calm to you and focus on it. For example, if you find yourself stuck in traffic, you can look up at the clouds to help you feel calm.  

    8. Repeat a mantra

    Simply repeat over and over in your head, a phrase that brings calmness and peace within yourself. A sample phrase would be, “I am enough” or “I can do this.” Building yourself up is often a technique people use to relieve some of their anxiety.

    9. Write a love letter to yourself

    This is just like what you’d do if you were repeating a mantra. Write down on a piece of paper all of the things you love about yourself. Then when you’re having an anxiety attack, read the letter. This, once again, will help relieve some anxiety.

    You aren’t alone in this world. Millions of people suffer from anxiety. These tips given may not all work for you, and that’s okay. There are other tips out there for you to try, as well as doctors and other professionals to talk to.

    self help tips for anxiety 2

  • Uber Quick DIY Home Makeover Tips

    Simple, Quick DIY
    Home Makeover Tips Sheet

    How to make an empty house a home in just a few days!

    • Can’t paint your whole house?- Add wooden borders to the bottom of walls all along home…and borders (paper or paint) along top or middle as well.
    • Lighter walls make small spaces seem larger: Place furniture along walls for small spaces and embrace mirrors!
    • Less is more in a home in every area

    Not staying long or can’t afford to furnish immediately? Here are some ideas…

    Living room area- stop at resale shops/charity shops/garage sales/ your friend’s storage unit LOL and ask around for unused and unwanted items… you’ll be surprised at what you can find this way!

    Or you can furnish your home the way I have done countless times-with amazon!

    Because we travel so frequently and don’t own a home, we always have a vacant apartment to fill. This is what I’ve done:

    We’ve purchased inflatable sofas! HA! And when dressed with pillows, they can be a lot of fun!

    If television is needed- Any large department store will be your friend, with cheap TVs and stands/otherwise your computer is perfect!

    Get yourself a picnic table for cheap- and toss a nice tablecloth over it… Any chair will do, and you can place chair pillows on tops of these.

    Furnish your kitchen with what the dollar store and Walmart/target etc has to offer!

    They can even be cheaper than the dollar store and offer better quality on some items. Like utensils such as spoons and forks but the dollar store is better for those small items like cutting boards and tongs etc.

    Ditto for bathroom needs such as shower curtains etc.

    Amazon & your typical local superstore will have nice selections of rugs for cheap and bathroom essentials that go a long way to make a house much more cozy.

    Now, I give these suggestions, assuming you’ll be living in this new space short-term…

    IF it will be long-term, I’d suggest trying as best you can to save to buy better quality items from other stores. Buying quality items may have a high up-front cost…but will last SO much longer 🙂

    …Because there will always be strict limitations with weight and dimensions during travel, these are some of the things I do & bring along to help make our travel homes feel more like home:

    Things I Bring:

    • Removable wall decals
    • Lightweight Artwork (This could be quality artwork that’s printed & laminated or a small, lightweight canvas & photos)
    • Over-the-door hooks
    • Lightweight play-mats
    • Two sets of sheets
    • Photos
    • Books (paperback only)
    • Dry-erase markers
    • Select toys
    • Poster putty
    • Adjustable suction cup hooks

    Things I Do:

    • Save & reuse glass food jars, buy paint & decorate
    • Draw, paint, color some more & display
    • Write on our mirrors, fridge, dishwasher & any other workable surface
    • Maintain consistency with house decor

    What do you guys think? Any other quick home DIY tips and advice can you share?

  • Safety Tips When Traveling by Airplane

    Safety Tips When Traveling by Airplane

    Although traveling by airplane is deemed a safe method of transportation, there are additional steps you can take to put your mind at ease so you safely reach your destination. As a passenger, it’s your responsibility to follow all instructions given to you by your airline officials and security. Here are five safety guidelines to follow while preparing for your flight.

    1. Listen to Your Flight Attendants

    A flight attendant’s primary job is to continuously ensure passenger safety. It is important that you listen to the flight attendant when they tell you to fasten your seatbelt and turn off your electrical devices. If a flight attendant is asking you to do something, it is recommended that you immediately follow his or her instructions and ask questions later.

    2. Don’t Pack Hazardous Materials

    To ensure the safety of all passengers, hazardous materials are strictly prohibited. There is a long list of items you can’t have in your possession when boarding an aircraft, and that generally have very obvious explanations as to why they are banned. It goes without saying that explosives and other incendiary devices are not permitted on an aircraft, as well as flammable fluids like aerosol and lighter fluid.

    All types of matches are banned from the luggage you check. Strike-anywhere matches are completely banned from entering the plane, but you are permitted to have a book of safety matches on your person in the passenger cabin.

    Poisons, infectious materials, corrosive materials, illegal drugs, and other dangerous items are not allowed. If you are unsure if an item is safe to have on the flight, you should bring it to the attention of airline and security officials before boarding, even if you’ve already passed through airline security.

    3. Choose a Larger Aircraft

    Aircraft that seat more than 30 passengers at a time are all designed and certified under the strictest regulations. It has been proven that in the event of an accident, larger aircraft provide a better opportunity for passenger survival. While a serious accident is highly unlikely, it doesn’t hurt to prepare yourself for all eventualities, no matter how small the risk.

    4. Pre-flight Briefing

    Although it may seem repetitive, it is important to devote all of your attention to your aircraft pre-flight briefing. During the briefing, you will learn about the aircraft emergency exits and their locations, as well as the different safety positions to take in case of an emergency landing.

    5. Overhead Storage Bin Safety

    If you have loaded your overhead storage bin with very heavy luggage, there is a possible risk of it falling and seriously injuring you or another passenger during turbulence. If you have trouble lifting your luggage to store it in the storage bin, it is recommended that you store it in a different location on the plane. If heavy luggage is being stored over your head, request a new seat or ask to move the luggage.

    As long as you follow all of the rules and safety procedures of the airline, air travel is fast, safe and fun. If you have any other questions about air safety, call the airline before the flight or ask the flight crew. They’ll be happy to address any concerns you have about staying safe while you fly.

    Safety Tips When Traveling by Airplane 3