Homemade Granola

I am a granola and yogurt addict. I'll admit it with glee. I love it, all of it. I think that it might just be my favorite thing to eat... with fresh raspberries on top... oh joy... oh rapture... But the only problem about granola and yogurt is that it is super expensive, especially when you are addicted and want to eat it for breakfast EVERY morning. The average box of granola at the store costs about $5 and the amount inside is only enough to last a good granola addict like myself about two days... at the max. Yogurt isn't much cheaper, costing about $3 for a 32 oz size (which in our house literally only lasts a day).

So, it wasn't long after Jon and I were married we realized that in order to afford my granola and yogurt addiction on a poor student's budget we would have to learn how to make it ourselves... and we have. We've never really used a recipe, we've just experimented. Over the years some of the experiments turned out fantastic while others went straight into the garbage can (well, in reality it never actually made it to the garbage because Jon will eat ANYTHING, literally... even totally burnt granola). Some of my favorite memories of our early marriage are of Jon and I making granola together in our teeny tiny yellow kitchen and arguing over who was really to blame for letting it burn. For the first year of our marriage I think we ate some form of granola and yogurt EVERY morning. Granola making is still something we LOVE to do together and I am happy to report that now we hardly ever argue over who burns it.

I thought I'd share my favorite recipe for granola. I have to admit that I never really measure anything I just put in what looks good and the batches turn out different every time. I've tried to make a guess at what I think I usually put in, but feel free to experiment... that is half the fun.

Heathon's Homemade Granola

In a BIG bowl or pot mix these dry ingredients together:

10 cups oats ( I like rolled oats better than quick oats-- they taste MUCH better and are healthier for you)

1 cup wheat germ ( you can also used oat germ or ground flax seed or anything else healthy and powdery)

1 cup whole wheat flour (you could really use any type of flour... you just need something powdery to help hold the granola together)

2 bags of coconut (one would probably be fine, I just really like coconut)

You can add anything else you like... corn flakes, rice crispies (sometimes I buy the little bags of rice puffs... Jon calls them "maggots"... and put those in), sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, cinnamon, almonds, peanuts, any other type of nut. One of Jon's and my favorites is apricot seeds (the seed inside the pit of an apricot) they taste like almonds but are fruity. They are REALLY good in granola, but we only get them a few times a year.

You can also add things like raisins and dried fruit but I like to wait till after I've baked the granola to add the raisins because sometimes they get burned or really dried out when you bake them. But go ahead and experiment and you can decide how you like it.

In a separate bowl mix these wet ingredients together:

2 cups of water

1 cup brown sugar ( you can also use honey, maple syrup, or another type of sweetener... and if you want it sweeter just add more-- I don't like it too sweet)

2 tsp vanilla

or

1 tsp maple extract

or

1 tsp cloves, 1 Tbsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp lemon juice

depending on how you want it to taste.

Mix them together till the brown sugar dissolves and then gradually pour it over the dry ingredients. Make sure you mix it really well before you add more of the water so that your clumps don't get too big. I like to have the granola really loose with only a few small clumps so I try not to let it get too wet (it also takes longer too cook if it is really wet). If it starts to get too wet and your clumps are really big you can add more oats and flour to help loosen it up.

Spoon on to ungreased cookie sheets and spread it out so it is not too thick. Cook for 30 min at 300 degrees. All ovens are different so you might have to play around with the time and temperature. It turns out best if you cook it at a low temperature for a long time rather than a high temperature for a short time. If you start to smell the granola then you know that it almost done. The granola will still be a little "wet" when you take it out of the oven but when it dries it will harden up. If it doesn't harden up after sitting on the counter for about 20 min stick it back in for a little while. Don't forget to stir it and break it up with a spatula RIGHT when it comes out of the oven or else it will dry into one big granola bar.

Speaking of granola bars, if you want to make granola bars just add more water to the recipe and then pack the wet granola into a cake pan. If you make them thicker they will be chewy and if you pack it thinner then they will be crunchy. They need to be cooked for about twice as long as normal granola (abt an hour at 300 degrees). We like to add peanut butter and chocolate chips to our granola bars.

Granola is remarkably easy and you can't really mess it up unless you burn it. I haven't ever calculated how much it costs to make but I am sure that it is MUCH cheaper than buying it. This recipe makes about 20 cups or more of granola, which is easily the equivalent of three or four of the small boxes you get at the store. Not to mention that almost all the types of granola you buy at the store (even the type you can get in bulk at the health food store) are packed with sugar. When you make your own you can control how sugary it is and put healthy things like flax seed into it.

