Trying Something New

One of my favorite kitchen appliances is a combination sandwich maker and waffle iron that my mom gave me for Christmas more than two decades ago. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to my friend. The interchangeable plates have lost a good deal of their nonstick coating and the springs holding them next to the heating element are rusting. About six months ago I decided it was time to bite the bullet and buy a new gadget. Little did I know then that my trusty sidekick would not be easy to replace. Hunting through store after store, I found numerous "makers" of every shape and size; however, they each made only one thing. It appears that consumers are supposed to purchase one gadget with smooth plates, another with waffle iron plates, and third with grill plates (not to mention all the gizmos that make cake pops, mini donuts, brownies, muffins, etc.) Perhaps many people have room in their kitchen cabinets for all these contraptions, but I am not one of them. Finally, I found a combo maker that suited my needs. Unfortunately, it was a little pricey, so I didn't buy it, either. Imagine, then, my surprise when my mother-in-law showed up yesterday for her birthday dinner with a gift for me. Yup! She found the object of my desire on sale AND she had a coupon!



Given the circumstances, I had to try it out first thing this morning. It worked so well I immediately removed the old gadget from my cabinet to make room for the new one. (Though I have to admit, it was hard to put it in the trash because it wasn't even good enough to give to Goodwill!) While my bacon sizzled away (and stayed flat and lovely), I mixed up some waffle batter using Bob's Low Carb Baking Mix and the pancake recipe on the package. Since the batter seemed ultra thick, I did add extra water, but otherwise followed the directions. These waffles were so good that everyone in the family had seconds! Though when I run out of Bob's Red Mill, I am considering using one of the online recipes for low carb baking mix since the pre-packaged stuff is a little expensive. I haven't made biscuits with it yet, but those are on the agenda soon - especially since the waffles turned out so well.


With breakfast successfully concluded, it was time to think about putting something in the fridge for dinner. Thumbing through my recipes I found another winner from Linda's Low Carb Menus: Chicken Divan http://genaw.com/lowcarb/chicken_divan_revised.html. This yummy casserole made enough to feed the family for a couple of days so I don't have to cook tomorrow, and it tastes wonderfully homemade with a thick sauce and plenty of mushrooms, broccoli, and cheese. (If you haven't been to Linda's site, definitely give it a look. Her notes and descriptions are helpful and easy to follow. http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/ ) One of the reasons I chose this dish is because it employs xanthan gum as a thickening agent, and I wanted to try out my recent acquisition, which worked like a charm. The addition of 1/2 to 1 teaspoon helped thicken the cream sauce quickly and easily. I can't wait to give it a go in gravy. Enjoy!