Herb Cheese Waffles

So, I have been wanting to make savory waffles for a long time.  There is a great restaurant on Capitol Hill that makes these amazing Belgian waffles.  Ones with goat cheese and roasted tomatoes or caramelized apples and cinnamon.  They are delicious and were my inspiration for making these.  They serve theirs with a light herb salad; I ate mine with a veggie black bean burger for a light lunch.  The waffles are light and fluffy.  The herbs are not over powering and the cheese adds a nice flavor that goes well with the chopped onion.  You really could use these as substitute for bread on a sandwich or serve them along side tomato soup this fall.  Either way give them a try, substitute the cheese, switch things up, add something new, just have fun with them.

There is something about waffles that always make me think of being a kid.  Waking up on Saturday mornings as a really little girl and having Belgian waffles with strawberries and cool whip.  Do you ever wish you could go back to being a kid sometimes?  When your biggest problems were really the smallest things, like whether or not you had newest coolest shoes.  (Don't forget about jellies, especially the bright pink sparkly ones.)  Life as an adult is so much more complicated and I'm really only half way to being a real adult.  Your friendships are more complex because everyone lives all over the place.  We are all busy with work; in relationships or on our way to being married; or even trying to have kids.  (I am not there trust me, there are days I barely feel like I can take care of myself.)  And sometimes the screw ups are bigger as an adult.  You try for something you wanted, you really think it through and you take that gamble.  However, it doesn't always turn out the way you wanted; its not all rainbows and kittens and butterflies.  Instead people get hurt and the reasons for the hurt no longer matter.  They are gone and it all turns into a mistake. 

Sometimes though a few cookies and maybe some delicious waffles can help you forget.  Or maybe a long walk or a ride on a carousel to help bring you back to being a child, when things were simpler.  (Trust, carousels are still as much fun as an adult, especially on the perfect sunny day.)  These waffles also help, they make you feel like an adult because you just turned something ordinary in to something all together different.  These waffles are the grown up version of the Belgian waffles we all love to cover in maple syrup.  These waffles prove that sometimes a little change is good and that food can still be fun as an adult.  Try them, let me know what you think.  Don't get me wrong, I will still make my plain childhood Belgian waffles(or even   pumpkin ones this fall covered in cinnamon apples).  I will cover them in strawberries and cool whip and feel like a kid again cause sometimes we all need to remember the simple times; to take a break, relax and just enjoy the every day.

Waffle batter all set and ready to go. 

I didn't fill the whole waffle iron on purpose. I didn't want entire waffles; I wanted partial waffles.

Herb Cheese Waffles:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 3/4 cup skim milk

1/2 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican cheese blend)

1.  Heat the waffle iron.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and Italian seasoning.

3.  Add the eggs, milk and canola oil to dry ingredients.  Whisk until just combined.

4.  Whisk in cheese.

5.  Using a ladle, ladle batter on to heated waffle iron.  Prepare according to manufactures instructions.  Enjoy!