Granola Helps Me Do My Job

I know it's a stretch, but hear me out. If not for granola, many (more) of my days would be wasted procrastinating by playing online and whatnot. We all have days when we simply can't focus. There's too much running through our minds; we're disorganized; we can't decide which job to tackle first. You know the drill. Heck, I'm procrastinating right now, just by writing this post. (Yes, it needs to get done, but I sh/could have waited until my editing work was finished for the day.)

Anyhow, most of the time, just by writing a to do list, I get a handle on my priorities and am able to rein in my overactive mind. But there are some days when "overwhelmed" doesn't even begin to describe it. Those are the days when I tell myself, "It's time to make granola."

It's not always granola. Sometimes it's whatever crock pot concotion I come up with when I realize the day is getting away from me, or I have too much to do in a short amount of time. You see, the crock pot becomes my timer, my count-down clock. It's a race to the finish. I know what I want to accomplish and I have an alarm that will go off when my day is done. No overtime; no excuses; no goofing off.

But granola is my secret weapon. When there's a batch of oats and nuts roasting in the slow cooker, I am forced to take breaks at certain intervals. I'm also forced to work in the living/dining room instead of at my desk. Why? Because the batch has to be stirred every thirty minutes, give or take, or it will burn. Just the change of scenery makes me more productive.

To make it easier, I work close to the kitchen. I get up when the alarm goes off, stretch my legs, stir the pot, reset the timer, then go back to work. I have yet to burn a batch. This gives me a quick stretch break, and gives my brain a rest for a minute or two. My recovery time is minimal because this practice does not afford me the opportunity to get caught up in a vacuum of social media.

Sure, an easy remedy would be to disconnect from the web altogether when I'm working, but I need access to online resources such as style guides, dictionaries, and various other searchable tools that allow me to verify grammar rules and research facts.

The granola timer also helps on days when there are household chores to do in addition to work. Yesterday, I edited about seventy pages, washed dishes (twice), dished out dinner for three (msg-free lo mein), prepped today's lunch, made three quarts of chicken stock, AND cooked up a big batch of Almond Joy-type granola (just enough chocolate chips to add some sweet, almonds, and a ton of coconut). Will you hate me if I mention I went to bed with a clean kitchen and did not work a minute past 6:00 p.m.?

Of course, now it's getting late and I think I'm going to have to throw some ingredients into the slow cooker just so I can feel I've accomplished more than a blog post today.

My Convertible Granola recipe is here.

Happy Crock Potting!

Pinterest Has Me Cooking Again!

Okay, truth be told, I never stopped. I just didn't have the time for posting about it. Some months, it's difficult enough for me to maintain my weekly schedule, let alone trying to post semi-weekly. Anyhow, I chose to take over Sunday's post for Pinterest recipes this week because the two I made this week were yummilicious and I had to share.

I'm going to begin with dessert since I make this one first, and well, dessert . . .

1-2-3 Apple Crisp

I really hope the blogger doesn't mind me borrowing her picture because this one didn't last long enough to take one. (I think that's a theme around here.) It was outstanding, and my roommates absolutely loved it. I, however, think it needed more oats, so I'll probably double the oats the next time I make it. Still, simple, delish, and by putting it together before dinner, I could throw it into the oven to bake while we ate. Perfect timing never tasted so good.

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

This is another with no picture. Sorry gang, but yesterday morning, when I made it for dinner, I couldn't predict I'd be out of the house when the hordes descended upon the slow cooker.

I have to admit, I took a few liberties with this one. First, it desperately needed pepper, so I added some at the end. Cooking pepper makes the flavor expand and you run the risk of making a dish too spicy, especially in the crock pot. Second, I used homemade chicken stock that I had in the freezer. It was left over from another Pinterest recipe that I will probably share my thoughts on at a later date.

But here's the kicker: By the time I got home, it was GONE! I walked into the kitchen around 2:00 a.m. to find nothing left of my chicken and dumplings but the broth. So I ladeled some into a mug and had an early morning snack. It was excellent.

Later, I found out the one of my roomies was wise enough to fill a dish and tuck it away so I could taste the fruits of my labor. It was even better when I had it for lunch this afternoon. And the rest of the leftover broth? We've been taking turns heating it up in mugs to stave off this unseasonably chilly weather.

So there you go, two tested Pinterest recipes that are definitely worth a try.

Happy Cooking!