I make a batch of granola about once a week and it usually lasts Jon, Asher and I the whole week. It is best when eaten with homemade yogurt, but since this post is already really long I'll post the recipe for homemade yogurt in another post (maybe tomorrow?).

Sewing Camp and a Burst of Energy

For the last few months this has been the extent of my creative powers.

I've thought of about a gazillon projects I could (and should) do, but haven't had the time or the energy to do them.

But last week my littlest sister Brittney came to stay with me for the week while Jon went with his scouts on a backpacking trip. We decided that we would have "sewing camp" so that Brittney could learn to sew.

It was a lot of fun and Brittney did a really good job. She made a pair of PJ pants, a cute peasant-style PJ shirt and a tailored pair of slacks (which pushed MY sewing abilities to the max because we had to alter them and change them ALOT to get them to fit and look cute) and we both learned a lot.

Asher LOVED having his aunt stay with us and the first thing he wanted to know every morning was where "Ni Ni" (his name for Brittney) was. And I REALLY appreciated her help because I don't know how I would have survived a week by myself with Asher and a broken foot-- which by the way the doctor says is now completely healed! Yeah!

After Brittney left I was still bitten by the "sewing bug" and decided to get some of the sewing projects done that I've been wanting to do-- and if I do say so myself, they turned out pretty good!

My first project was to make a bumper and sheet for Baby Bird's cradle. This is the cradle that Jon and all his siblings slept in when they were babies and which Asher slept in.

I made bumpers for Asher but they are blue and I wanted something more girly for Baby Bird. I didn't actually make the bumpers, they are hand me downs from my cousin, but I cut it down to the right size and sewed the lace and ties on. Now I just can't wait till there is a little baby laying in it!

Since I was still on a sewing kick I made a curtain for our bedroom window, it isn't anything really fancy but it was my first time making curtains and I am kind of proud of it. If I get ambitious I might make one for the other window in our rooms so that it is a little more balanced.

I think this splurge of crafting energy probably counts as an official "nesting instinct" because it has also been accompanied by an OVERWHELMING need to get my house clean-- which is happening little by little. It is kind of nice to have a little burst of energy--but who knows how long it will last :) I am starting to feel like I am ready for her to come now. I have a place for her to sleep AND don't have to wear the walking cast any more. So all my nightmares about having to be in labor with a broken foot are behind me now and I am really starting looking forward to meeting the little person who keeps kicking my bladder.

Chick Update

The six little chicks I got a few weeks back are currently going through their awkward adolescent stage. They really look weird. The Polish ones look especially strange with their big tufts of black and white feathers on top of their heads. I've taken to calling them Beethoven and Mozart because of their crazy hair dos. I think they are just going to get weirder looking as they grow up-- FUN!

We still don't know if any of them are roosters (we will in a few months when some of them start to crow) but I think I am making a pretty safe guess that one of the Polish is a rooster because he is FEISTY. He's always the first one out of the coop and patrols it like a drill sergeant. I just hope the other one is a hen so we can have babies next spring :)

The Silkies are starting to get their fluff feathers and they look kind of awkward. It is strange because the other chicks went from fluff to feathers while the Silkies have gone from fluff, to feathers and now are going back to fluff. I really LOVE the white one, I think she (he?) is beautiful.

I thought we were going to have two white ones, one black and one gray, but one of the chicks that was white when we got it has now turned black. So it looks like I have one white, two black and one gray.

I think they still have some more awkward weeks ahead of them ( I can't wait to see what happens when the Silkies start getting their head feathers!) but I'm hoping they turn out to be pretty when they get out of puberty-- most of us do :)

Movie Recommendations

I'm not much of a movie buff. Okay that is really an understatement. Lets just put it this way. Last week Jon and I saw "Up" in the theater (we both really loved it by the way) and we realized that the last time we had gone to go see a movie together at a theater was when "Ratatouille" came out. Sad huh. The truth is that we both find most movies too trashy, violent or pointless to spend money on or to use up precious brain cells watching. But because I was home bound for a few weeks when I had crutches, Asher and I ended up watching a lot of movies and I realized that I need some new recommendations for movies that are uplifting, clean and downright fantastic. So to help get your movie recommendation juices flowing I thought I'd recommend a few that I really love-- then you can give me your recommendations at the end.

