Buttermilk Waffles

Nothing like an amazing breakfast to start off a long weekend!

What is your favourite breakfast? For me, it is usually something savory with eggs, bacon, sausages and good bread; however, I have taken a liking lately to pancakes and waffles, which my husband adores. Especially waffles, now that we have our own waffle iron. 

I got a waffle iron for my husband for Christmas. Unlike many households, who have an electric countertop waffle iron, I did not want yet another single use appliance sitting on our counter top. So I found a stove top waffle iron which is fantastic. Use it on the stove like a pan, then put it away. It takes very little space and it works great! No need to search for an electrical outlet or clear the counter to make space for it!

Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

Yes, the gardens are still spilling over with squash!! And trust me, I am not complaining! Squash is one of the most versatile veggies. You can stuff them, saute them, fry them, grate them, add them to soups and stews... the possibilities really are endless!

In this case, I decided to turn them into one of my favorites-- Zucchini Muffins (or Bread). Great for eating now or freezing and eating later.  Also, the use of whole wheat flour in addition to the squash makes them a healthier muffin alternative. What a great way to get some veggies into your loved ones!

Stuffed Summer Squash (Ground Beef, Lentil & Brown Rice Stuffing)

One of the greatest things about summer are the farmer's markets. Today I walked down to one and as always, found an amazing selection of seasonal and local summer fruits and vegetables. blueberries, raspberries, cherries, beets, potatoes... but what really caught my eye were the beautiful round summer squash.

I have lots of squash bursting out of my garden these days, but none that are this shape. So of course, I had to get some!! 

Blueberry Maple Muffins

There is definitely an abundance of blueberries in my fridge. Not that I am complaining. Nothing makes me happier that seeing lots and lots of blueberries.

They are one of my favorite fruits and in the peak of the season, I could eat them all day! On yogurt or ice cream, with cereal, and even in salads. And let's not forget the bowls and bowls of fresh blueberries that I eat by the handful when I need a sweet snack or a nibble which doing other things.  Nothing is better than fresh blueberries!

Today, however, I decided that I had so many blueberries, that I could spare some in a batch of muffins as a quick grab and go breakfast. They were so good, I am thinking of making a double batch and freezing some to have available to just warm in the oven later too!

Summer Risotto with Peas, Mint, Lemon and Parmesan

Gotta love the summer! Especially as the hard work of the spring pays off in the garden. I am a little late posting this... probably because I was too busy gardening, picking and eating my early spring veg, but this recipe is good all year round, garden or no garden!  It is however made just that much better with some amazing summer fresh peas and garden fresh mint!

This is actually my first year having a full blown garden. Previous to this, I lived in places with balconies, so my gardening was restricted to containers. You can do a lot in containers, but you have to make serious choices because space is prime.

This year we are in our new house with a yard, and in the spring, we built 5 beautiful raised cedar beds. Perfect for experimenting with the veg I love the most! So, I went crazy and planted everything I every wanted in my garden... potatoes, tomatoes, peas, beans, herbs, beets, carrots, squash, garlic, radishes... the list goes on and on. Perhaps it's actually too long of a list as some of my beds have become a tad overcrowded as the seeds have sprouted and the plans have grown! I suppose I wasn't sure of my success rates with seeds so I went a little nuts. But now I know for next year what works and what doesn't, and how many seeds I actually need to plant!