Baby Porridge Recipe

Learning how to feed herself!

Quick. Healthy.  Inexpensive.  These are all words a mother likes to hear related to a recipe for her baby.  These things make baby porridge my favorite baby food recipe.

Baby Porridge

Breakfast, lunch and dinner it can be mixed with other fruits or veggies for substantial nourishment. Whole grains and dried beans are healthy and inexpensive, but can take a long time to cook.  This recipe cuts that time down amazingly.

Recipe:
1/3 cup uncooked whole grain (I've used brown rice, or millet, or groats, or wheat berries, or spelt, etc)
2 T dried beans (I've used white beans, large lima beans, lentils, garbanzo beans, or red beans)
2 cups water
Note:  I usually stick with one type of bean and one type of whole grain per batch.  My favorite combination is brown rice with white beans.  It has a nice creaminess to it.

 1.  Put grain and beans in a food processor and process for to 2 minutes.

 2.  Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a small saucepan.  Add in the grain/bean powder and stir with a whisk.

3.  Cook for 10 minutes uncovered, stirring every couple of minutes.
4.  Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Baby Porridge mixed with fruit.

I got the recipe from "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron.  

I would love to hear what is, or was your favorite baby food recipe to make!

Orecchiette with Ricotta and Peas

I recently found some whole wheat orecchiette pasta and made a recipe inspired by ideas from the bag.  Orecchiette is a pasta named for its resemblance to small ears.  The funny thing is I unintentionally made this recipe for our friend who just became an audiologist!  This recipe is super easy.  With being pregnant I'm trying to restrict myself to super easy.

Left overs for lunch the next day!

Orecchiette with Ricotta and Peas

8 oz Whole wheat orecchiette or shell pasta
2 cups whole milk ricotta
1 1/2 cups frozen peas thawed
3 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
tomato (as you desire)

1.  Boil the pasta, drain and return to pan.
2.  Mix with rest of ingredients.
3.  Season with salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese

Jaunuary 2011

Happy New Year!

Sewing, Sewing, Sewing!

These past couple months I've been in full swing with sewing, and I love it.

I made initial ornaments out of felt.  Super easy and fun.  The felt I used had glitter already in it, which added a subtle shimmer.   I used this tutorial:  ornament tutorial

Apron for my sister in law.

This apron was my first time using a pattern.  I bought it from Etsy here.  Despite making mistake after mistake (my fault, not the patterns fault) I still loved almost every minute of it.  The only minute I didn't like of sewing was when I accidentally sewed the whole thing into a jumbled mess.  Luke came inside from playing basketball and found me crying under the covers.  Hero that he is, he sat down in front of a football game with a seam ripper and 10 minutes later had my apron fixed!

As a present to my cousin I sewed a tote bag.  I used this tutorial.  I had fun using the bag to wrap the rest of the gift, which was a book.  I pinned the back around the book and tucked in the handles so that it had more of a gift kind of look.

Reading

A sign of a good book may be when you give it away before you finish reading it  so that someone else can enjoy it as much as you are!  This happened to a friend of mine with the biography "God's Smuggler" by Brother Andrew.  My friend then tried to borrow the book from me, so that she could finish reading it, but I had lent my copy away.  The next person she called had also lent his copy away!  Needless to say, I recommend this book about a Christian man worked with God to smuggle Bible's into communist countries.  Actually, it  has been some years since I have read it, does anyone have a copy I could borrow?

Cooking

Fruit Crisp

The recipe for this month is from my favorite food website, 101 Cookbooks.  In this recipe she uses plums and peaches.  I like making it with peaches and blueberries (two fruits I often have frozen in my freezer).  Luke describes the topping to be like an oatmeal cookie.  This is a nice dessert without be too sweet, a quality I am trying to teach my sweet tooth to appreciate. (picture to be uploaded Monday)

Fruit:
1 pound peaches
1 pound blueberries
1/4 cup natural cane sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons arrowroot (or cornstarch)


Crisp:
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour (all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup natural cane sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
big pinch of salt
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup yogurt
Special equipment: 8x8 square baking dish or equivalent

1. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.

2. Cut the peaches bite-sized, 1-inch pieces.  Place the chopped fruit in a medium-sized bowl.

3. In a separate small bowl whisk together the 1/4 cup sugar and the arrowroot. Sprinkle over the fruit and stir. Transfer the fruit to an 8-inch square baking dish.

4.  To make the topping combine the oats, flour, sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Stir in the butter, and then the yogurt and mix until everything comes together in a dough-like texture. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the fruit mixture.

5.  Place the baking dish in the oven, middle rack, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the topping is golden. Sprinkle a bit more sugar on top as it comes out of the oven.

Is this how baby's play in Alaska?

September 2010

First time rolling over!

 This September has been a wonderful time.  My little girl has made many motor strides this month.  She is rolling over, but most of the time in her sleep.  Often I find her with an arm or a leg hanging out of the crib.  She is also starting to reach for items with her hands, and sometimes actually picking them up.  This especially is fun for her occupational therapist mother!

