Tried and True-sday -Health

When I was young my Mom would sometimes make granola and I LOVED it. For some reason over the years I had forgotten about how good it was. I had never tried making it before because it seemed like it would be time consuming and complicated. I was SO wrong! I decided to conquer granola making a couple of weeks ago. I did a lot of research into different recipes, baking times, shelf life, etc. After making 5 batches (Which is A LOT of granola) with different recipes and cooking times I've recorded the ultimate granola, which ironically is almost identical to my Mom's original recipe. With Granola there's a base recipe that you can make for plain basic granola, but it's in all the add-ins that make it awesome. So, here you go:

(Ok, so this picture was not making Granola but it was too cute to pass up)

Granola

(basic plain recipe)

10 cups rolled oats

1-1/2 cups wheat germ

1 cup oat bran

1-2 cups sunflower seeds

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup molasses

1/2 cup honey

1 cup oil

2 tsp. vanilla

(add ins-you really could put anything in here in any quantity, these are all approximate)

1 cup sesame seeds

3 cups chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, and walnuts)

1/2 cup flax meal

1 Tbsp. pumpkin spice

1/2 cup ground chia seed

1/2 cup poppy seed

1 cup soy nuts

(Post cooking add-ins)

dried cranberries, blueberries, dates

Get a big bowl and pour all the dry ingredients in and then the sugars and wet ingredients. Stir it a long time so that there aren't any more lumps and then spread on a baking sheet with parchment paper. You'll want to spoon enough on to be about 3/4 inch thick. Place in preheated oven 200 degrees for 20 minutes. Then take out of oven and turn/stir it with a spoon to break apart stuck pieces then put back in the oven for another 20 minutes. When it's all done it will still be a little sticky. I poured it out onto the counter and let it cool while I put the next tray in the oven. If you plan on storing it long term put it in an airtight container and then store in a cool dark area. Don't add fruit in until your ready to eat it. Once you put fruit in the shelf life drops to only being about a week.

Tips: You can't mess up Granola! Add anything you want. This is just the recipe that I made that I like the most. You can add shredded coconut, raisins, more/less nuts, more seeds, coconut oil . . . the possibilities are endless. Just know that the more dry ingredients you add beyond the basic recipe means that you will need to compensate by adding more molasses and honey. If you want the longest shelf life possible than you want the mix to be pretty dry, so don't add any extra molasses or liquids and cook it for a minute or two longer on each side. Brett really likes the granola to top yogurt and adds fresh fruit. It's great for ice cream, and I actually made the Graham Cracker crust for my Banoffee Pie with Granola instead and it was delicious! I've been eating this for breakfast every morning for the past two weeks and I haven't gotten sick of it because I can change up what fruit I put inside. It's just so great to know exactly what you're eating instead of the mystery colored cereal or cardboard pieces imitation granola. The closest thing I could find to my granola at the grocery store was an organic blend granola. The bag only held about 2 cups and it didn't have nearly as much stuff in it as this does and it cost $6. It cost me about $15 to make about 35 cups of granola. . I'd say it's totally worth it. It's very easy to make, my boys helped me make the first batch and had a lot of fun. The last three batches were made with my neighbor friend. It's a fun activity to do together. I hope you try it out. Happy Cooking!

Thanks

We were SOOO happy to have my sister Angela and her family over for Thanksgiving this year from Boise. The kids had a ton of fun having other friends around to play with. Hyrum even woke up on Saturday, went potty, put his dirty jammies away (well, he actually threw them in the trash, but we found them quickly enough), picked out some clothes, and got completely dressed and THEN came in to our bedroom and announced, "I all ready to go play with friends now!" It was really cute to see his pants on backwards, but his outfit did match.
We had an amazing meal that was easily enough to feed 20. I absolutely love Noah's face in this picture. He did say, "CHEEESE" but couldn't stop starring at the turkey. He was pretty intrigued by the unfortunate bird on our table.

