...Sunday morning waffles!

Mary Martha

Sometimes breakfast foods just sound good. And sometimes, sleeping in sounds better than breakfast. Waffles sounded really good last night, but they sounded like work and dishes this morning. Instead, I got a bit of coffee into my system and whipped them up for lunch!

Recipe found from Martha Stewart:

Serves 4 to 6
8 tablespoons (1 stick) melted unsalted butter, plus more for waffle iron
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, separated, room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
Grease waffle iron with a small amount of melted butter, and heat. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour into dry mixture, and combine.
In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter.
Ladle about 1/3 cup batter onto each section of the waffle grid; spread batter almost to the edges. Close lid, and bake 3 to 5 minutes, until no steam emerges from waffle iron.
Transfer cooked waffles to a baking sheet; place in an oven set to low heat, about 200 degrees, while using remaining batter.


Read more at Marthastewart.com: Buttermilk Waffles - Martha Stewart Recipes

Here are some pictures to document the progress:

My favorite part about homemade waffles? The recipe makes more than we can eat in one sitting, so we freeze the rest and use them as toaster waffles throughout the week! Win!

Happy Sunday!

Pin It

...Holiday {Christmas} Card Display

Yet again these sisters find two different ways to achieve the same purpose: get those Christmas cards off the counter and on display! Oddly enough both sisters decide to display the cards in a mobile-style, though one whips one up quickly by calling on Pottery Barn, and the other whips one up quickly by repurposing a few yards to string and thread to create one from scratch.

Mary Martha

Lay out cards in desired arrangement. Punch holes in tops and bottoms as necessary to connect the cards while keeping the mobile in balance. {Note: I did not have a hole punch, so I used a straight edge to make a small X instead of a hole. This proved equally effective.}

Connect cards with string/thread, securing knots large enough that the string won't fall through the card.

Hang in a fun location when finished!

Cost: virtually nothing. The cards were free {thanks, friends and family!} and I used up old embroidery floss and some silver cord from a previous Christmas project.

Time: less than the time it takes to watch Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. :}

BEFORE

AFTER

...New Year's Eve.

Both sisters tried out a low-key version of New Year's Eve...and together!

Mary Martha

For this New Year's Eve, after a day of prepping and planning for next semester, I did my nails all pretty, went to a new thai place for dinner {spent 2 hours waiting for table and food -- it was packed!}, then joined Little Annie and her hubby for some long-distance Mario Kart!

HAPPY 2012!

Little Annie

After five days of holiday festivities in the Southwest with Mary Martha, the hubs and I decided that we'd reached our celebration quota for 2011.  I spent most of the day with our friends' newborn baby boy then came home to figure out how to improve my Mario Kart skills {I'm the video game dunce of the group}.  After making what I considered serious progress, hubby and I invited Mary Martha and her man to ring in the new year with us via some on-line Mario Kart.  Despite my hours of practice, I started the new year by having my arse handed to me by my fellow celebrants time and time again.  Couldn't have planned a better NYE.  :}

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

...Holiday {Winter} S'mores

Inspired by a warm-weather Christmas and a new fire pit at Mary Martha's house, Little Annie concocted an idea: holiday s'mores. Similar to regular campfire s'mores, holiday s'mores have marshmallow, graham crackers, and the smokey flavor of fire. However, what sets these apart from our summertime favorites is the substitution of peppermint bark for the milk chocolate. Hold onto your hats, folks, this is gonna get crazy.

Mary Martha's version: homemade peppermint bark

After Little Annie's suggestion to make holiday s'mores over the new fire pit, Mary Martha stumbled across a BHG recipe for peppermint bark on Pinterest. Success! Holiday s'mores would become a reality!

Ingredients needed: milk chocolate {candy bar or chips work fine}, chocolate candy coating {Wilton's from either a craft store or at the grocery store seasonally}, white candy coating, and white chocolate baking squares {or chips}, and candy canes.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Melt the milk chocolate with the chocolate candy coating {chop coarsely with a serrated knife first}. Pour into the foil lined pan, smoothing out with a spatula {shake pan if necessary to create an even layer}.

Sorry about the green lighting. We had the festive under-cabinet lights illuminating our handiwork.

Next melt the white chocolate with the white candy coating.

{Note: recipe suggests using a new pan. We did not. This would have ensured the white chocolate stayed white. Ours instead came out a little gray/tan. Taste was not affected.}

Pour the melted white chocolate over the chocolate in the pan. Use a small spatula to swirl them together.

Crush two or three candy canes into smaller pieces {your choice whether you want a fine dusting or some larger chunks}. Warning: do not attempt to smash whole candy canes in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Result below:

Instead, please use this tip from Mary Martha's genius hubby: break candy candes into smaller pieces with hands first, then wrap in a towel or other cloth item {we used a cloth napkin} and smash with a ladle or other utensil.

Result:

Finally, sprinkle candy cane pieces over chocolate.

Chill final product for at least 30 minutes before cutting and enjoying.

...blogging.

Introducing Mary Martha and Little Annie, two sisters divided across the US, united by DNA and a love of doggies, Montana and all things {un}complicated. Mary Martha is a high school teacher in the Southwest, veteran blogger, a woman of limited time yet of crafting spirit (Martha isn't her real name...Stewart anyone?). Little Annie is no orphan, but she is an attorney in the Mid-Atlantic. She is new to blogging, a corporate stooge who likes the doings of Martha, but has not the time nor the patience.

Through this blog we will present at least two different perspectives on a shared topic, including food, practical home solutions and anything that may strike our fancies. We hope to inspire the professional modern woman who endeavors to strike the balance between Hillary Clinton {Little Annie} and June Cleaver {Mary Martha}, while maintaining a sane grasp on her professional and personal realities.

P.S. For anyone who is suspicious of any political slant, we are both registered independents.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!