Daybreak reveals a heavy grey blanket of sky, coming to rest just above slate mountains’ rise into icy peaks. It looks like November. Filtered light makes its way through, silhouetting skeletal trees, whispering across brittle, tawny grasses breaking through the snow’s thin crust.
We’re easing into winter this year. Cold, snowy days followed by mild, almost springlike weather; this past weekend saw nearly 50 degrees, and I took the opportunity to harvest the remaining 7 lbs of carrots from the garden and to get a head start on next year’s bounty–planting somewhere between 30 and 40 garlic bulbs, mulching them, and anchoring a floating row cover over it all to keep the straw from blowing away during a winter windstorm.
Things slow down in November. Even time itself seems to take pause, allowing moments to suspend, free from summer’s frenetic, manic pace. The dark comes early and stays late, giving us permission to stop doing-going-doing and start being. To curl up cozy by the fire with a good book or guitar; to linger over brunch or a second cup of tea; to slowly stir a pot of soup or roast a winter squash; to watch the snowflakes swirl softly down as they come to greet us here on Earth.
To marvel in the beauty of a breathtaking sunset.
Cinnamon Teff Waffles
1 1/4 C whole milk juice of 1/2 lemon 1 C teff flour 1 t cinnamon 1 t baking soda 1 1/4 t baking powder 1/4 t salt 2 eggs 1/4 C melted coconut oil, plus more for waffle iron 1 T real maple syrup
Add the lemon juice to the whole milk in glass measuring cup or jar. Stir, and let sit 10 minutes to curdle. (This is my go-to buttermilk hack, since I never am able to go through an entire quart of buttermilk before it goes bad! But if you have buttermilk on hand, please feel free to use that instead.)
Meanwhile, stir the teff flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder & salt into a large mixing bowl.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut oil & maple syrup.
Pour the egg mixture and the “buttermilk” into the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Set aside for 15 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquid.
Preheat waffle iron.
Before cooking each waffle, brush the grates with melted coconut oil.
Pour batter onto waffle iron, close, and cook until crispy.
Adorn with your favorite toppings–fruit, nut butter, yogurt, whipped cream–and of course more maple syrup (this bourbon-barrel matured variety is a new favorite). Enjoy!
