People Who Get It, and the Second Beginning of Resolutions

In my annual Christmas Gift Recap, I errantly omitted the gift that was most appropriate for this blog: Wafflers, meet Belgian Waffles Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath by the ever-wonderful Philosophy. It smells like a Belgeezian waffle, and has a recipe on the front. We will try the recipe, although I am skeptical that anyone other than Papa Peter from Bruges makes a better waffle than we do. Just sayin'.

Anyway, that gift was given to me by Waffle Guy's eldest daughter, and it's pretty darn good proof that she Gets It.

There are others who Get It, too. The 318 Cafe's Matty O'Reilly brilliantly added waffles to the breakfast menu a couple of months back, hereby making him one of my personal heroes. Granted, they're a variation of the Brussels waffle, which is a different beast than the Liege waffle of my longing, but they're delicious nonetheless.

My friends Chris and Jackie decided to broaden my waffle horizons last fall, and gave me a waffle cone maker for my birthday. That was in October, and I've yet to use it, which makes me both an ingrate and a procrastinator.

Nevertheless, they Get It, and I will honor their gift in the new year by obtaining a worthy ice cream maker so that my homemade waffle cones can contain homemade ice cream. It's only right.

Which leads me to Resolution Number 3: Buy an ice cream maker. Use it often. This is highly important stuff. I've tentatively picked out this one from Williams-Sonoma, which I think is a practical and reasonable first ice cream maker. The Guy and I are neither practical nor reasonable when it comes to kitchen gadgets, however, and so we'll see what we end up getting.

While we're on the topic of resolutions, I read a fascinating story in the New York Times today. Apparently, social scientists have begun an exploration into the human tendency to procrastinate when it comes to pleasure. For example, you get a gift certificate to your favorite restaurant as a holiday gift. Why is it that you're so likely to lose the certificate or let it expire?

Reporter John Tierney notes that "Once you start procrastinating pleasure, it can become a self-perpetuating process if you fixate on some imagined nirvana. The longer you wait to open that prize bottle of wine, the more special the occasion has to be."

This made me feel even guiltier for slacking on the cone-making, but it drove home the point. I don't want to deprive myself of joy because I don't make it a priority. I want to taste the waffly goodness right now, today, because my waffle cone maker could be smashed by a meteor tomorrow, and then I'd regret never making the most of what I have. Cliched, but true...

Long story short, buying an ice cream maker and using it often is an important resolution, because it means so much more than just buying an ice cream maker. It means equipping myself to use what I have. It means a commitment to the Waffle Experience, a willingness to explore life's sweetest, richest treasures.

And I think that's a worthy resolution.

Christmas 2009: The Recap

I've always been fascinated by the difference between self-perception and the perceptions held by others about one's self. It's interesting to me that most of my friends will describe me as gregarious and outgoing, when I consider myself a bit timid and kind of an introvert. I've often been complimented in the past for being socially gracious, but most days I feel incredibly awkward.

If I had to guess, I'd say that it's probably a little universal to struggle with one's self-image. I know beautiful women who believe themselves plain. I have friends who fail to recognize their tremendous talents. And I know plenty of people who are blind to their weaknesses, too. This interests me terribly: Which person am I? Am I the person I believe myself to be? Or am I the woman that other people see?

That's why I'm always delighted when life offers me a glimpse into myself through the eyes of those around me, and there's no better opportunity to explore the perceptions of one's friends and family then by taking a look at the gifts they give you. And so, a few years ago, I began a tradition of writing down a list of my Christmas gifts. Here are the highlights:

1. Primula Glass Teapot Gift Set. A funky little glass teapot and four cups. The teapot is made for flowering teas, which are loose teas that are artfully tied to open in the shapes of flowers.
2. Garnishing Book and Kit. Comes with a book on how to make beautiful garnishes, plus a butter curler, a double-headed melon baller, a peeler, and a lemon zester.
3. Funny little coin pouch made from post-consumer recycled materials. It has a picture of a mama bunny driving a station wagon, and shows a couple of dozen baby bunnies in the back seats. At the top, it reads, "Don't MAKE me stop this car." Sales from the pouch benefit the Nature Conservancy.
4. Gift card to Macy's.
5. Funky little goldish-toned pearl necklace.
6. Pashmina shawl. Reversable, in berry and teal tones. Very feminine.
7. The Dog Tricks and Training Workbook. Comes with 30 "Trick Cards" for tracking progress, and a DVD with live demonstrations for teaching. (Waffle Dog has mastered "Paws Up", "Spin", and "Bow" since Christmas, by the way. She's brilliant.)
8. Unbelievable beautiful cowhide bag with tribal bracelets for buckles.
9. World's softest, coziest robe from Restoration Hardware, in garnet. I wish that I had fur, and that it was made of this stuff.
10. Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook Kit, complete with cookie cutters in the shapes of bones, fire hydrants, and squirrels.
11. Assortment of cute clothes from Gap, all soft and cozy.
12. Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe.
13. A Waffle Maker, with different features than our previous waffle maker. Of course.
14. A donation to Heifer International.

It's kind of fun, to try to figure out what it is about any given present that made someone think "Kate needs that." When you think about the motivation behind the gifts you receive, it really does make the thought count most. This year, for example, I feel like my loved ones think I'm a socially aware, highly fashionable, literate domestic goddess with a penchant for snuggly things and a passion for her dog. Or maybe they think that I REALLY need help in the kitchen. Either way, some of those descriptors perfectly jive with my self-image, and others are laughable. But it's fun to look at the themes.

I'm wondering about you. What were your favorite gifts? And what do they say about you?

I See Waffles Everywhere (A Waffly Sort of Resolution)

It's been months since I've written here, which is a little bit shameful. Please forgive my neglect.

Truth be told, I'm not sure it was actually neglect as much as self-doubt that led me to stop blogging. It's not like we gave up on our project. On the contrary, we've settled into a lovely little Sunday routine. We've very nearly perfected our recipe, and we believe Papa Peter, maker of The Waffle That Started It All, would be proud. We've served waffles at Christmas parties, and sent them home with kids. We are Waffle Scientists, and we are proud of that.

The problem is that somewhere along the line, I started to wonder whether anyone would ever read any of this, as if that was my reason for writing in the first place. And then, on the off chance that someone would read it, I found myself laden with anxiety about whether simply recounting recipe after recipe would be enough to keep a reader engaged. The point is, I was missing the point.

I started this blog as a place to write creatively, and waffles were the impetus in part because they represented a delicious and exciting moment in my life. They were a tangible representation of the love I felt at a particular moment in time. And I wanted to explore that love, to understand how it worked and what made it so magical. Metaphorically speaking, waffles are everywhere: They are those moments in life when you stop to notice what's going on. They are rich and dense and sensuous and sweet, and they make you crave more.

And so, I'm expanding the content of The Waffle Quest to include all sorts of Waffle Moments. While I'll still subject anyone silly enough to read this to the occasional recap of Waffle Sunday, I hereby pledge that at least once per week, I will update this blog with the heavy dough-y goodness of life. And then maybe I won't worry so much about my content being too narrow in its focus.

That's resolution Number 2 for 2010. More to follow.