Waffles and a Richmond Restaurant

Hi! Patricia, here.

I recently bought a waffle maker and have been trying to perfect my blueberry waffle recipe and technique! The family tries to eat more healthily than the meal I made today, but I figured it doesn't hurt to indulge once in a while :) It's Saturday breakfast!

Waffle Batter recipe

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar (or sweeten with a few teaspoons of an alternative sweetener)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/3 cup oil (or 1/3 cup apple sauce to decrease fat) 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp lemon extract (optional)
• zest of 1 lemon (optional, but highly recommended)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional, but highly recommended)

Preheat waffle maker. Whisk flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder together. In a separate bowl, whisk everything else (wet ingredients and optional lemon zest and cinnamon) together. Add dry mixture into wet mixture and whisk JUST until smooth. When waffle maker is ready, pour a little less than 1/2 cup (the amount will vary depending on your waffle maker model) into each mould and sprinkle on any addition (berries, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, etc.). Close waffle maker and let cook. The waffles are ready when there's no more steam coming out of the sides.

Optional step: for airier waffles, separate the egg yolks from the whites and whisk egg whites until fluffy. Fold in the egg whites last (after having combined the dry mix + wet mix).

A tip for cooking bacon: Lay bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet, stick sheet in the oven, THEN turn on the oven to preheat + bake at 400F. Bake for about 20-30 minutes (time will vary; keep watch) until bacon is cooked and crisp. This will prevent your bacon from shrinking and help everything cook evenly.


My cousin Esther and I went to a local Richmond restaurant called the Continental Westhampton. I got a burger (I rarely eat burgers! Trying to eat more healthily. Lost about 20-25 lbs since summer of 2012) and amazing Brussels sprouts (pan roasted with Sriracha, honey and lime). Then, Esther and I shared a classic retro dessert called a baked Alaska. It consisted of pistachio sponge cake and vanilla ice cream surrounded by meringue. The dessert is briefly baked to brown the meringue on the outside. The restaurant served it atop a mixed berry sauce. It was really rich but so delicious! Please visit the restaurant if you're ever in Richmond.