Recipe

For many years now gazpacho has been a special recipe for me to make.  I have so many good memories over the years making gazpacho to celebrate occasions or just to enjoy it with people that I love.  I even took it on a car camping trip! Traditionally gazpacho is all pureed, even sometimes drinkable.  The chunky version appeals more to me, maybe because it is like a salsa soup!

Gazpacho!
1/3 cup cilantro leaves
1 (or more) large jalapeno, cored, split, seeded
1 large garlic clove
3 large ripe tomatoes, quartered
3 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup each: ketchup, olive oil
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 cup each diced: green pepper(half of a large pepper), jicama (half a small jicama), white onion (half of a large onion)
1 cup raw corn (1 ear)
1 ripe avocado, peeled, diced

1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Optional - sour cream, lime wedges, corn chips
1.  Mince cilantro, jalapeno, and garlic in a blender or food processor.  Add tomatoes. Puree.  Add 1 cup tomato juice, ketchup, oil and Worcestershire sauce.  Blend well.
2.  Transfer to large bowl.  Stir in remaining juice, diced pepper, jicama, onion, corn, avocado.  Season with salt and pepper.  Can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.
3.  To serve, stir well.  Serve chilled.  Garnish with sour cream and lime juice.  Eat with the chips.
Printable Recipe
Reading
I had fun reading this month.  Here are two of the books that really had my attention.
Romancing Miss Bronte 

This book shows Charlotte Bronte's real life.  It was terribly interesting.  She had published under a pseudonym and then became ridiculously famous.  One funny scene was on a train when a man she knew was reading her book and didn't know that she had written it!  I also appreciated that the book was based mostly on actually letters and diaries.  The best part to me was that in the end she married and was able to enjoy how truly wonderful God made marriage to be.  Her heart was tenderized by how her husband loved her.  Unfortunately she died early before she was able to depict in a book how wonderful non-traumatic love can be.

Nurture Shock 
This book was really interesting.  It examined what our culture tells us is the correct way to teach children, but then how scientific studies show us that we may be off track.  For example, most parents think that they are helping their children by telling the child that he or she is smart.  But often children end up not trying difficult activities because they don't want to prove that they actually are not smart.  But when people praise a child for working hard, then the child will try more difficult activities.  For a book with a lot of scientific studies, it is really interesting to read.



Exercise

This month I swam laps 3 times a week!  How wonderfully invigorating.  Especially since my local pool had lap swimming outside until last week.  My favorite times were swimming while the sun was setting.  Priceless.

Occupational Therapy

This month I celebrate being an occupational therapist for 10 years!  While I'm not currently working as a therapist, it has been a wonderful time for reflecting on the past 10 years.  I am truly thankful for all the people I have met through the journey, both co-workers and patients.  One of my patients was in his 60's and had limited use of his arms and legs due to being born with cerebral palsy.  He grew up during a time where there was little awareness about people with disabilities.  He shared with me that his favorite song was "Born Free".  His attitude toward life was one of being thankful and enjoying everyday.  This is the essence of what I enjoy about being an occupational therapist.  Helping people to do the most that they can in life, and at the same time being reminded to enjoy living my own life.

August 2010

 Happy August!

We've been smiling,

and cooing around here!

Garden
The flowers have really burst forth in our front yard!

The white zinnia's really helped to fill in some bare spots in the border.

I'm sparing you the pictures of our backyard. Who wants to look at bare dirt spots and dried up plants?  My goal is next year to be showing you pictures of a back yard with lush plants and pretty flowers.

Bible
A verse that I have enjoyed this month is Isaiah 50:10

"Who is among you that fears the LORD,
         That obeys the voice of His servant,
         That walks in darkness and has no light?
         Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God."

 When I am in a situation that I feel like I don't have a light, I need to continue to rely on God and trust in His name (and He has so many wonderful names, Creator, Almighty, Father...)

Mocha Cheesecake

This month's recipe is one that I grew up enjoying on special occasions.   It actually isn't a cheesecake.  Instead is like a really rich ice cream cake.  Usually the recipes I post are healthy.  This is the opposite direction, but oh so good!  You won't be sorry you try this recipe.  Even if you mess it up and use real coffee grounds instead of instant coffee, like I did one time, you will still love it.

Frozen Mocha Cheesecake
1 1/4 c. chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (or graham cracker crumbs)
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. margarine or butter (melted)
1- 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1- 14 oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2/3 c. chocolate flavored syrup
2 T. instant coffee
1 t. hot water
1 c. (1/2 pint) whipping cream, whipped

In small bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and margarine.  In buttered 9-inch spring form pan or 13x9-inch baking dish, pat crumbs firmly on bottom and up sides of pan.  Chill.  In large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy; add sweetened condensed milk and chocolate syrup.  In small bowl, dissolve coffee in water, add to mixture.  Mix well. Fold in whipped cream.  Pour into prepared pan.  Cover.  Freeze 6 hours or until firm.
Printable Copy of Recipe

Crafts
Here are some party decorations I made for a baby shower.

Isn't Luke's grandma's sewing machine awesome!

 Ruffle crepe paper by layering two pieces and then sewing down the middle.  More information here.

 Cut triangles out of scrapbook paper, glue to a string, and then you have a fun triangle banner.