Thanksgiving list of gratitude (written as it came in my head):

Stephanie: The Atonement and knowledge through the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Brett. My boys Hyrum and Noah. All the extended family. Scriptures, but especially the Book of Mormon. Pictures. Books. Adobe InDesign. Hugs. A comfy couch. Pretty clothes. Our house. Help. Smiles. Dental floss. Music. Blankets. Heating and air conditioning. Cell phones. Blogging. Toys. Bubbles. Animals. Healthy food. Flashlights. Listening. iPod. New pillows. DoTerra. NetFlix. Sleep. Sweaters. Our cars. Fireworks. Mint ice-cream. Chuck and Bones. Education. Crunchy leaves. Raspberries. Watermelon. Nail polish. makeup. Rainbows. Rain. The ocean. Starfish.

Hyrum: "I thankful for aaaaallll my friends. I thankful for my Dad. My Dad like my Mom. My happy word is ride on rocket ship. . . (Mom-"What else makes you happy?")else makes me happy? . . . hmmmm. . . that's tricky. I like yummy food and I make good choices and play in basement. Helping my Dad." Tonight for our Family Night we talked about what we were thankful for and drew pictures. Hyrum insisted that Dad draw a frog with a bug to eat, a wagon, and friends.

Noah: Noah loves talking about, writing(kind of) and reading the alphabet. So when we drew he just shouted out letters that he wanted me to draw:) However, I'll add to his list: 'Hymum'(Hyrum), 'Mio'(Mom), 'Daddio', Vitamins (he asks for them several times a day), Hot Dogs, snacks, phones, kitty(his stuffed animal he sleeps with), blankie, milk, 'hot cholite'-his new favorite, and of course OSO.

Tried and True-sday

I had three recipes that I REALLY wanted to post today, but after a minor internal debate the recipe that won out is a Thanksgiving tradition(Ok, it's only my second year making it, but traditions have to start somewhere.) that will tantalize your taste buds, expand your belt, and leave a grin on your face begging for more. . .well, maybe I exaggerative a little bit, but it can't be that far off. I had never heard of this before until I married Brett. He informed me a couple of years ago that while serving his mission in England he discovered a LOVE for banana cream pie. But, it's not traditional banana cream pie. After some research I found a recipe for an English dessert called Banoffee. This was the one. Although it takes quite a bit of time to make the steps are quite simple and the results are yummilicious! Warning: this is VERY rich, so very thin, small slices are plenty. Happy Cooking! and Happy Thanksgiving!

(Here's a birds eye view before adding the whipped cream:)

Banoffee Pie

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons + butter, softened

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

3 large bananas

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pecans optional

opt: grated chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix graham cracker crumbs with softened butter and press mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes. To create toffee filling, caramelize the sweetened condensed milk. Put unopened cans in a pot with water and boil it for about 4 hours on medium heat with lid on. Add water when running low, just be sure cans are always covered. About half way through the time take cans out with oven mits and shake them. When cooled, open cans upside down and over the pie crust, because sometimes it will shoot out. Once both the crust and toffee filling are cooled slice the bananas, fold into carmel filling. Pour filling onto crust and then place any remaining bananas over it. Cover the top with nuts. Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and spread on top of toffee filling and bananas. For aesthetics you can grate chocolate over the whipped cream just before serving. Store in fridge.

Mom's Favorite Special Book

When I was 9 years old the company my Dad was working for went under and the job market was not looking very good. He searched for months to find someplace that would be right for all of us. It was a hard time on the family. I remember how stressed my parents were and how we mostly ate out of our food storage. Things were very tight. Things were often tight, but I never fully felt the effects of it as much as I did that year. My Dad was finally able to find a job in Iowa, of all places. We were all happy at the thought of not having to eat another jar of peaches or beans from our storage everyday, but the thought of moving to Iowa was a bit of a shock. My brother and Dad moved there first so that Dan could start up with basketball season in the High School, and to look for a house for us to live. That Christmas would be without my Dad and brother. I was pretty sad about the whole family not being together since my oldest sister and brother were also serving missions. Then over dinner my Mom let my two

older sisters and me know that with moving preparations underway and finances still pretty tight we would not have a tree or store bought presents this year. We were encouraged to make something with what we could find in the house. It was hard, but I understood. We spent a lot of time in thanks to Heavenly Father for blessing my Dad with a job.

