Waffle Shortage Sways Folks Not to "Leggo Their Eggo!"



Many of you may remember the huge Kellogg's Eggo Waffle recall from a few months ago.  Just when the breakfast giant would make a comeback, mother nature decided to interevene.  The state of Georgia experienced heavy rain and flooding in October 2009, where one of Eggo's main plants is located.  Their Atlanta bakery experienced the floods first hand, resulting in a mulitude of damaged manufacturing equipment.

Before you blame the cloudy skies for causing such upheaval to a legendary company, there is another straw to blame for breaking it's back.  The other main plant in Tennessee is in trouble as well.  Their facility in Rossville has equipment that is in dire need of repair, and cannot produce the big numbers that the sister plant in Atlanta can, or used to, do.

Kellogg has been diligent in informing their customers about the situation, including a notice on their website as well as notices posted on store shelves.  I personally observed the notice just a couple of weeks ago at my local grocery store, so be on the lookout at your local market.

In the meatime, the food they can produce will be rationed among all locations that the company supplies.  During this rationing period, Kellogg will be working hard to get their Eggo plants back to full operation status.  According to Kellogg's spokespersons, this process may last as long as mid-2010.

Don't let this shortage get you down.  In fact, I see this as an opportunity for any foodie to think outside of the freezer, and take some initiative.  Make your own waffles!  you can even freeze your own homemade waffles and put them in the toaster or toaster-oven for later.  Waffle recipes can be as simple as following the instructions on your pancake mix, or you can go all out and make them from scratch!  Here's a handy waffle recipe from scratch (you can thank the amazing Alton Brown for this one) :

- 2 cups all-purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 tablespoons Sugar
- 3 Eggs, beaten
- 1 stick of Butter
- 2 cups Buttermilk

Preheat waffle iron according to product's directions.  In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In another bowl beat together eggs and melted butter, and then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Ladle the recommended amount of waffle batter onto the iron according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Close iron top and cook until the waffle is golden on both sides and is easily removed from iron. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

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