I'm a stay at home mama living in PDX with the hubs Chris, our two boys and two cats. We are living in (and slowly fixing up) our first house, a midcentury ranch. Jesus has captured my heart, and I am so thankful!
This little blog is mostly about our adventures as a family of four, with the possibility of a recipe or craftiness sprinkled in there.
After doing the Crispy Salmon Cakes post I decided that I need to do more recipes, because who doesn't eat right? I find a recipe I want to try almost every day...it's kind of addicting but I love it! Anyways, on to the granola...
I'm not even sure where I found the original recipe, but I've altered it enough to make it super yummy and I'd say it's mine now. This recipe makes a ton so I usually freeze half of it in a big ziplock bag. I get most of the ingredients from the bulk section at the grocery store (winco has a great bulk section).
Homemade Granola
8 cups extra thick cut oats (make sure they are extra thick)
1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1 cup sunflower seeds (not salted)
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup walnuts
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 T cinnamon
1 T vanilla
2 cups rasins
I like to start out roasting all of the nuts. I usually put the sliced almonds and sunflower seeds together on one sheet (they will be mixed in together) and the walnuts on a separate sheet. Throw them in the oven preheated to 350 degrees for 10-15 mins or until they smell amazing. When they are done, finely chop the walnuts until they look like crumbs. I usually just put them in the food processor.
Turn your oven down to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine oats, oat bran, flax seed, and nuts in a huge bowl or pot.
In a sauce pan, stir together salt, brown sugar, honey, oil, applesauce, cinnamon and vanilla. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Pour syrup into oat mixture. Stir to coat evenly. Spread mixture evenly onto baking sheets (press it into pans to make more clumps).
Bake for 12 minutes, stir, press into pans again and bake for another 12 minutes or so. Granola will get crispier as it cools. Let cool completely, break apart and stir in raisins.
Store in an air tight container in refrigerator for best shelf life. Like I said, I usually freeze half of it.
Enjoy!
By the way, if you have never roasted nuts before, beware you might become addicted like me :) There is something about the roasting process that bring out the flavor so much more, and your house will smell amazing. Try roasting almonds and eating them as a snack with dark chocolate chips. Pretty much the best snack ever! (and a healthy one at that) :)
On a side note, I'm going to tell Bennett someday in the distant future that he will look like this if he ever wants to drink...
(STUPID and people will make fun of him!)
Also, over at How About Orange there is a link to Download&Print which has awesome and FREE invitation templates. She posts a new one every week day! I wish this was around when I got married, gosh.
Here are two things I am loving around my house today:
#1: Cement ceiling
I LOVE the ceilings in our new place. We like the industrial feel it gives the place, but it's a pretty subtle one...most people don't even notice them! There are even some measurement markings on them from when the building was built.
Don't they look like they are having so much fun? Probably because their backs don't hurt. I'm not sure if I look this happy wearing mine, but I do love it.
After using both the Peanut Shell Sling and the Baby Bjorn, I decided to get an Ergo. I have heard so many good things about them and see them on moms (and dads) all over town.
The thing I like most about it is that I can use it with a newborn (for my next one obviously, and no I'm not pregnant) all the way until your baby is a toddler! ONE carrier for the whole time, that's crazy talk. I also like that you can wear it in front, on your hip or on your back.
Bennett seems to like it too! :)
Share your two favorite things and link up at Kassi's blog!
I tore this recipe out of a magazine a few weeks back and finally got around to making them. They turned out SO much better than I thought they would, plus there were pretty easy to make! (they were so good that they didn't even need sauce)
I think they would be great to make for a dinner party...make the cakes ahead of time and fry them up when people arrive.
People will be impressed with your skills :)
I think the salmon cakes are tied with the roasted veggie pizza for our favorite dinner!
Gather your ingredients:
2 cans (14.75 ounces each) salmon, drained (I used frozen salmon and baked it myself. More on this later)
11⁄2 cups panko bread crumbs
1⁄2 cup tartar sauce or mayonnaise ( I tried to skimp, but it needs the whole 1/2 cup)
2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced, or 1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder (I used chopped red onions instead)
1 large egg
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3⁄4 cup canola oil
Mix it all together:
Form it into eight cute little patties:
Don't eat it yet, we still have to put on the crunchies:
I had to be forceful in making them stick all over:
Fry 'em up:
Let them sit on a paper towel-lined plate while you finish:
Admire how yummy they look:
Ok NOW you can eat them:
Enjoy!
Ok, so I tried using canned salmon (which I had never bought before)
and this is what it looked like:
I don't care how healthy it is for you, that is NASTY!
After throwing up in my mouth, my two cans of salmon made their way to the garbage.
Apparently, when you buy canned salmon it needs to say
SKINLESS and BONELESS or else it's not. I guess I didn't get that memo.
I ended up buying two frozen salmon fillets at Trader Joes, thawed them for a day, made a little foil tray and put the salmon on it with some lemon juice and s&p.
I popped the salmon in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
And there you have some yummy salmon for your cakes!
1. One song that always takes me back to my youth is"I Wish" by Skee Lo (I randomly listened to it last week and still know all the words! i wish i was a little bit taller, i wish i was a baller...) or anything by TLC or Wilson Phillips (I was obsessed) .
2. My first concert ever wasBoyz II Men (sorry Lauren!) my mom won tickets on the radio when they were touring with TLC and surprised me for my birthday...TLC didn't show cause they were 'sick' but Boys II Men rocked my face off, even if it was a little awkward being like 10 years old standing next to my mom while they sang "I'll Make Love To You" .
3. If I could create my dream music festival I'd want these bands to be there:James Taylor, Phoenix, Daphne Loves Derby, Copeland, Dashboard, Flight of the Conchords, old Mae, Sufjan Stevens, Swell Season.
4. The best make-out/"boot knocking" song ever is I once read an article of "the best make out songs" and "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel topped the list .
5. The best concert I've ever been to was Newsboys back in the day (I'm a sucker for duel, rotating drum solos). I just remember loving them so much and being so excited to see them.
6. A memorable musical moment for me was In middle school I went to see Jars of Clay. A radio station was having a sign-making contest and whoever made the best sign won backstage passes. I won so I was able to go backstage and get autographs. My sign said "WWJD? He would be here watching Jars of Clay!" I even put battery powered christmas lights on it. Huge dork? YES :).
7. The song on my iPod that's getting the most play these days is _Chris hooked up speakers under Bennett's crib, which we connect the ipod to. We play "White Noise Ocean Sounds" all night, every night while Bennett sleeps to block out noise. Boring I know, but it works! When I listen to music it's been a lot of Phoenix or Swell Season lately.
After doing the Crispy Salmon Cakes post I decided that I need to do more recipes, because who doesn't eat right? I find a recipe I want to try almost every day...it's kind of addicting but I love it! Anyways, on to the granola...