1st Recommendation:

I discovered this series last year and I can't figure out why they don't have more of "cult following" because they are FANTASTIC. There are several videos in the series and they follow a a family who pioneers out west through several generations of women and the challenges they face and over come. The family isn't Mormon but they very well could have been because their story is quite similar to what lots of Mormon pioneer families and women went through. I love the stories, the characters and the way that somehow they always take a horrible situation and overcome it by relying on the Lord. They are such uplifting movies (which is rare in this day and age) and entertaining enough that Jon will watch them with me. So if you need a good summer escape I'd HIGHLY recommend these.

Second Recommendation:

I just had to put a plug in for this series because I REALLY like it. I usually put a video in for Asher while I take a shower and most videos only keep his attention for 10 min at the most, but these Signing Time videos captivate the little boy. He will watch it intently and will interact and sign along with them. I've been so impressed by how engaging they are and how well they do at teaching sign language. I've only taught Asher 4 0r 5 signs on my own, but he picks up more words really fast by watching these. I find that sign language has helped our communication SO MUCH and that he throws less tantrums if he has a sign (or a word) to express what he wants, needs or feels. Anything that cuts down on tantrums gets a big gold star in my book- oh, and I also really like the songs. They are really well done and don't get too annoying when you are listening to them for the 4th time that day (yes it was a lazy mom day--please tell me you have them too :)

Hope you enjoy them!

Okay so now it is your turn-- what other good, uplifting, helpful, wonderful or downright fantastic movies are there that you'd recommend?

33 Weeks... already!?

I just looked over at the little floating baby counter on my side bar (which, yes I realize is mildly creepy-- according to my brother:) and realized that it says I only have 48 DAYS left till baby bird makes her entrance into this world. Wow. This pregnancy has really flown by. Granted, for the last month I've been counting down the days till my next podiatrist appointment rather than my midwife appointment (sidenote: I have an appointment tomorrow to see if I can get out of the walking cast-- keep your fingers, toes, and anything else you can crossed for me!) I guess that is one good thing I can say for the broken foot-- that it has helped take my mind off of being pregnant just enough that I haven't started to feel too impatient or anxious... yet. But I am starting to get to that "no matter what I wear or do I feel like a whale and I can't bend over" stage of pregnancy and I swear that my belly can't get any bigger-- but I know that it will. All in all this has been a wonderful pregnancy (despite the broken foot and the bad allergies) and I am starting to get excited about bringing a new life to this world.

When I first got pregnant I was worried that Asher wouldn't have any idea what was going on and that he wouldn't be able to bond with the baby before she was born. But it has been so much fun to see how quickly and how soon he caught onto the idea that there was a baby in Mommy's tummy. For the last 4-5 months he has been coming over to pat my belly and give "baybee boord" a kiss. Actually it has gotten a bit problematic because sometimes he want to lift up my shirt and "see" her at inopportune moments... like when company is over. But it has really been sweet to see how excited he is about his new sister. I was talking to him before bed the other night and I mentioned that he was going to be a big brother soon and have a little sister and his head POPPED up from where it had been dozing on my chest and he bent down and gave my belly a kiss and a pat that was "sauuuuf" (we've been working on being "soft" instead of whacking everything... for the baby's sake). Still, every once in awhile I get a little concerned though that he still might not quite understand what is going on. A few days ago he lifted up HIS shirt, patted HIS tummy, and told me " baybee boord." Um... not quite.. but I think that most the time he gets the general idea :)

This is short and sweet. I was trying to get him to say "baybee boord" but instead he did the sign for it. I didn't even know he knew the sign that well. Smart kid.

I don't mean to complain...

but having bad allergies when you are pregnant stinks

because it makes you sneeze (and cough)

a lot

If you've ever been pregnant you probably know why sneezing and coughing are DISASTROUS and can probably sympathize with my plight. If you haven't been pregnant before let me just remind you that pregnancy involves another human being (baby bird is probably around 3-5 lbs by now) sitting directly above your bladder. And my bladder doesn't seem to mind compressing itself flat and emptying its contents at the slightest hint of extra pressure. Yep, sad but true.

So while I am can manage the sinus headache, the sore throat, and the runny faucet of a nose I just hope that the sneezing and the coughing stop soon because it gets a tad bit discouraging. Ugg. Thanks for letting me whine (again).

