First, there was granola. In this case, homemade granola. The batch I made last week was so tasty, I was inspired to make more.

Mom and I stopped at Whole Foods yesterday–and, say what you will about their prices, their coffee is actually pretty cheap. $10 for pound and a half of good coffee beans can’t be beat. So, while there for coffee, I browsed my way down the bulk goods aisle and brought home a bunch of goodies. What you see here is a combination of oats, almonds, soy nuts, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), dried cranberries, coconut, and a sprinking of flax seeds and wheat germ for good measure. Mixed together with 1/4 cup each of honey and vegetable oil and then cooked in the crockpot for about 3 hours.

Love.

What do you like in YOUR granola??

It’s pretty, too–all those golden-y shades of brown with hints of red (cranberries) and green (pepitas).

I’m really enjoying making my own granola, and have cooked some into my morning oatmeal every day for a week. Not to mention just standing there, nibbling on it. About the only fault with this recipe is that, since you need to periodically stir it in the crockpot to keep it from burning, any “clumps” get broken up, so it gets a little messy to eat with your hands. (Luckily, Chappy likes oatmeal and helps keep the kitchen floors clean.) Seriously yummy, though.

I turned the rest of last week’s granola into bread (recipe courtesy of the 5-minute Artisan bread book). I’ve only had one, tiny piece so far, but … yum! And it turns out that, much as I love cherries, I prefer my dried cherries to be baked into something. Just “straight” in a batch of granola isn’t my preference. In this bread, though? Fabulous.

Bread and granola aren’t the only things I baked this weekend, though. I put together a cake, too. I was really in the mood for carrot cake, but we didn’t have everything necessary, so … I kind of made up a recipe with pureed, baby food carrots, apple butter, brown sugar, spices and a dash of lemon juice. I have no idea (yet) how it tastes, but it looks good!

(Although, you can tell in that picture that neat frosting isn’t really one of my priorities when finishing a cake, huh? It’s all about the taste.)

Not only did Mom and I stop at the Whole Foods yesterday (a rare treat, you understand), but look who we saw at the Madison library? Yep, Jessica was giving a spinning demonstration. This was the first time I got to see her since her surgery, and it was nice to chat for a bit and watch the wide-eyed kids come up and try to figure out what on earth she was doing (grin).

Though, the wide-eyed looks she was getting were NOTHING compared to this person. Fun and playful, yes, but kind of intimidatingly weird to the small-fry, huh?

Oh, and for the record, no, I have NOT yet started knitting the Gray Cardigan I swatched for weeks ago for two reasons. One, I needed to get my shawl to certain (undefined) percentage-done before I could mentally add in another project, and Two, I’m still trying to figure out what to do with my gauge. I ordered some KnitPicks wooden needles in size 3 the other day, and will try those when they come. Because, honestly, it doesn’t matter how I hold my yarn, how I tension my fingers, how big or little I make my stitches, I just can’t seem to get my gauge under control–it is just way, way too relaxed. Sigh…

On the plus side, that’s two sunny days in a row. Even if there are still clouds up there, that’s a huge improvement.

The thunderstorm that rolled through last night even missed us, though I’m pretty sure Chappy heard it. He certainly acted like he had! The other night, he started woofing at the thunder, which I told him is NOT acceptible behavior … especially since that would probably escalate into full-blown barking at every storm which would REALLY not be acceptible! But, still … two sunny days in a row!

Hey, can you draw a giraffe?

Now, about that whole spinning thing … my Little Gem DOES seem to be sulking in the corner a bit, even if she IS getting a chance to bask in the sun. But what I really need to do? Get that quilt piled in the corner finished ASAP … while I still have a corner to stash it in!

Recipe for this batch of granola:

In a 4-quart slow-cooker (aka crockpot), mix:
5 cups rolled oats
3/4 cups almonds
1/4 cup soy nuts
1 tablespoon wheat germ
1 tablespoon crushed flax seeds
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Cook on high for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every 20-30 minutes, then turn the heat to low and add:
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Cook on low for another 2-4 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes to prevent sticking. The length of time depends on your cooker, I think. The original recipe I tried said 4 hours, but my granola was looking overdone by 3. I took this batch out at the 2-hour mark and think it’s just right. You want the moisture to be gone and the granola to be golden brown.

Spread on a cookie sheet to cool and then store in an airtight container.

• Tags: Baking, Friends • Permalink:Granola // 4 Comments »