This morning when I awoke, I jumped out of bed, spent some time in prayer and reading the Bible. I am still in Jeremiah, slowly plowing through verse by verse.When suddenly I had an insatiable urge for Blueberry Waffles. NO! I had an urge for Cashew Waffles. But waffles aren’t that good for someone watching their weight, so then I thought about making a Spinach Egg Casserole and then I thought but I want a Poached Pear too. Finally I decided that if I was going to go to all the trouble to make all of this, I might as well invite a few friends. This is what I LOVE about Honduras! Life is NOT so structured that you can’t invite people at the last minute.
I have no idea where the above photo came from, it was sent to me by someone else. Sorry I cannot give credit where credit is due.
So I called my friend Mercedes who is my neighbor and my dentist. Her mother Vicky was with her, so she decided to join us also. Then I called another friend and he decided to join us too.
I started cooking and the telephone started ringing. Saul, one of the young policemen that has been a friend for years, called to wish me a Happy Mother’s Day. There are several of the COBRAs which always make it a point to call me and they are some of the same ones which stop by when they are hungry for a home cooked meal. Even though my own two daughters are far away in Kansas, the Lord has given me several surrogate "kids" here in Honduras. I cried, thankful for the sweet call and continued to cook. My friend, Erlinda, showed up and made the passion fruit juice for me and fried the turkey bacon. She has a big party with 20 church ladies at her house for lunch tomorrow so she couldn't stay.
Everyone arrived, the table was set for four, Erlinda had eaten earlier standing in the kitchen as we talked, so there was no place set for her at the table, since she was leaving to run some party errands and had just “dropped by”. I had the menu totally prepared; we sat down, and ….. there was another knock on the door. Another neighbor, Lisseth, was walking by and heard us laughing and talking and decided to drop in to talk also. I quickly added another plate and then we started eating.
What had been planned as breakfast for four, turned into breakfast for seven. Before the table was completely set one of Jose’s professors dropped by to see if Jose had returned from his spring break trip. Jose, another one of my Honduran “kids”, flew with friends to Kansas and then returned driving from Kansas through Mexico and Guatemala. He called and is back in Honduras but will not return to Tegucigalpa today. I also ended up taking food outside to one of my friend’s bodyguards, where he could eat.
The BRUNCH Menu
Poached Amaretto Pear with Grapes, Kiwi and Fresh Sweet Cream on the side
Spinach Egg Casserole
Turkey Bacon
Blueberry Cashew Waffles
Passions Fruit Juice (Passion Fruit is in season right now and is cheap)
Coffee
For some people the arrival of Lisseth might have been a problem, but I have learned that in Honduras, I must expect the unexpected. I love the culture here! It is much more like at home in Arkansas when I was growing up. Everyone is welcome; you just scoot over, pull up another chair, set another plate on the table, divide the portions a little differently and keep going! My table seats six, but many times we squeeze in eight or more, depending on size.
I love having so many friends around me all the time. Mercedes is a GREAT friend; she always is inviting me to her house for dinner and also for special occasions. Christmas day was wonderful at her home with all of their family and friends, who over the years have become my friends.
This week has been a week of paperwork, UGH! And I really needed a break from paperwork. It was fun to make a nice brunch and it was even more fun to spend time with my friends.
Even though I see several of my friends daily, in passing, there is nothing in the world as wonderful as sharing well cooked food, a well planned menu and a nicely set table with a group of friends.
Tonight I will start making a Thanksgiving Turkey with all the extras for Mother’s Day. This is by special request from one of my “kids”. Tonight I make the homemade Southern Cornbread to go into the Cornbread Dressing, because white bread dressing is a CRIME! I have a feeling that the table will be full again tomorrow evening. It just happens when people smell the aroma of freshly cooked GRINGA food!
Isaiah 3:10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
Blueberry Cashew Yogurt Waffles
Ingredients
1 cup oats placed in a food processor and made into flour
3/4 cup salted cashews placed in a food processor and made into flour
Undetermined amount of flour
Be careful when processing the cashews and the oats not to make cashew-butter, you want cashew flour not cashew-butter. Place both of the above ingredients together in a large measuring cup after they have been processed and then add enough flour to make the ingredients come to a total of 1 ¾ cup
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1 cup milk 3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Directions:
Preheat a waffle iron.
In a big bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt.
Separate the eggs, putting the whites into a small bowl and the yolks into another small bowl. Whisk the milk, yogurt, almond flavoring, vanilla flavoring and oil into the yolks. Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture until moist yet still lumpy.
Coat the waffle iron with spray oil and scoop batter onto the grids, spreading gently. Close the lid and cook until the steam is almost gone and the tops are golden and the waffles are stiff. Lift the waffle from the iron with a fork. Re-oil the grids and repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve with real Maple Syrup and Whipped Cream mixed with a little almond extract and 1 Tablespoon sugar.
Notes: For richer waffles you may use 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup melted butter in place of the 1/2 cup oil. To keep waffles warm, set your oven to 225ºF and place the waffles directly on the oven rack. If you have leftover waffles, cool them completely then freeze in a zipper-lock bag for up to 6 months. Reheat in a toaster or in a 325ºF oven.
Poached Pears1 Fresh Pear per person dining.
Slice a flat place off of the end of the bottom of the pear where the pear will stand in place, stem side up on a plate.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel all of the skin off of the pear, being careful not to remove the stem.
Stand pear on an individual serving plate and place 1 tablespoon of Almond Liquor "Amaretto" over the top of the pear.
Carefully sprinkle with Cinnamon.
Place plate in the microwave and cook uncovered for 2 to 2 ½ minutes on high.
Take pear from the oven and place other fruit around it.
I like to place some type of fresh green around the stem before serving. I like to use cilantro because the leaves are pretty.
Serve with a dollop of whip cream.
Spinach Egg Casserole
1 cup fresh spinach leaves only, not the stems, cleaned and the hard stem pulled out of center of the leaves.
8 sun dried tomatoes cut into small pieces
½ pound mozzarella cheese shredded
½ cup sautéed onion pieces (I use olive oil to sauté)
Several slices of turkey breast cut into thin fingers
Place all of the above in a 9” x9” square glass casserole dish heavily sprayed with PAM
12 eggs well beaten
Pour over the top of the other ingredients
Italian Seasoning to taste
Place casserole dish into preheated 400 degree oven.
Bake approximately 1 hour.
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