No reason to wait till the 24th to enjoy waffles!  These recipes are proof, waffles are good anytime of the day. Emeril Lagasse’s Waffle Iron Reuben Sandwich could be your next lunch.  For dinner, we have you covered there with Serious Eats Maple Sausage Breakfast Casserole.  Need another dinner option?  What about (fried) chicken and waffles?  If you are not already familiar with this dish, check out all the locations where it is commonplace.

Want a simple buttermilk recipe for breakfast, Add a Pinch is happy to help us oblige. Just visit this site for recipe.

Photo credit AddaPinch.com.

First, know your guests. Find out if anyone attending has a food allergy or preference.  Knowing in advance can prevent any uncomfortable situations the day of.  Just think how appreciative a guest with a gluten intolerance will be that you thought ahead and made Gluten-Free Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes with Maple Icing. How many children will be attending, or will there be any at all. If you are inviting a lot of people with children this may also determine the time of the party.

Emailing invitations is fine if a casual event.  Paper invites are only expected for formal events such as weddings where guests will want a keepsake and RSVP’s are essential to planning.

Is this an outdoor or indoor occasion. If the former include a rain date in your invitation. Are you traveling to the party site or is it at home. Will you need a cooler for drinks or will the wheelbarrow in the back do.

What time of the day is the event.  If a morning party you could do something “easy” like Paula Deen’s Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup.

Plan your menu, choose the recipes, and make your shopping list. Depending on the season, utilize your local farmers’ market for some beautiful produce (it can serve double duty as a table top show stopper and delicious ingredient). When it comes to the bar have one or two house cocktails, beer, and wine.  No need to have a full bar unless you are throwing a cocktail party and hiring a bartender (the one place you should spend money other than a cleanup crew).

To make it easy on yourself, and because most guests like to bring something to a party, either make the party BYOB (not appropriate for a cocktail party but welcome for an outdoor screening) or ask guests to bring a dessert (perfect for a barbecue).

Remember, the guests want to see their host so have fun at your party!!!

Butternut Maple Loaf (from Barrington Middle School)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 2 tsp ginger
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup chopped butternuts

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and syrup, beat until very light. Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with water to the batter, beating well after each addition. Fold in nuts and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 65 minutes. May or may not be frosted.

Maple Rice Pudding (from Morning Star Maple in Dublin)

• 2 1/2 cups cooked white rice
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3 eggs (beaten)
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup raisins

Combine all ingredients and blend thoroughly. Place in a buttered 2-quart baking dish and bake for about 35 minutes or until custard is firm.

Maple Spiced Milk

• 1 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger

Heat all ingredients in a saucepan. Serve warm on hot or ready to eat cereal.

The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Lemon Blueberry Pancakes is pretty easy, delicious, and sounds like a lot more work than it actually is. Oh, and of course you can drizzle maple syrup all over those pancakes while saying “I love pancakes”…so much fun.  Check out her website for step by step photos.  The great thing about real maple syrup, it looks lovely in the bottle on the table or tray so no need to find a pretty ceramic pourer unless you want to.

If you are not going to have enough time in the morning to make pancakes, or you don’t like lemon or blueberries (does anyone not like blueberries?) the Pioneer Woman’s make the night before Cinnamon Baked French Toast might be just the right item.

Some fresh cut fruit, bacon or sausages, coffee, and juice are all you need to round out the table. Enjoy!

Photos Ree Drummond.

Getting back outside and walking through the woods all the rain has made everything so green. Ferns and the leaves on the maple trees glisten in the sunlight. It is wonderful to be out among maple trees, which have seen generations of maple farmers and gifted gallons of maple syrup to thousands of families.

After a long walk coffee and sustenance are needed. This recipe for Rainbow Stuffed French Toast from Martha Stewart Living seems like a great way to take care of the hunger pains and celebrate the sunshine. It is also a good way to get more fruit onto the breakfast table. Serve with maple syrup!

Cornbread Muffins with Maple Butter from Bon Appetit and/or Oat and Maple Syrup Scones from Smitten Kitchen.

Candied Bacon from Fine Cooking (a super sweet gesture)

and… for a savory main The Eggberts Sunriser with step by step photos from The Pioneer Woman

Photo Bon Appetit.

Image flickr.

Blueberry Sourdough Pancakes (adapted slightly) from the March, 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups Sourdough Starter  
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3/4 cup warm milk  
2 Tbsp sugar or honey  
3 Tbsp butter or nonhydrogenated margarine, melted  
1 large egg  
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries

Directions:

Stir together the starter, 3/4 cup flour, milk, and sugar (or honey) in medium bowl. Cover loosely, and let sit overnight.

Whisk in the butter and egg the following morning. Combine remaining 1/2 cup flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl. Stir flour mixture into batter, adding 1/4 cup more flour if needed. Stir in blueberries. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes.

Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and coat with cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 cup batter per pancake into skillet. Cook 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side, or until golden.

Yield: 12 4-inch pancakes

To make the best pancakes, well step one should be obvious enough…have real maple syrup on hand to drizzle all over pancakes!  A few other items that might not be so obvious…

1. Mix the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls to help avoid overmixing once you have combined them. Overmixing can leave you with tough, heavy pancakes.

2. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry just until the batter is evenly moistened. Lumps are okay. Who knew!?

3. Let the batter sit while the griddle heats up, giving any gluten that has formed a chance to relax = giving you a more tender pancake.

4. The griddle is at the right temperature when water droplets “dance” on it before evaporating. *Just wet your hand and let a few drops fall into the pan. Do NOT pour water into the pan.

5. Flip the pancakes before the bubbles on the exposed surface break.

6. Buttermilk substitutes in a pinch.  Powdered buttermilk (use according to package directions, adding water to the we ingredients and powder to the dry). “Sour milk” add 2 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice to 2 cups whole milk and let stand 10 minutes. Yogurt and milk add 1 cup plain yogurt and 1 cup milk (low or full fat) to the wet ingredients.

Okay, NOW pour the syrup onto those golden delicious pancakes. Also, these are only suggestions so by all means if you have a pancake making routine that works flawlessly for you far be it from us to steer you away from it.

Enjoy!

Photo from Lisa Orgler’s Pinterest page.