Granola

 

I love granola...homemade granola, that is.  This is my go-to recipe from Fresh Every Day

by Sarah Foster.  It has toasted oats, coconut and almonds.  Then it gets maple syrup, honey, and oil. 

 

 

And finally, dried cranberries and dried apricots are added.

 

I like it best with cold milk.  Yogurt is good too.  I have been known to just eat a handful.

 

Foster's Homemade Granola

from Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes From Foster's Market

 

Makes about 6 cups

 

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1 cup sliced almonds

1 t. kosher or sea salt

1/4 cup canola or safflower oil, plus more for greasing the pan

3/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

 

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

 

Spread the oats, coconut, and almonds on a large baking sheet with sides.  Sprinkle with salt and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients are lightly toasted but not yet golden.  Transfer the ingredients to a large bowl.

 

Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease the baking sheet with oil or spray with vegetable oil spray.

 

Stir the maple syrup, oil, and honey together in a small bowl, pour over the oats, nuts, and coconut, and toss to coat evenly.  Spread the granola onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the granola is just crispy and golden brown, stirring several times while baking.  Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet, breaking up any large clumps while it is still warm.

 

When the granola has cooled completely, add the cherries and dried apricots and toss to mix.  In an airtight container, this will keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

 

 



 



 

 

Wee Folk Doll

Some projects work better than others.  This was not one of my best efforts, mostly because I'm not good at drawing faces.  Actually I'm not good at drawing much of anything, but little bitty faces are especially challenging.  But the idea has potential.

 

This doll is from the book Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects by Salley Mavor.  This is one of the simpler projects in the book.  All the dolls use wooden beads, pipe cleaners (or chenille sticks if you want to get fancy), and embroidery floss.  Most of them have acorn cap caps and the fairy dolls have dresses and wings made from silk flowers (pretty clever).

 

I think this doll looks like a zombie fairy.  She reminds me of the pysanky eggs I made in a class once.  I called them punk pysanky.  I have a problem with detail.

 

But I want to make a pretty little doll, so I will try again.  The next time I will paint the wooden bead first and try painting the features on (instead of using the Sharpie :)).  And I think I will make some of the fancy felt clothes that are on many of the dolls in the book.  Maybe if the clothes are pretty enough noone will look at the face.

 

 

Music Monday

Songwriter, Susanna Clark, died June 27, 2012.  She wrote this song, Easy From Now on, that Emmylou Harris recorded in 1978 on Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town.  It has always been one of my all time favorites.

Music Monday

American Aquarium...on their new album, Burn. Flicker.Die.

I have a soft spot for songs about my lame hometown.

Gingermelon Doll

This is what the floor of my guest room/craft room has looked like for over a week. 

 

I started this doll last weekend but didn't have the right size safety eyes.  If you need eyes fast the place to go is this etsy shop.   I had eyes by Wednesday.

 

 

 This is a Pocket Pixie doll designed by Shelly at Gingermelon.  She has lots of patterns available. 

By making different kinds of dolls and trying out things I hope I get better at dollmaking.  It is a lot of fun when one is finished and looks like this (don't look too closely).

 

Uh oh....time out!!!

 

 

Music Monday

The Everybodyfields....I first heard them opening for The Avett Brothers at Cat's Cradle...Amazing!!!

They split up but came together a year ago at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Festival.  Jill Andrews recently toured with Kasey Chambers....Sam Quinn?????