Alphabet Summer

I saw this idea for an "Alphabet Summer" (check it out here and here) on this woman's blog and I thought that it was such a wonderful idea that I would pass it on.  I really love how it kind of "forces" you to come up with a little activity to do each day, big or small. I  think that this would be a good thing for me because sometimes I find myself scraping the bottom of the barrel for ways to keep Asher occupied and entertained. I think that I am going to start planning some alphabet activities for him a few times a week-- it will give me something to look forward to, a reason to invite other friends with kids over, a fun way for Asher to learn the alphabet, and a way to practice teaching my almost 2 year old-- which believe it or not I've found to be kind of a challenge. For example, last night during our family night Asher was looking at a picture of Jesus and was REALLY concerned about the "owwees" that He had in his hands and his feet-- needless to say it stretched ALL my teaching capabilities to try to explain the atonement to a 18 month old! So, I'll be glad to get all the teaching practice that I can get! 

Here is a list of ideas that I came up with for Asher and my "Alphabet Summer". I couldn't think of ideas for every letter so if you can think of any other good ideas (for any letter) I'd LOVE to hear them. I also thought that this and this website had some good ideas for keeping toddlers entertained-- in case anyone else struggles like I do (oh, and here are some more ideas). 

Ants and bugs-- find, them catch them, look at them

Bubbles

Croquet--Asher's dream game- it involves BALLS and HAMMERS

Dress up-- him, me, stuffed animals 

Explore- take a bucket outside and find things to collect

Forts and flashlights

G

Hide and go seek

Instruments

Jello jigglers with cookie cutters

Kite

L

Markers and crayons

Numbers

O

Paper bag puppets also play dough

Q

Ride the bus-- it is free where we live :)

Sister--practice being a big brother with his stuffed animals--dressing, feeding, holding

Tents-- set up in the house

U

V

Water

X

Y

Zoo

Craving Validation

I have a confession to make.

When I was pregnant with Asher I craved broccoli and turkey sandwiches, but this pregnancy all I want to eat is homemade french fries and chocolate.

Gasp... I know... SO not healthy. Sob.

But wait, there is hope.

On Tuesday night I went to a class on nutrition during pregnancy and the speaker prefaced her lecture by saying that most of the time pregnant women crave EXACTLY what their bodies need. She said that women should listen to their cravings and eat what sounds good because it probably has nutrients their body and their baby need.

Hmm.... really? French fries and chocolate? Do they meet any nutritional needs? I was skeptical... really skeptical... but kept listening.

She said was that there are five vital nutrients that pregnant women need-- salt, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron. She mentioned that salt is one of the most important nutrients in the body but that to store adequate amounts of it our body also needs to have a good supply of potassium. Then she listed foods that are rich in potassium... fruits, vegetables, potatoes.

At this point I almost started to laugh and told her (it was a small class) that for the last few months that I had made french fries (with lots of season salt) for lunch almost every day. I guess it was just my bodies way of making sure I got my potassium WITH my salt. Crazy.

Then she went on to talk about calcium and magnesium and how a pregnant women needs a lot of calcium because she has to create a whole new bone structure for another human being. I've been worried about getting enough calcium because I am not taking pre-natal vitamins. Last pregnancy I got an AWFUL kidney stone that was caused by having too much calcium that my body couldn't use and the urologist told me the excess calcium probably came from my vitamins. So this time I've skipped the vitamins and have just been concentrating on making sure that I get all my vitamins, folic acid, and nutrients from my diet. But calcium is one I have been worried about because I want to make sure I get enough of it but that it is used and just doesn't get stored in the wrong places like it did last time. So when she mentioned that you need magnesium to help uptake calcium into the cells I was interested. She said the foods that were rich in magnesium were things like ... spinach, chard, chocolate!

Once again I laughed and told her that I'd been craving chocolate as well. Usually I want just a little piece around 4:00 PM, which she told me also happens to be the time when the body starts maximizing its calcium uptake. She said that it was really normal for pregnant women to crave magnesium rich food, but that the body knows that it will have an easier time getting most women to eat chocolate rather than steamed chard. Granted I've never had steamed chard, but I do know that it doesn't take much convincing to get me to eat chocolate. And know that I know that it is helping my magnesium uptake I won't feel too bad having a little piece when I crave it.

So, I feel validated. I guess my body really does know what it is needs and that I shouldn't feel like a blubber toad for wanting french fries and chocolate.. in moderation of course :)

But now I am curious... what types of things do other pregnant women crave and do they usually meet some hidden, inner nutritional need?