Okay, so you get the vehicle registration renewal in the mail. They send those things way early, so you have plenty of notice to get it updated before your tags expire.
Each time I get one, my intentions are good - telling myself yes, this time I will take care of this right away.
My tags expired in January. Yep, six whole months ago.
I am not making excuses, but my mind was definitely elsewhere the first several months of 2012. It wasn't until I was packing my desk for the move that I found the paperwork.
That was late April. Oops.
I was shocked I had not been pulled over already - I was driving all over the place those first few months - to Dad's house each day, to his doctors appointments and hospitals all over town, and just my normal every day driving.
I finally found the time to take Tillie through DEQ. She failed. Continued to drive her expired tags, all last month back and forth to class, two road trips to wine country, normal every day driving.
Last Monday morning before leaving the house, I called my childhood friend who owns an auto shop and made an appointment for (last) Friday. Guess what happens next? Kris leaves the house, Kris gets pulled over.
Friday my car gets fixed - a sensor that eventually needs replacing even if you take great care of your car - and on the way out I tell Scotty I'm leaving there and heading right up to DEQ. He tells me the sensors sometimes take a while to reset, and I should wait a couple days.
Instead of going to DEQ I came home, made tomato orange soup and tomato stuffed waffles and hoped I wouldn't get pulled over on the weekend. On our trip back to wine country.
cheesy tomato stuffed waffles
adapted from Abbey Ale Belgian Waffles
dairy, egg, soy and gluten free, vegan
makes 4-6 (Belgian style) stuffed waffles
2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
pinch sea salt
¾ cup club soda
⅓ cup coconut milk (carton)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 roma tomatoes, sliced thin
4-6 slices cheese (my favorite cheddar)
Sift together flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt. Add soda, milk, and oil, stirring until just combined. Pour a small amount (¼ to ⅓ cup, depending on size of iron) into prepared waffle iron, top with tomato and cheese slices, cover with another ¼ cup batter. Close and cook per machine instructions. I cooked mine about 3-4 minutes on one side, flipping and cooking another minute (using a waffle iron that flips).
As you read this, I am most likely at the DEQ. Wish me luck.
Katia says
Wow, now I don't feel so bad. I did the same thing for a couple years (although not as many months went by) so this year I promised myself I'd renew on time. I mailed it in, got the tags mid-May, told myself the old ones were good until the end of the month, now I still can't find them. Good luck at the DEQ!
spabettie says
see!!? best intentions, right? then you do it TOO early and you're in the same situation. hope you find them before expiration.
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
savory waffles - love it! And I love tomatoes in my grilled cheese sandwiches, so this is right up my alley.
spabettie says
I've always loved tomatoes on my grilled cheese too... Mmm.
Heather @ Better With Veggies says
Wow - you continue to amaze me - what a fantastic idea!!!
spabettie says
thanks, friend! 🙂
Caralyn @ glutenfreehappytummy says
good luck!! oh my gosh, what a combination! how delicious!
Allie says
Oh. My. Goodness. I mean, everything you make looks delicious. But tomato and cheese waffles?? And of course I always read your posts when it's still an hour until lunchtime 😀 Now I can hungrily dream of the day I invest in a waffle maker...
spabettie says
thanks Allie - I've been stuffing waffles with many things lately... so more waffle maker justification will be shared soon 😉
Aimee says
Oh shoot! Sorry you got pulled over! My car failed for the first time in it's life this year, and my parents car always fails now because they don't drive it fast enough and certain sensors don't get recharged (so I have to take it out on the freeway for them for about an hour with no a/c or radio on). Crazy, right?
Those waffles? Look amazing! Never would have put that combo together, but it sounds like it would be tasty.
spabettie says
aw, that's nice of you to do that for them! 😉 I was upset it didn't pass, I take very good care of my car, but it was something that happens regardless, so no biggie. well, no biggie in a normal situation 😉
Ashley F. says
Good luck!
I've never been a big waffle fan, but then again I've never had STUFFED waffles - now I think I have to make a trip to Kohl's to pick up a waffle iron 🙂
spabettie says
Ashley I was just telling Allie that I have been making lots of stuffed waffles recently, so the waffle maker justification will continue... 😉
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
UGH, good luck indeed! I have done something similar to that before too and only found out after I got pulled over. Oops!
I LOVE savory waffles and these totally are up my alley! YUM!
spabettie says
haa, yeah in my case I knew exactly why he pulled me over. 😉 he was nice enough, though, and even grew up on the street we just moved to! ha! (yeah, which means I haven't updated my address on my drivers license either - oops!)
Liz (Little Bitty Bakes) says
Ha! I can't believe you went that long with your car registration, that is classic. Hopefully it all works out!
The waffles look AMAZING. Why have I never thought of this combo? You're so smart. 🙂
spabettie says
I can't believe it either! actually what I can't believe is that I have not been pulled over before this - I drive A LOT. EVERYWHERE. 😀
we could make bakery sandwiches with these waffles... 😉
Heather (Where's the Beach) says
Good luck at the DEQ!! I'm a tag nazi LOL - It's this crazy game I play spotting expired tags. I've reminded my mom and sister 😉 And those waffles look flipping amazing!
spabettie says
so could have used your expired tag spotting skills, Heather! several months ago! 😉