Today, August 24th, is National Waffle Day!!  At least here in the US, March 25th is National Waffle Day in Sweden.

According to the Smithsonian:

On this day in 1869, Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, N.Y. patented his invention, the stove-top waffle iron. While waffles irons of sorts have existed since the 1300s, Swarthout intended to perfect the design by adding a handle and a clasp that would allow the waffle-maker to flip the iron without danger of slippage or burns. It wasn’t until 1911 that General Electric put out the first electric waffle iron, the prototype for the counter-top versions used in many households today.

Look at that contraption! Not bad for 1869!

And According to Mr. Breakfast, waffles have a rather interesting history:

13th Century A.C. – Ancient Greeks cook flat cakes between two metal plates. These early waffles were called obleios and were primarily savory in nature, prepared with cheeses and herbs.

1620 – The pilgrims bring Dutch “wafles” to America.

1735 – The word “waffle” – with two “f”s – appears in English print for the first time.

Late 1800’s – Thomas Jefferson returns to the U.S. from France with a long handled, patterned waffle iron.

1869 – Cornelius Swarthout patents the first U.S. Waffle Iron.

1953 – Frank Dorsa’s Eggo Frozen Waffles are sold in Supermarkets for the first time.

1964-65 – Brussels restaurateur Maurice Vermersch brings his wife’s Brussels Waffle recipe to the World’s Fair in New York. The fluffy yeast-infused waffle becomes a huge hit and becomes known as the Belgium waffle.

Waffles are even great for more than just breakfast… as evidenced by the popular restaurant here in LA:

MMMM.. Fried Chicken & Waffles!!!

And lastly, our beloved breakfast food was the origin of the blog name.  Because you know…. Pancakes on Wednesday just doesn’t have the same ring, although POW is a great acronym!

Our Favorite Waffles

Without further adieu, here is our favorite waffle recipe, that we will, of course, be enjoying this lovely morning:

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ¹⁄_{2 teaspoon salt}
• ¹⁄_{4 cup sugar}
• 2 eggs
• ¹⁄₂ cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

1. Oil the waffle maker.
2. Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. In separate bowl, separate egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Mix together the egg yolks, milk, oil , and vanilla, stir slightly.
5. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.
6. Fold in egg whites.
7. Cook in waffle iron on medium-high heat for around 5-10 minute, until golden brown.

From: http://www.food.com/recipe/the-best-belgian-waffles-63071

So….

HAPPY WAFFLE DAY!!!!!