I'm Turning into a Hippie

Okay, so maybe it's not that bad, but I've become addicted to making my own yogurt and granola. I've been crocheting like a maniac, working on projects for myself and projects to share with you.

Today; however, I'm sharing my much-experimented-with recipe for basic granola. In the interest of giving credit where credit is due, I must tell you that this granola began as this recipe from Stephanie O'Dea. I've made it several times, and not quite the same each time. I've tweaked it to change the top flavors while leaving the base the same. This is one of those recipes for which I always have the ingredients in the pantry.

Currently, in my crock pot, sits the tasty goodness that will become white chocolate cranberry. Tomorrow's experiment will be blueberry almond, and ready to go the next time I have the desire is the same combo I've been eating for the past two weeks. It contains pistachios, almonds, mixed berries, and dark chocolate. It's very loose, so it's great for cereal in the morning or stirring into a cup of plain yogurt, but I especially like it with about a half cup of ice cream.

In this recipe, I leave three key ingredients up to you. I've listed some of my favorite flavor combinations below.

Okay, enough talk. Let's get down to earthy, crunchy business...

Convertible Granola

5 c rolled oats (NOT the quick cooking kind)
1/4 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c nuts of your choice*
1/2 c shredded coconut
dash salt

1/4 c oil
1/2 c honey

1/2 c dried fruit of your choice*

1/2 c chocolate chips, flavor of your choice*

Dump first group of ingredients into (5 or 6 quart) crock pot and mix thoroughly.
Add oil and honey, and mix to coat dry ingredients.
Cook on high for up to 4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
When there's only about 30 minutes left on your cooking time, add dried fruit and stir.
Remove granola to a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan to cool.
Once cooled, add chocolate chips, stir, and place in an airtight container.

Granola will stay fresh for a couple of weeks. I keep mine in the refrigerator so it will keep a little longer.

Notes:
Every slow cooker is different, so cooking times will vary. I always set the timer on my crock pot for 3 1/2 or 4 hours, but often finish earlier than that. End the cooking when you decide the granola is browned to your liking. Sometimes, I need to stir more often, or turn down the heat as I near the end of cooking.
To make the honey easier to get out of the measuring cup, I add the oil first, then use the same 1/4 cup measure for the honey. The oil coats the cup so the honey pours right out of it. It makes cleanup easier too.
It doesn't matter whether your nuts are whole, chopped, or sliced; it's your call.
You can use either sweetened or unsweetened coconut. If you choose sweetened, watch that it doesn't burn.
Don't skimp on the oil, but do consider the flavor of the oil you're using. I usually use sunflower oil because it has hardly any flavor.
I find the chocolate chips add some sweet without a ton of extra sugar, but I try to use dark chocolate since it adds some antioxidants to the mix.

*Mixtures of mix-ins:
pecans, cranberries, and white chocolate
almonds, blueberries, and dark chocolate
almonds, extra coconut, and milk chocolate (sound familiar?)
walnuts, apricots (chopped), and dark chocolate

My next experiment may involve agave nectar instead of honey.

Happy Crock Potting!

Everything but the . . .

We all know I've been playing around a lot with recipes from Pinterest lately. And I'm having a blast doing it. The only problem is that I can be so busy Sunday through Wednesday that I forget (or cant find time) to post my results on the blog as I promised you all I would. So I've decided to stop beating myself up over it and just accept the fact that other areas of my life are more important. Accomplishing other tasks that actually earn me money must take precedence right now.

That said, rather than struggle and whine about having not enough time, I shall promise you this: I will continue my Wednesday posts sporadically as I find time to put them up. This way I can focus on making sure I'm consistent with the posts that are most important to me. Those, of course would be the Sunday mornings that have cultivated a loyal following.

Some of you may find it ironic, then, that today's post not only came about because of the Wednesday Pinterest series, but also that it's an original recipe. (Perhaps I should have put it up on Friday and split the difference?)

The recipes that inspired this one also inspired a favorite way to consume granola in general, which I shall reveal when I finally give them their space on the blog. Enough blathering, here's the recipe:

Kitchen Sink Granola

5c rolled oats

1T cinnamon

1T pumpkin spice (no, I didn't make my own, but I will eventually)

1/2c white sugar or your favorite measures-like-sugar substitute

1/2t salt

1t baking powder

1c canned pumpkin puree (freeze the rest in a small container; you'll use it eventually)

2/3c unsweetened applesauce

1/4c honey

1c walnuts (no need to toast them first)

1/2c sunflower kernels

1c craisins

1c raisins

1c white chocolate chips

Dump all dry ingredients (the first group) into a 6-quart or larger crock pot and combine (I use a wire whisk.)

