Food I Never Buy - Part 2: Granola

My mother always says that break downs come in threes... 

1) The truck died - so we have a candy apple red new truck in the yard. 

2)  The washing machine hasn't been agitating properly, so not all the clothes were getting clean.

3)  My oven has been taking forever to come to temperature since the middle of February.  I had planned to replace it, but then - the truck died, and the washer wasn't working, so I decided I would just hold off until the end of July (when we were done traveling and I would be ready to start baking pies, zuchinni bread and casseroles for the winter) to have it fixed. 

So, the oven man came on Tuesday - he didn't have the right part. 

He said he would come back on Thursday - he ran out of time.

He came early this morning and replaced the part, but now the oven is leaking gas so it needs another part - which won't be in for two weeks!

Before my oven wasn't working well.  It took a long time to heat up, but eventually it worked.  Now though, it doesn't work at all.  Blahh... there go my plans.  So, here is what I was going to do this morning.  I guess we'll be eating cereal for a while.

Adapted from Simply In Season

Mostly Oats Granola

6 c. rolled oats

1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 c. raw wheat germ

1/2 c. flax meal or seeds

1 c. peanuts or walnuts

1 c. raw sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds

1/2 c. raw sesame seeds

Combine the above ingredients in a large bowl.

1/2 c. honey or real maply syrup

1/3 c. oil

1/3 c. water

1t. vanilla or almond flavoring

Mix together the wet ingredients and poor over the dry.  Mix together.

Bake at 325 for 10-20 min. until toasty and golden brown.  Stir every 5 minutes.

Cool.  Add 1 - 2 c. dried fruit (raisins, craisins, dried cherries, dried blueberries, etc.)





Step 1 - Gather the ingredients.

Step 2:  Spread on trays and toast in a low oven.

Step 3:  Cool, add fruit, put in jars.  Yum!

Food I Never Buy - Part I: Mayo

The garden is coming along.  I'm picking the first tomatoes - in our house those first gems are saved for tomato mayo sandwiches.  

There are some things I just don't buy at the store.  Mayo is one of them.  There is simply no comparison between homemade mayo and store bought.  They shouldn't even have the same name.  Homemade mayo (especially when you use eggs from your free range chickens) is rich and flavorful.  It's not bitter or tangy.  The recipe below is adapted from Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It by Karen

Solomon.   Try this once and you'll never buy the store stuff again.     

Homemade Mayo

2 eggs (room temperature)  

2 t. salt (kosher or sea salt)

2T. lemon juice

1 t. dry mustard

2 c. oil (canola works best)   

Add eggs, salt, lemon juice and mustard to your food processor.  Put the lid on and slowly drizzle in the oil. 

                                                        

In no time at all you have beautiful, tasy mayo.  That's it!