Father's Day Treat

I can hear you now - "Well, duh!" you'll say, or "You didn't know that?" with a voice of incredulity. And you'll shake your head over the fact that a woman can live as long as I have without ever trying raspberry waffles.

Father's Day was a good excuse for a knockout breakfast. We had a family emergency going on - a very, very sick infant grandson - so My Beloved's daughter Katie red-eyed to Boston to help her sister Sarah cope with the anxiety and with our four year old granddaughter. She called My Beloved on the eve of her departure to apologize for missing Father's Day this year and to set a date for a future father-daughter celebration when she returns.

When Father's Day dawned, he had no daughters in town, so I decided to try to fill the gap. I found the perfect Father's Day present - Duck Tape printed with hot rod flames - and made him waffles for breakfast. We had some raspberries in the fridge so I asked if he might like that idea. Got a big thumbs-up, so I dropped a few berries onto the waffle iron before pouring the batter and the scent of hot raspberries that wafted immediately up was a revelation in itself.

We have decided that there is nothing in this world so tasty as waffles with pockets of instant jam made by sizzling raspberries for a few steamy minutes in waffle batter. We slathered on the butter and ladled over the pure maple syrup - we are maximalists - and enjoyed every over-the-top bite.

I know, I know, it's so simple and I'm sure you have tried it eons ago while I was still thinking that the height of waffle pleasure was sour cream in the batter. But maybe you forgot how good it was and this can serve as your reminder. Father's Day may be over for another year but you can still have a treat.

And the good news is that our grandson, we call him the O-man, is doing much, much better. Fingers crossed that he goes home from the hospital this week.