Mix wet ingredients (the second group) in a separate bowl

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir (with a spoon) to combine thoroughly

Set crock pot to high and, if desired, timer to 4 hours -- vent lid with a chopstick or wooden spoon

As granola cooks, stir every half hour

After 2 hours, add next group of ingredients (if you tweak the recipe and add other seeds or nuts, you will want to add them now)

After 3 hours, add last group of ingredients (if you choose to add other dried fruits, now is the time to do so)

From here, you will want to stir more frequently and/or change the heat setting to low (total cook time is about 4 hours.)

Your granola is done when it's a warm brown color and fairly dry in texture.

It will dry and begin to really crisp as it cools.

I allow it to cool in the crock pot and continue to stir every half hour or so.

Once cool, add white chocolate chips, transfer to an airtight container, and use within about 2 weeks.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that although the name seems obvious, the mix-ins were chosen at random. They happened to be yummy stuff I had in the pantry/fridge/freezer. I had to stop myself from adding m&m's because I knew I was more likely to consume this for breakfast than for any other meal. And we all know peanut m&m's are not for breakfast.

My advice regarding mix-ins: Yes, I chose to use an excessive amount of mix-ins, but notice I was careful not to exceed 5 cups, the amount of oats.

I'm actually still playing with this one and haven't found a final combination I really love. That said, I also forgot to take pictures before devouring the last of it. Instead, enjoy the pic below of the snowstorm that closed schools in Oklahoma City for up to two days in some areas. (Amateurs.)

Happy Crock Potting!

It snowed all day, near blizzard conditions at times, and it was gone within 24 hours.
But it was nice to have a taste of home.

Happy Healthy New Year (recipe)

Happy New Year everyone!

I must apologize for my tardiness. The blog schedule got a bit wonky and this was supposed to be the New Year's Day post (the whole healthy eating thing... blah blah blah). Anyhow, it's here now and that's all that really matters, so grab a saucepan and cozy up to the stove.

There are few things I like better on a snowy New England morning than a bowl of oatmeal and a mug of hot cocoa. That's what I call comfort food. But I'm not crazy about plain oatmeal and I'm not a fan of the instant stuff.

Regardless of how it's prepared, I try to have oatmeal at least one morning each week because I figure it offsets my love of eggs for breakfast, which I try to limit to one morning each week. Makes sense, right? So I experiment.

A couple of months ago, I threw this together and my first reaction was, "I need to write this one down!"

Auntie's Oatmeal for Two

1 cup milk

3/4 cup water

1 Tbsp dark brown sugar

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

dash of salt

1 cup rolled oats (quick cooking, not instant)

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup raisins (optional)

Bring milk and water to a boil in a 1 quart saucepan

Lower heat and add brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt

Stir until sugar is dissolved

Add oats and cook over low heat for about 1 minute

Add maple syrup and raisins, stir

Remove from heat and let stand for a minute or two to thicken

Yield 2 servings

The Usual Notes:

To double or triple the recipe, no additional instructions are necessary.

If you only have light brown sugar, then use it. I just prefer the dark.

When it comes to cinnamon, less is more. I once accidentally added a bit too much and POW! That'll wake you up for sure.

Don't skip the salt. Trust me on this one. It's just a tiny amount, but it makes a huge difference in the flavor.

If you buy your raisins in the single-serve boxes for the kids, one box is the perfect size for this.

Don't go crazy looking for top quality maple syrup. That cheap imitation pancake syrup works just fine. In fact, given the choice between the two, I'd save to good stuff for waffles and pancakes.

Yes! You can reheat this if you find you have leftovers. Simply reheat in the microwave but stir in about a tablespoon of milk per serving first.

it will thicken if you let it rest for a minute before serving

Variations:

When I don't have raisins on hand, I like to slice banana over the top instead.

For apple cinnamon oatmeal, omit the maple syrup and cut down or omit the raisins. Replace them with about 1/2 cup of applesauce. (I love to do this in the fall when we have tons of homemade applesauce, but the stuff in the jar works just as well.)

By the way, I won't tolerate whining that you don't have time to make this in the morning. It takes less time than brewing a pot of coffee. Set your ingredients (except for your milk) on the counter the night before so you're ready to go.

Rise and shine!