Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Making Homemade Granola

So I got a hold of this Snackle Mouth granola and my husband ate the whole box. He really liked it alot and dug the fact that it was sweetened with agave nectar. Now if this stuff weren't $4 a box i'd be stoked on it...but not as fast as it goes. So I decided to take it upon myself to find a recipe that was suitable in the taste department but also easy on the wallet. I found this recipe via Pinterest and was immediately reeled in. Original post/recipe from Sara Lynn Page's blog, check out some of her other stuff too :)  
Original Recipe 

The Goods
4 1/2 cups (18 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shelled, raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup dried cranberries
2-3 tbsp cinnamon (depends on how much you like the stuff)
1 1/4 cups pure maple syrup
1/3 cup canola oil  

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and then add in the syrup and oil, stirring until all dry ingredients are moistened. Spread granola on roughly 12×17 rimmed baking sheet and baked until brown (20-25 minutes), then stir with a flat spatula. Continue baking until it is light golden brown, dry, and fragrant, 10-15 minutes longer. Watch it carefully because during the end it can burn quickly!

My Version With Variations
4 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup flax meal (NOT FLAX SEED)
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/4 cups agave nectar
1/3 cup grapeseed oil

I followed the directions just the same but having to allow longer time to bake to achieve that awesome golden brown goodness. Just kept going in and stirring and checking about every 5-10 mins after the first round of 25 mins. Just make sure to check it frequently towards the end to prevent burning. This recipe could be altered to meet your taste needs, substitute different fruits and nuts and just remember to keep it simple! Simple food is good food :)

****NOTE**** 
This  most recent batch I opted to stir in the fruit after baking and cooling. Last time it seemed to dry it out a little too much baking it with the oats and nuts. So I suggest that if you like the fruit to be a bit softer to stir in after baking.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Personal Update On The Use and Results of the DIY Laundry Soap

Well i've used the laundry soap several times now and i'm totally happy with it. The clothes come out clean and smelling fresh even without the use of liquid softener. I am also a big fan of the fact that each load only requires 1 tablespoon of the paste. So not only is it affordable to make it's also very efficient when you think about how much you're using for an entire load of clothes!

I will also be handing out samples of both soaps to 7 friends to let them try it out tomorrow. The only thing i've asked of them in return is to write me some short reviews so that I can post them here. I wanted to get a perspective from different people in different homes that way the environments varied and I could really see if it would work for more than just myself. I'm very excited to know what they all think :)

I also made my first batch of liquid hand soap today and so far i'm pleased with how it's turned out. Not only does it smell fantastically but it's a great consistency. I did change the recipe I found slightly to see if it would change the consistency issues that she was having and so far it looks like i've done it. Can't wait to make my mason jar soap pumps and start using it! I will post about the soap pumps as well as that's a whole other project by itself <3