Good Old Granola

I'll never understand why granola is so darn expensive at the grocery stores. My mom has made her own for years (a dyed-in-the-wool hippie) and it's delicious ... and costs almost nothing to make! Here is her fool-proof recipe:

Lynn's Great Granola

4 cups organic rolled oats
1/4 cup canola or sunflower oil
3 Tbsp. honey
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple sauce
1-2 tsp. salt (to taste)
1/2 cup dried fruits (optional)

Mix oil and honey together and heat in the microwave for about 15 seconds (this makes it so the honey gets distributed more evenly). In a bowl, stir together oats, oil & honey mixture, walnuts, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, apple juice, apple sauce, and salt until evenly distributed.

Spread the mixture onto a large sheet pan (with sides).

Bake for 20-25 minutes on 350 degrees F (this varies from oven to oven, so the time or temperature might need to be adjusted), stirring occasionally. The final product should be golden (it will crisp-up as it cools).

Once done, allow the granola to cool. Transfer to a storage container and stir in dried fruits.

And there you have it! Delicious (and nutritious) and inexpensive homemade granola!

~ Mari

Spring Spruce-Up

It has poured all day today. Not cool. So, in defiance of the weather, I've decided to post some photos of ways to spruce-up one's home for springtime! In the photo above, I planted an African Violet (Lowe's $5.99) in a giant red cup and saucer (T.J. Maxx $4.99). Then I put some candy sticks (Cracker Barrel 40 cents a piece) in a little glass container (Goodwill 50 cents) and placed a little container of fake raspberries (Michaels $2.99) on a cool tray (Hobby Lobby $7.00). Instant springtime feeling in the kitchen!

Above is a picture of Ryan and my dining room table (not that anyone can enjoy it... we have no chairs yet) ready for Easter! I used our "fancy" plates with some French napkins as placemats. That green mossy stuff is...well...green moss! You can buy it at craft stores and it just rolls out like a table runner (which is what I used it for)! Then I used some white ceramic bunny napkin rings to hold the cheap little pastel napkins from the grocery store. I found some really neat little votive holders at Anthropologie (my most favoritest store ever) - on sale, of course - and put some eggs I found at T. J. Maxx in them and... voila! Instant egg cups! For the centerpiece, I used a bunny statue, a little bunny soap dish (full of eggs), and a dome with a bird's nest under it. I'm quite pleased with how it came out! Too bad we can't eat our Easter meal on it... (again, no chairs)!

Finally, this photo is here at my parent's house in the G-burg. I love this little display on a side table near our family dining table. We just took some china plates and put them on a plate stand, added a nest (from T.J. Maxx), some cool vintage glasses (one filled with acorns), some dried pomegranates, and put it all on a vintage silver tray!

Spring is in the air.... time to spruce!

~ Mari

Such a Turkey!

There's something incredible about living in a place where you look out your back window and see... well... that. We have a group of about 20 turkeys that float through our yard once or twice a week. But, the other afternoon, along with the 20 regulars, we had this guy. He was strutting about - showing off his stuff about 12 feet from our back deck. Thank goodness dad had just cleaned the windows or this picture probably wouldn't be.

I will miss this area and the mountains so much when I move... but, there will be new wildlife and new adventures in Middle Georgia! :)

~ Mari

I Can Almost Taste It

Spring is so close... and, for a few days there, I thought it was here. Thanks for faking me out, mother nature. Sad times. But, it will be here soon, and that's all that matters.

Warm weather and sunny skies should make moving, leaving home, and planning a wedding seem a little less daunting, don't you think? That's what I'm hoping. The only drawback of sunlit days of warmness? Exposed legs. Yeah... I'm one of those won't-shave-my-legs-until-I-feel-guilty-enough-to-do-so types. I think it's a stupid concept (no real reason that we do it except that we are "supposed to") and a pain in the rear. But, I do it on occasion so I don't get stared at. :)

Well, I'm off to pack up some more of my crapola in my room. Maybe some Spring weather will be headed our way soon... (cross your heart and hope to... be warm?)

Mari

The Joy of Cooking (Vegetables)

Spring is here and it's time for veggies! Last night, my dad and I made a strictly veggie meal (which, if you know my dad, is almost unheard of) that was amazingly delicious - if I do say so myself! The photo above is what we started with: raw beets, sweet onions, fennel, and garlic cloves. We decided to roast them (believe it or not, at the suggestion of Auguste Escoffier) so they would be cruncy and delicious. After we arranged them in the pan (and preheated the oven to 350 degrees F), we drizzled EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) on them and sprinkled them with salt, pepper, a little chicken base (I promise... it works), and balsamic vinegar.



Next, we baked them for about 20 minutes, flipped them over & added a few splashes of red wine, and baked them for another 10 minutes.

Next, we plated them and sprinkled toasted walnuts shaved parmesan cheese on them and drizzled a homemade mustard walnut vinaigrette over the entire yumminess. I love how the onions soaked up the balsamic and wine and look like little sweet roses! And every once in a while, when you bite into a roasted and caramelized garlic clove, you just want to weep with happiness.

You've got to love my dad. He couldn't take having a completely vegetarian meal (it's just not in him), so he rendered some bacon and sauteed the beet greens in it for about 4 minutes. And I must say - they were delicious! But, if you're a vegetarian, you could do without that step, of course. ;)

Enjoy!

Thai Mango Sticky Rice

Mmmm... my favorite dessert in any Thai restaurant: Mango Sticky Rice. Why do I love it so? Because it's rice. In a dessert. With mango. Oh yeah... and coconut. Delish! So, I decided to make it one night when the mangoes were fresh and I had a little time. I found the recipe online and changed it up a bit... Here it is:

Thai Mango Sticky Rice

Serves 4

1 cup Thai sweet rice/sticky rice

1-2 ripe mangoes, cubed

4-5 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 cups coconut milk

1 tsp. black sesame seeds

1 tsp. white sesame seeds

Soak the rice in 1 cup of water for 1-2 hours - don't drain it (this will help make it extra sticky!). Pour into a medium sauce pot and add 3/4 cup more water, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1/2 tsp. salt, and two Tbsp. brown sugar. Stir.

Bring it up to a boil then bring it down to a simmer. Partially cover the top with a lid (let some of the steam escape). Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 20 minutes (or until all liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft). Turn off the heat, but allow to sit on the burner for 10 minutes with the lid on.

To make the coconut sauce, warm (do not boil) the rest of the coconut milk. Add 2-3 Tbsp. sugar (depends on how sweet you like your sauce) and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir to dissolve. Remove from heat.

To plate, scoop a glob (yes, a glob...hehe) of the rice onto the plate. Put mango cubes around the rice glob and drizzle the coconut sauce over it (I like lots of it, but you be the judge). Sprinkle it with the sesame seeds, and you're done!

Mmmm.... nice and sticky... :)

Hope you enjoy the recipe! :)

Master Bath Makeover

As you can tell, I can't resist a good "Before & After." Especially, when it's dramatic! So, here was Ryan and my latest project: the master bathroom. Notice the beige walls...


And here is the after! No more drab! :) We painted the bathroom "Butter Rum" - a deep orange color. I think it feels more sophisticated and really makes the marble tiles pop.

All that's left to paint is the master bedroom... ugh. That's gonna take a while... :)