When Christmas morning came, we didn't make any efforts to wake up before dawn. My mom however was up early making a yummy breakfast (A Christmas tradition that will always be appreciated). We saw stockings sitting on the couch which made me really excited because I wasn't sure if they would be packed up already. Our stockings always had one or two oranges, and a Lifesavers different flavor pack, some shelled nuts, socks, and candy. . .or at least that's what I would always remember. For some reason I was very protective of my oranges. One year I remember keeping them under my pillow so my older siblings couldn't take them from me. Anyway, my Mom than let us know that Dad sent us a special package from Iowa. Inside were a few small presents and one big wrapped thing for each of us girls. I remember crying. When I opened it I was so excited to see a big book called The Wizard of Oz. It was the most beautiful book I had ever seen in my life. It was big, with a hard cover, and had lots of amazing pictures inside. I was sure that this book had to have been worth a fortune and so I took very good care of it. It's probably the only thing that I have kept from my youth. This book reminds me to be thankful for what I have. It reminds me of the year that we trusted in the Lord for everything, and we had enough. It reminds me of the true meaning of Christmas. I've kept the book displayed somewhere in the boys room up high so they can't reach it. Over the past year Hyrum has gotten to it a few times and once ripped one of the pages slightly. I was pretty upset and had to explain to him that he had to be extra careful with this book because it was a very special book. Well, about a month ago, before bed, Hyrum asked Brett, "Please read Mom's favorite special book?". . . So, the reading began. It's not an easy child read. It is slightly condensed from the original, but still 96 pages long. (Some of the more violent parts of the story had to be carefully edited by us.) Hyrum LOVED it! It's not often that he will just sit and listen. . . ok, it's VERY rare. But every night before bed he would sit quietly and listen to the book, stare at the pictures, and even ask question. I think reading this book will be a tradition. I am so thankful for every experience and tradition that teach us to grow closer together as a family and closer to God. Thank you Mom and Dad for making that my favorite Christmas of all time.

Tried and True-sday

Is anyone else excited about Thanksgiving? I LOVE Thanksgiving! It's my second favorite holiday next to Christmas. I love having an excuse to be in the kitchen all day. I love the smells, the variety of foods, the leftovers, the spirit of thanks. . . I love it all! I started getting the first wave of foods ready yesterday. Rolls! I love breads more than anything. . . . well, other than dessert. It's too bad they're so full of carbs. Anyway, I found this awesome recipe a couple of months ago and it is amazing! The rolls are perfect and they freeze well. We had some with soup last night and froze about 20 for Thanksgiving in the freezer. The original recipe was from Melskitchencafe(dot)com. I made a couple of alterations that I wrote in as optional. Good luck and happy cooking!:)

Lion House Rolls

*Note: The recipe calls for active dry yeast. I always use instant yeast because that's what I have on hand. To use instant yeast, cut down the amount of yeast to 1 1/2 tablespoons and then there is no need to proof the yeast in the water. Instead, add the yeast and water together with the following ingredients in the recipe and proceed with the directions.

*Makes about 2 dozen rolls

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

2 cups warm water

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 egg

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup nonfat dry milk

5-6 cups flour

(opt: I did 3 cups whole wheat flour and about 2 1/2 cups white)

(opt: add a couple Tablespoons of flax)

In a large bowl, combine the yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes (no need to do this if using instant yeast - just add the yeast and water together with the other ingredients). Add sugar, butter, salt, dry milk, 2 cups flour and egg. Beat together until very smooth. Add remaining flour gradually (about 1/2 cup at a time) until a soft but not sticky dough is formed. Knead the dough for at least five minutes if using an electric mixer and for at least 10 minutes if mixing the dough by hand. When the dough is smooth, supple and elastic, place it in a lightly greased large bowl covered with greased plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled.

