Whole Wheat Chocolate Banana Waffles

I hope all my fellow East Coasters are battening down the hatches: Frankenstorm is on its way. And New Jersey is right smack in its path. Luckily after Irene last year, we know that being this far north does not make us immune to hurricanes, so people are taking the threat seriously. Most of the shore is having voluntary evacuations, and the barrier islands are having mandatory evacuations and will be closed by 4 pm today. If you know anyone in those areas, you should check in with them and make sure they have somewhere to go. This is not a drill, people.

I'm not too worried about me. We live far enough inland that our main concern is the wind and downed trees. It's rare that we lose power (except that one time that lightning hit the transformer down my street-- good times), and we don't really flood. The biggest problem will be getting in and out of town. We are surrounded by rivers, canals, and creeks. After Irene, it was 48 hours before one road was opened out of town.

And the towns around us have barely recovered from Irene. They were literally under water. I saw Main Street turned into a raging river and Millstone turned into a lake.

For some reason, hurricane threats bring out the breakfast foodie in me. Last year I made oatmeal scones before Irene. This year, I made waffles. Whole wheat waffles. Whole wheat chocolate banana waffles. Because with the perfect storm looming on the horizon, you need comfort food.

Now, these waffles aren't hugely chocolatey or banana-y. (Unless you smother them with chocolate syrup and bananas, like I did) They've just got that little hint of sweetness and decadence while still managing to be a wholesome and filling breakfast. I actually really love these with a peanut butter drizzle (melt some peanut butter and honey together in the microwave, then drizzle on top), but that didn't look as pretty. XD

Now, my waffle maker made 7 waffles, but it also doesn't take a whole lot of batter (about 3/4 cup). You might get less depending on the size of yours. The good thing is that I have plenty leftover. I froze them in a zip-top bag, then you can toast them like Eggo waffles. Or, if I lose power, I can toast them on a skillet on my gas stove.

So to all my fellows in Sandy's path, be safe, remember to take appropriate precautions and stock up on water and non-perishables. Make sure you have flashlights and batteries, that phones are fully charged. If you have a smartphone, you can download the Red Cross' hurricane app. Remember what they say: If you plan for it, it won't happen. So let's all make sure to plan for the worst.

And if I make it through without losing power or anything too bad happening, I have something really cute planned for you for Halloween. Stay tuned!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Banana Waffles {Printable Version}
Yield: 6-7 waffles

Ingredients
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 small banana, mashed (heaping 1/3 cup)
¼ cup sugar
2 eggs

Directions
In a large bowl, sift together flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, banana, sugar, and eggs. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a batter forms. Some lumps are fine; be careful not to over mix. Cook in a waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve with butter and syrup, or peanut butter.

Recipe adapted from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook