Simple, Tasty Granola

One of God’s finest moments was creating granola and then combining it with yogurt. I was experimenting making my own yogurt, so naturally, I had to make granola. (I’ll be sharing the yogurt recipe with you next week).

Instead of using honey (some people are allergic), molasses (sticky mess) or real maple syrup (expensive), I wanted to experiment with Agave Nectar. And boy, was I not disappointed. Crunchy, slightly sweet and super tasty. Throw some homemade yogurt in the mix, and you will be in heaven.

Here’s all that you’ll need to make your own Simple, Tasty Granola:
4 C Regular Rolled Oats (not the quick kind)
2 C Chopped Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans or a mix of all three
1 C Shelled Sunflower Seeds
1/2 C Toasted Wheat Germ
1/2 C Milled Flax Seed
1 C Agave Nectar (or honey)
4 TBS Cooking Oil
2 C Dried Raisins, Cranberries, Cherries

Spray two 9 x 13 casserole dishes with cooking spray.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a very large bowl, measure out 4 Cups Regular Rolled Oats.

Add to the oats the 2 Cups of Nuts and 1 Cup of Sunflower Seeds.

Next, add the 1/2 Cup of Wheat Germ and 1/2 Cup Flax Seed. Stir the dry mixture until everything is evenly distributed.

Measure out 1 Cup of Agave Nectar or Honey.

Add the 4 Tablespoons of Cooking Oil to the Agave Nectar.

Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture and pour the wet mixture all at once. Stir until everything is mixed evenly.

Distribute the granola between the two greased casserole dishes. Pop them in the oven and bake for 30 minutes total, stirring halfway through the cooking time.

Remove from oven and stir in dried fruit.

Spread the granola out on tin foil to cool. (Lock up the kittens at this point).

Once the granola is cool to the touch, store it in an airtight container. It lasts a little over a week. I divide mine in half and put part of it in the freezer for later.

This Simple, Tasty Granola lives up to its name-all by itself-or add a little chilled milk or homemade yogurt. Then, invite a few friends over and show off what you made and enjoy it together!

Linking up here, along with other parties:

Cute Presents from Mindy Mae’s Market

Dear Readers:
Have you ever forgotten you entered a contest and then weeks later were sent in the mail an awesome prize? This is what happened to me last week and I mistook it for a birthday present from some unknown source, until I tracked it down. I won a contest through Tatertots and Jello! This unexpected surprise made my day, my week and my month.

I entered the contest hosted by Tatertots and Jello in April-with the prize offered by Mindy Mae’s Market , which included cupcake holders, treat bags, bakers twine, tiny scissors, brown twine, jewelry and so much more. Let’s take a look!

I am not getting paid, reimbursed or even asked to write about this prize. I just loved it so much and the products were so freakin’ awesome that I wanted to share it with all of you!

First off, these amazing cupcake/treat holders were super cute and it will have to be a pretty special occasion for me to use them. Seriously? Polka dots?!

Next up, a bag of the cutest little plastic flowers.

I plan to attach those cute little flowers to these metal adjustable rings. Or make tiny crowns for Barbie dolls. I suppose I’ll need to find someone who has some Barbies still…

Along with the plastic flowers and rings, I had a bag of fun buttons and hair pins. I can’t wait to make all sorts of crazy combinations and give them away as gifts.

This is when it gets crazy. Fabric tape, ribbons, ric-rac, and tiny clothespins? It’s like this store came into being just for me.

Patterned tape, magnets and mason jar lids. Will the cuteness never end?

And finally, a beautiful necklace full of shiny keys with matching earrings, two wristbands and a bracelet. I seriously felt like I had won the lottery.

Thank you so much, Tatertots and Jello and  Mindy Mae’s Market  ! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

“Crafting with Cat Hair”-Weirdest Present Ever

You all know that I’m weird. That’s no surprise. But, did you know that my weirdness attracts more weirdness?

I have this lovely friend Jennifer–pictured here on the left (which you can read all about her in my article: Together in Tulsa in This Land Press) that gave me the weirdest present ever. And for an unseen bonus-it was wrapped in Christmas paper, but yet given to me in April.

Now, you may say, “Weirdest present ever? Come on, Rebekah. Surely being a part of your family, you’ve received weirder.”

You have a good point. And it’s obvious you don’t believe me. Let me prove it.

Weirdest Present Ever

Yep, a book called “Crafting with Cat Hair”.

Jennifer claimed that she “saw the book and thought of me”.

Funny, Jennifer-real funny.

Now, I may be fully into my cats, but am I a crazy cat lady? I think that I have proven that I am not.

The concept behind the book is recycling your pet’s hair and turning it into crafty “everyday” items. Like picture framed images made from cat hair of your cat.

That’s pretty “everyday”, don’t you think?

Maybe something a little more “everyday” are felt book covers, embellished with cat images made from you cat’s hair. I wouldn’t give it a second thought to pull this out at my local coffee shop.

The book also teaches you how to make fun toys for your cat from their own hair. Hm…

Not weird at all.

It offers patterns, step-by-step guides and instructions, as well as…

…how to harvest your cat’s hair and store it properly until you are ready to craft with it.

I suppose if the kittens in your house are just going to upchuck it anyways, you might as well get green and recycle that cat hair. I mean, what could be wrong about that?

Absolutely nothing.

By the way, Jennifer-you are in big trouble. And paybacks are…well, you know what they are….

DIY Ant Deterrent

There are ants in my garden! Who invited them?

I’m trying to keep my garden as free from weed and bug killers as possible. These chemicals rob the soil of vital nutrients, making my job harder when it’s time to plant.

But, I still don’t want these guys around, either. They are pretty pompous and arrogant, in my opinion. They need to go.

And I have just the solution!

Here’s all that you need to make your very own Homemade Ant Deterrent:
Spray Bottle
Water
Mild Dish Soap

Fill the spray bottle with water. Add 4-5 drops of the mild dish soap and shake vigorously.

Spray the solution on the plant-wherever the offenders are and watch them slip and slide all the way to the ground. I usually do this either in the early morning or right before the sun goes down, to avoid scorching the leaves. After a heavy rain, you might need to re-apply the DIY Ant Deterrent solution.
This won’t harm your plant, but let’s see what it does to our ant friends….

I bid thee farewell, small ant. And take your brothers with you.