Separate the dough into two portions. Roll each section out to an 11X14-inch rectangle. Brush the top with melted butter. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into two pieces, the long way. Then slice the dough into five or six strips across so you end up with 10 to 12 small rectangles. Roll each small rectangle up like a snail and place on a silpat-lined or lightly greased baking sheet with the roll resting on it's open edge. Repeat with the second portion of dough.

Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap and let them rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes until they are nicely browned. As soon as you take them out brush with melted butter on top to give the glistening look.

Hay

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I love Fall. My favorite sound in the world is crunching leaves under my feet. I have to admit that I will go out of my way on walks to stomp on fallen leaves. Another great thing about Fall is the farmers markets, but that's a whole other affair. I LOVE the Fall! The end. We've been meaning to post this video for a while. We took a last minute, pull off the road on our way home, trip to a farmers fair. The boys loved it! There were pony rides, a petting zoo, hay maze, etc. Because it was spontaneous we didn't have a camera with us other than Brett's phone. Luckily his video and picture quality turned out pretty well. Here's the hay trampoline. Noah gets really into jumping; it's a serious sport.

For those of you who have asked me how I got my Halloween hair:

It's very easy to do. But your hair has to look like this for a day. When the hairs still wet, put in some mouse and hairspray, and twist it up the afternoon before Halloween. Sleep on it. Around lunch time I took out the rubber bands, ran my fingers through it, and voila. That's it. You should try it next year.

Tried and True-sday: Health

For the past year Brett and I have been on a quest to live a healthier lifestyle. I can't say that we're total health nuts or that we don't have our trips to fast food places occasionally, but we have made some changes. It was always my belief that freezers were intended to hold ice cream and a house is not a home without baked goods easily available. It was normal to make a huge batch of cookies every other week. . . and if not cookies than we would have brownies, cupcakes, or whatever else I was in the mood to bake. . . oh and don't forget the ice cream that always made the best garnish to any meal. Well, the idea was to not cut everything out but to just cut back. We now pretty much only buy ice cream for the freezer on birthdays. I've cut back to baking cookies about every other month. (By the way, Holiday Season - so far you've been winning the treat war, but I intend to get back at you:) We've tried to add healthier things to our menu. We've also been going to the gym. With those 'small' changes I've decided to call it the 2010 -20. I lost 20 pounds. It wasn't a crash course diet but a year of small changes, and I hope that these small things will only continue to improve our lives. On a side note: I have NEVER been athletic or fit in any way and I recently ran my first mile with out walking on the treadmill. . . I have to give props to myself and a shout out to anyone like me who has never dreamed of running a mile. It's possible! Anyway, enough of the health testimonial. Let's get down to business: As long as I am doing these recipes on Tuesdays I will occasionally be adding in a 'True to your Health' recipe. The one I chose for today is a YUMMMY treat that no one will know is actually good for you. . .. shhhh, don't tell. The recipe also can be made with a few yummy, but less healthy ingredients too. You choose how healthy you want it to be. This was a recipe given to me from a friend that I attend a recipe club with. I've made a few little additions.

Thanks Risa! Enjoy:

(Fall means comfort food, pumpkin, and hot chocolate)

Pumpkin Muffins

¾ cup raisins, dates, or chocolate chips

1 cup all purpose flour*

1 cup whole wheat flour*

½ cup ground flax seed*

1 cup Splenda brown sugar blend**

¾ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. salt

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 eggs

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

½ cup chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds

*can use 2 ½ cups all purpose flour

**can use 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin pans (makes 18 muffins). Soak raisins in hot water for ten minutes to plump, then drain. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, pumpkin, and applesauce, until smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly to make a smooth batter. Stir the raisins (or chocolate chips) and walnuts into the batter. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Note: I actually realized I was out of eggs when I started making this recipe. I found out that Flax is an awesome egg substitute. You just put one Tbsp Flax and 3 Tbsp. water in a bowl and let it sit for 2 minutes to equal one egg.

Happy Baking!