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!

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There’s a Hummus Among Us!

Yep, the title for this recipe is pretty lame. But I’ve had a weird week dealing with terroristic threats and what not, so anything that amuses me is rushing out quicker than I can close the dam.

I absolutely love hummus-I could eat hummus slathered on sandwiches, by the heaping spoonful, or with veggies if I feel like being a little more sophisticated. What I don’t love is paying $3 or more dollars for a tiny container that’s full of hard to pronounce ingredients.

So, off to the kitchen lab! And, within a few minutes, I had fresh hummus at my fingertips.

Here is what’s needed to make this Hummus Among Us Recipe-without tahini:

3 Cups Drained Garbanzo Beans (reserve juice if desired instead of the water)
3/4-1 Cup Water or bean juice (more or less depending on how tender/cooked your beans are)
1 TBS Lemon Juice
2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
3/4 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp-1 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt (depending on your taste)
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Salt (not pictured, sorry…)
Food Processor/Blender

Pour the 3 Cups of Garbanzo Beans into the blender. Add 1 Cup of Water and hit the puree until the beans are smooth.

The Hummus should have this type of consistency-thick but still pliable.

Add the 1 TBS Lemon Juice to the mixture.

Next, add the 2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Add the 1 tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds and blend again until smooth.

Now for the spices! Add the 3/4 tsp of Chili Powder-(or if you like things a little spicy, take the plunge and add a full 1 TBS).

Add the 1 tsp to 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt.

And finally, add the 1/4 tsp Onion Powder and the 1/4 tsp Salt. Blend again until all the ingredients are mixed thoroughly.

Put the hummus into a cute bowl and then add a little more chili powder that will show off your awesome hummus.

Serve with fresh cut veggies and enjoy the Hummus that’s Among Us!

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Simple, Healthy Salad Dressing

In March, I gave myself a month long challenge of ridding my house of nasty chemicals and high priced products that I can make myself. Here are a few of the things that I’ve been able to replace around the house:

Recipe for Facial Moisturizer
Cheap, Organic Face Wash
DIY Household Green Cleaners
DIY Organic Eye Makeup Remover
Simple, Organic Lip Balm

But the replacements must meet or exceed three important expectations for this frugal gal:
1. It must be easy to replace-no beakers or science lab experiments. Thank you.
2. It must be just as good or better than the current product I’m using and,
3. It must cost the same or less than the current product I’m using.

photo source unknown

If the product I create passes the final test-me using it for over two plus weeks to make sure it does its job-then I’ll be sharing it with you. I will break down the cost for you, provide you the recipe and give you my honest opinion of the final product.

Today, I have a recipe for Simple, Healthy Salad Dressing via my sweet mother-in-law. I tweaked the recipe a little and I subtracted the salt and pepper. I enjoy lots of pepper on my salad, but just a pinch of salt. (I figured I could add my own accoutrements expo facto.)

All that is needed to make this Simple, Healthy Salad Dressing is:
1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 Cup All Fruit, No Sugar Strawberry Jam

In a liquid measuring cup, pour 1 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In the same measuring cup, add the 1/3 Cup of Balsamic Vinegar. Watch the cool little bubbles float around for a minute and pretend you are in a CSI lab.

Measure out 1/4 Cup of Strawberry Jam. Lick your fingers.

If necessary, use a funnel to transfer the measured jam into the chosen dressing jar.

Next, pour the olive oil and balsamic mixture into the jar. This will get all the last little bits of jam left in the funnel, into the jar.

Place the lid on the dressing jar and shake vigorously. Pour a small amount on top of your favorite salad, grab a fork and dig in.

Add salt and pepper if desired. Enjoy!

Note-this dressing must be stored in the fridge and it will settle and separate. Shake the bottle before each use.

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Easy Baked Tortilla Chips

Biceps has a definite “sweet tooth”-he caves at the sight of brownies, chocolate chips, and ice cream. I, on the other hand, have a “salty tooth”-put a bag of chips in front of me and watch my will power crumble.

I (and my waistline) needed to find a replacement for store bought chips. I’ve often seen recipes that require frying tortillas in oil-which ups the calorie count considerably. I decided to experiment and bake my own chips.

Here is the calorie breakdown:

One Guerrero tortillas equals 55 calories and makes about 4 chips. There are even lower calorie tortillas-this was just what I had on hand. (Whole Food’s brand are a little less at 46 calories per tortilla).

Here is what you will need to make your very own Easy Baked Tortilla Chips:

Tortillas of your choosing-I used corn tortillas
Table Salt
Kitchen Sheers

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Stack 2-3 tortillas on top of each other and cut into fourths.

Lay the cut tortillas on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Dip your fingers into water and sprinkle the top of the tortillas.

With a dry hand, sprinkle salt onto the tortillas. (I failed to dry my hand off and the salt stuck to my fingers. Please forgive me and learn from my mistakes….).

Bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until crispy, turning once.

Eat the chips while they are still warm, paired with your favorite salsa. Feel awesome knowing you did something a little better for your body.

Ole!!

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