Friday: Waffles, Leftovers & A Cozy Chili Night
This morning we decided to make Friday a little more fun.
I made a fresh batch of bacon, and instead of our usual breakfast, the kids wanted waffles. We had been talking about making them for a while, so we pushed school back about an hour and just enjoyed the morning together.
I only own three small waffle irons—not one of those giant family-sized ones—but honestly, the kids love making them. They each have different shapes, everyone gets involved, and nobody is in a hurry.
We used our favorite eggless waffle recipe, which has become a staple at our house:
- 2 cups flour
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 4 Tbsp melted butter
- 2 tsp vanilla
Whisk everything together, let the batter rest for 10 minutes, then cook until golden. We topped ours with homemade whipped cream, and it made for a really fun start to the day.
After breakfast I cleaned up the kitchen while everyone got started with their schoolwork.
Lunch
Lunch was all about cleaning out leftovers.
I reheated:
- The leftover bratwurst
- The roasted smashed potatoes
The kids were thrilled because they really love that combination.
For myself, I warmed up some of the grilled chicken with a little barbecue sauce and made what I’ve been calling a non-salad salad—basically all the vegetables without the lettuce.
Today’s version was:
- Peppers
- Onions
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
Then I topped it with my favorite dressing:
- Avocado salsa
- Fresh salsa
- Rice wine vinegar
- Garlic salt
- Honey
- Salt & pepper
The bratwurst is now gone, the potatoes are gone, and we made a nice dent in the leftovers. The kids also had some leftover pizza (from my mom’s house) and fruit alongside everything.
Staying Inside
The air quality here in Ohio has been awful, and one of my kiddos has pretty significant asthma, so today was an indoor day.
By afternoon it started storming anyway, so it ended up being the perfect excuse to stay home.
We popped popcorn, worked around the house, and I baked a batch of my Monster Cookie Bars.
One tip if you’re making them as bars instead of cookies:
Instead of dumping one giant mound of dough into the pan, scoop little portions all over the parchment-lined pan first. Then gently press them together with your hands (dip your hands in water too!). It’s so much easier than trying to spread one giant sticky blob across the pan.
Here is my gluten and dairy free monster cookie recipe. Today I used raisins, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, shaved chocolate bar, and pecans for the mix-ins. I also baked this as a bar instead of individual cookies…so same oven temp, 1/2 sheet pan, I started watching after 15 minutes, threw a piece of foil on top because it was getting too brown, then baked it another 10 minutes.
Monster Cookie Bars (GF, DF, EF)
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ⅔ cup natural peanut butter
- ⅔ cup applesauce (about 2 applesauce pouches)
- 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups gluten-free oats
- 2 cups almond flour
- 3–4 cups mix-ins (I usually use a combination of dairy-free chocolate chips, M&Ms, peanuts, or whatever we have on hand.)
Directions
- Mix together the coconut oil, peanut butter, applesauce, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
- Stir in the salt, vanilla, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Fold in the oats and almond flour, then gently stir in your mix-ins.
- Scoop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (or scatter small scoops into a 9×13 pan for bars and press together). The dough is much easier to spread this way than starting with one big mound.
- Flatten slightly—they don’t spread much while baking.
- Bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, until just set. If making bars, you can gently tap the pan on the counter after baking for a more even top.
Dinner
I started chili earlier in the afternoon so it could simmer for a while.
Like most things I cook, I don’t really make it exactly the same every time, but somehow it always tastes familiar.
Today’s version included:
Vegetables
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 zucchini
I sautéed those first, then added:
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Pepper
After those cooked down, I stirred in:
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- About 1½ pounds cooked ground beef (from my freezer)
- About ½ pound cooked pork sausage
- 1 drained can kidney beans
Then I let everything simmer.
At the end, I always taste and adjust. Sometimes it needs another sprinkle of chili powder, and every once in a while I’ll add just a little honey if I think the tomatoes need a touch of sweetness.
For toppings we had:
- Avocado
- Shredded cheese
- Trader Joe’s corn chip dippers (their version of Fritos)
Since I have a couple of kiddos who aren’t chili fans, I also baked some chicken nuggets so everyone had something they were excited to eat.
It ended up being one of those cozy dinners that was perfect for a rainy evening at home.