Waffles, Pot Roast, and Blogging Oh My!

Today was a great day! I got to sleep in, work out, run errands...you know, typical Saturday stuff. A highlight of my day was having my co-workers over for a brunch. We ate great food (homemade whole wheat waffles and buttermilk syrup---recipes included below---my favorite!, blueberry muffins, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit and fruit juice---yum!), relaxed, and spent time with each other, no students included :) It seemed to be a day of cooking as I got to try out a new recipe for dinner rolls from my sis-in-law Marisa for a dinner later with roommates and a former roommate and her husband. It was so nice to catch up and it made me grateful for such blessings in my life as wonderful friends and family who have influenced me so much for the better. The rolls and pot roast were a success as was the smell in the kitchen. :) It reminded me of home when my mom would make roast in the crock pot on Sundays and we'd come home from church to that deliciousness. Mmmm Mmmm good.

I can't believe tomorrow is the 1st of May! I will have lived here for six years, which seems just crazy to me. I never planned on being here for so long, but often the Lord has other plans (which I am discovering more and more each day :) ), for which I am very grateful. The experiences I have had here have helped me grow so much and learn more about myself as a daughter of God. Having a Father in Heaven who knows me so well to refine me as He has is a great blessing. Not that I would relive some of those experiences, but that I am truly grateful for where they have brought me at this point in my life.

I received my study guide, packing list, and other info for the trip to Israel in June and I can't believe it's actually happening! I'm SO excited. Delta re-routed my flight from Cairo to...drum roll please...Paris! I'm VERY tempted to extend it for a few days so I can go visit people from my mission as well as see a bit of Switzerland. We'll see how I can work it out :) :)

Before I forget, here are the recipes for the waffles and buttermilk syrup:

Waffles (from Better Homes and Gardens)

1 ¾ c wheat flour

3 t baking powder

½ t salt

2 egg yolks

1 ¼ c milk (I add 2-2 ½ cups—batter is too thick otherwise)

½ c oil/shortening/butter

2 egg whites

Sift dry ingredients. Combine egg yolks and milk. Pour into dry ingredients and stir. Stir in butter and any other extras (fruit, PB, etc.). Fold in egg whites. Pour batter into waffle-maker.

**I add in chopped apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg and it's yummy!**

Absolute Best Pancake Syrup

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Absolute-Best-Pancake-Syrup/Detail.aspx

**I don't add corn syrup and use honey instead. I also use at most 1/2 of the sugar (brown) and add nutmeg and almond extract. Delicious!**

Here are a couple of videos from Brian Regan, one of my favorite comedians, to finish off this fantastic Saturday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBko_3wT44Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9em-ZCddWk&feature=related