It is said that odors or particular smells evoke memories: the same can be said for some recipes.
My mom, being the hospitable person that she was and the wife of a head football coach, invited all the coaches and their families to our house for waffles after every home football game. She claimed that this act was really a selfish one. Wanting her husband to come home, yet knowing that coaches want to talk about the game afterward and knowing she did NOT want to talk about it, she devised a plan. Just invite the other men that wanted to talk football (and their families) over. In that way, she (and the other wives) could have the best of both worlds.
During this time, mom did have a lady come clean the house every Thursday. (Her name was Eliza.) Mom's Thursday evenings were consumed not with house cleaning, but with making waffle batter and homemade syrup. She used the recipe above for her syrup (right off of the maple flavoring package) and used the waffle recipe that came with her SunBeam waffle iron she received as a wedding gift back in 1949. (recipe to follow)
On Friday nights after the game, the wives would come and bring their children. We played while the ladies fried bacon and made waffles and visited. The men ate, talked, and drew football plays on paper napkins. Lots of good memories...and is the smell of bacon making you hungry?
Buttermilk Waffles
1/2 c melted butter 2 T sugar
2 1/2 c flour 1 t salt
2 1/2 t soda 4 eggs
2 1/2 t baking powder 2 c buttermilk
1 1/2 t vanilla
Melt and cool butter. Sift together dry ingredients. Beat eggs at high speed until fluffy. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Beat to blend. Pour over dry ingredients. Beat until smooth. Blend in melted butter.
I knew about the Waffle NIghts...but I did NOT know that he made the syrup, too. What I remember about that syrup is that it would always make crystals in the bottom of the bottle, and we would take it for science show-and-tell. :) And thanks for the reminder - I was telling the boys about that awhile back, we were going to make some, and I forgot. Maybe I'll remember now!
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