Cinnamon-Pecan Waffles (Pancakes) and 4th of July

I was hungry this morning! I didn't have any backup pancakes or waffles in the freezer so it was time to make some more. This recipe is from Cookin' Crunk for waffles. I didn't want to mess with the waffle iron and it was much easier to make pancakes. These are yummy! Whole wheat pastry flour, cinnamon, and toasted pecans make these pancakes nice and hearty. Lots of extras to freeze. Of course you have to top them with Earth Balance margarine and maple syrup! 

~ Cinnamon-Pecan Pancakes ~ 

4th of July is also my brother and sister-in-law's anniversary. They had a BBQ/swim party at their house and my brother loves these cookies I make. So I brought them a big plate of cookies for their anniversary. He was so excited! I have made them countless times; they are the best gingersnaps. 

~ Triple Ginger Gingersnaps ~ 

Since it was a barbeque I brought my own veggie dog and this broccoli salad from Give Them Something Better. It's always a hit whenever I make it.

The night before the 4th of July we had a huge thunderstorm. My little chihuahua, Lily, is petrified of them. I had read about these Thundershirts for a long time but never bought one because they were kind of pricey. After the thunderstorm though I called my local Petsmart and they had them. I picked one up for her and also one of my other dogs, Penny, for her anxiety. 4th of July evening started with a bang as our neighbors decided to have their own (illegal) fireworks show. Ugh! I put the Thundershirt on Lily and it was like a miracle. She settled down beside me and went to sleep. It's like a swaddling blanket that wraps snugly around them. I wish I would have had it for the thunderstorm; but I'm prepared now. Now I just need to buy two more; one for my basset hound, JoJo,  and one for Jet, the shih-poo!

Gingerbread Waffles

 For December the Vegcookbookclub is cooking out of all the cookbooks we tried in 2013. I have 8 of the 11 cookbooks so my "plan" is to try one new recipe out of each of them. Surely I can make 8 recipes this month! I'm also revisiting a few favorites. My favorite way to eat Swiss chard is from Crazy Sexy Kitchen's recipe "Sauteed Chard".

Vegan Brunch cookbook~The Gingerbread Waffles are yummy!

Fresh grated ginger, cinnamon, cloves and molasses; just like eating a gingersnap cookie.

These smell wonderful! They are even better with some Earth Balance margarine and maple syrup drizzled on top.

Waffles, Grandsons and Nachos

I had a surprise visit from my two favorite grandsons this morning. James, almost 3 and Max, almost 2.

Playing in the mud

 They kept going into the pantry to get snacks so I thought I would make them some waffles! They are bottomless pits when it comes to food. I've had this taped up on the inside of my kitchen cupboard 'forever.' I don't even remember where I got the recipe. But it's the best vegan waffle recipe I have tried.

A plate full of waffles! We were so excited to eat our waffles I forgot to take a picture after we topped them with Earth Balance margarine, mixed strawberries, blueberries and raspberries and maple syrup. Mmmm! They were a hit!

I was shopping at Sprouts yesterday and was so excited to see Daiya Jack wedge. They are expanding the store so I hope to see more yummy products soon. The wedge is so easy to grate into shreds. 

My semi-guilty pleasure~Nachos!

 Daiya cheddar and Jack cheese melted over organic yellow corn tortilla chips topped with jalapenos and dipped in Pace Picante sauce. 

I must have needed extra carbs today. 

Spiced Apple Waffles ~ pg. 39

VegCookbookClub August recipes from Betty Goes Vegan by Annie & Dan Shannon:

I hadn't made waffles in a long time so I dug in the cupboard and pulled out my waffle iron. These babies will keep you going all day! Whole wheat flour, applesauce and cinnamon make these really tasty. The batter was quite thick and the waffles are kind of dense. Probably from using straight whole wheat flour. I would like to try these again and use only half whole wheat and maybe a little more soymilk to thin out the batter. They were still good with lots of Earth Balance margarine and maple syrup and some extra applesauce spread on top!