Presidents Day and All-American Waffles

Today we celebrate Presidents Day. It’s a combination of George Washington’s Birthday and that of Abraham Lincoln. Why combine the birthdays? Both were born in February, and combining their birthdays makes life simpler.

Once upon a time, the two were independent. Then in 1968; the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed. This moved things around, creating more 3-day weekends for folks. And what do Americans do with a long weekend? Well if you believe all the ads on radio, TV and print, we shop. We buy new cars and bedroom sets. Or at the very least, a new mattress. I’ve got to confess, I’ve never gone shopping for anything on Presidents Day Weekend.

These days, it’s another work day for Hubby and Kiddo. There was a time when Hubby didn’t have to work on Presidents Day, and Kiddo was in school, so he had the day off. When I look back on Presidents Day Weekend, two memories stand out from all the others.

The first was about a hundred years ago, when our children were just teenagers. We drove up to Lake Tahoe for the weekend. Hubby went down to the office to get a few things done, leaving the kids and I in charge of packing things up for our get away. When he came home, he laughed at me. I not only had our bags packed, but had made sandwiches and hot drinks for the drive. On an average day, it would have been a 3-hour drive from our home to the cabin. But it was raining in the valley, which meant snow in the mountains. I wanted to be prepared. Twelve hours later, we arrived at the lake. And Hubby never made fun of my “preparedness” again.

The second strong memory also involves snow. Hubby, Kiddo and I drove up to the mountains to play in the snow. Hubby decided to have me sit on a disk with Kiddo in my lap and he pushed us down a slope. I said it was a bad idea, you could see a giant tree at the bottom of the run and I was convinced we’d hit it. Hubby assured me that I was being paranoid, so off we went. He stood at the top of the hill, watching in horror as I tried frantically to veer away from the tree. When it was obvious that we were going to hit, I wrapped Kiddo (who was about 3 at the time) with my body and took the blunt of the impact with my back. To this day, when he suggest I do anything in the snow, I remind him that I will crash.

If you are lucky enough to have a three-day weekend, take advantage of the time. Gather the family around and share a delicious All-American Breakfast. Then go off and enjoy the day.

All-American Waffle Breakfast
2 Eggs, separated
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1-3/4 cups Flour
1-3/4 cups Milk
2 tablespoons Sugar
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Vanilla

Separate eggs, place yolks in a small mixing bow, whites in a medium bowl. Set whites aside. Beat yolks, whisk in the oil, set aside.

Using the spoon-level method, measure flour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add milk, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until just blended.

Add yolk mixture, beat n medium speed to blend, then increase to high speed for about a minute. Remove bowl from stand, set aside.

With a hand-held electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff. Gently fold whites into the batter in two additions.

Heat waffle maker. Fill wells with batter, cook according to manufacture’s instructions. Serve with butter and syrup as desired.

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Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.