May 2010 Blog

Happy May!

We've been busy decorating our nursery and getting it ready the baby.  We are doing an animal themed nursery with animal alphabet cards, hung on the wall.  Yes, we are aware that we don't have the alphabet cards in the correct order.  We don't have room for the entire alphabet on the wall, and the baby isn't quite ready to be worrying about order anyways!


Besides still working on some physical things in the baby's room we are really ready for her to come at anytime.  We tell her this everyday, but she hasn't decided to maker her journey yet. 

 My mom, Patsy, made a beautiful crib skirt out of this fabric by Alexander Henry called "Juicy Jungle".  Luke's mom, Holly, and I are working on a valance for the window.  We are appliqueing some of the animals from the fabric onto the valance.  I'm really excited about my adventures in sewing.  It has something I've been afraid to try since middle school because of the precision involved.  But I'm relearning the whole process, and I'm excited about all the craft options.  Baby's aren't too fussy about straight stitches,  so this is a good place to start!

Does it mean you all ready for a baby when you can diaper a duck blindfolded?  At a recent baby shower this was a skill I found myself capable of!

Salad Dressing Recipe
An easy but healthy meal Luke and I like to make is taco salad.  It is easy to improvise with what we have on hand, or ingredients we desire at the time.  But we never knew what dressing to use.  Some restaurants offer a creamy dressing on taco salad, but we wanted to steer clear of that direction.  We usually end up using more salsa than we need to just to make our salad "wet".  We tried this dressing the last couple times we had taco salad, and felt like it really helped balance our salads.  It is subtle and provided that "wetness" we desired.

Taco Salad Dressing
6 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoons lime juice (1 lime)
cumin to taste

Mix ingredients and serve over taco salad.  Extra will keep in the fridge.

Click Here For Printable Recipe


A Sweet Love Story

I recently watched "The Young Victoria" and I highly recommend it.  I knew nothing of Queen Victoria's early years as Queen, and so I found the history really interesting.  At the same time it is an extremely endearing and sweet love story.  If you enjoy period pieces and simple and sweet stories, then please see it, you will enjoy it.


Board Game

Recently I have been learning how to play Alhambra, a strategy game that my friends Matt and Betsy own. (well technically Betsy gave it to her dad for Christmas but has then has been borrowing it back!)


Some nice things about this game is that it is a strategy game, but it is not very complex to learn.  Basically you are buying and building rooms. But how you get your money, what you buy and how you build, that is what the game comes down to.    Another nice feature is that you can play it as a two player game.  Luke and I are always looking for good two player games.   But we've also played with 6 people and had fun (like any strategy game with a lot of people, everyone has to be committed to the game).  Let me know what you think of it if you try it out.


I Won Something!

With my new adventures in sewing, I have been looking at sewing blogs and websites.  The website Sew Mama Sew had a give away day with people from other blogs coming together and giving away items.  And I won this fabulous camera strap from VMJess.  Check out her Etsy shop if you are interested in a cute camera strap.  She uses lots of fun fabrics.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/vmjess

April Blog

Happy Spring!
One of the things I love about living in Tennessee is that spring comes early.  Being pregnant during the spring has been especially fun.  As everything is blooming, blossoming, and starting anew, I look forward to the amazing new start of birth.  Here are some other things I have been enjoying in April month.

5 Pound Sack of Potatoes

Last week at the doctors they estimate that the baby is already 5 pounds!  That is so big after so long of her being compared to a blueberry or an avocado.  We are working on getting the nursery ready and looking forward to meeting our little girl soon! 




The Healthiest Scone You Will Ever Like
My recipe this month is one that I have been making for some years now.  I've played with it, tweaked it, and really have been happy with the results in every stage.  You can't approach these like the scones you would get at a coffee shop.  Don't think white and flaky.  This scone marches to the beat of it's own drum.  I've found that the most successful whole grain recipes are like that.  They don't  try to make you think you are eating something white and fluffy but really it is make from barely.  Instead, whole grain recipes that are their own thing altogether are most enjoyable.  If you have any recipes like that, please share them with me.  This recipe is adapted from "The Healthy Kitchen"

Multi-Grain Scones

 1 Egg
1/2 cup sugar (I use cane sugar, but white sugar will work)
5 Tablespoons oil (either grape seed, olive, or vegetable)
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 cup flour ***see note
3 Tablespoons millet

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375
2.  Whisk egg, sugar, and oil together.
3.  Mix dry ingredients together in separate bowl.  Then slowly add dry ingredients to wet.  Then add milk and nuts.
4.  Grease a pan and scoop a couple of tablespoons of dough into mounds onto the pan.  There should be around 10 scones.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

***Note on flour:  This is where I have experimented with different combinations of whole wheat flour, white flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or white whole wheat flour.  My current favorite combination is 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour and 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour.
Click Here For Printable Copy of Recipe


What a Privilege To Love 

I've continued to enjoy dwelling on what Jesus Christ shared with his disciples right before he was going to be crucified.  I've been reading John chapters 13-16 a lot recently.  What has really stood out to me is the privilege as a Christian I have to love other people.

⁹"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  John 15:9-12 NIV

As a Christian I have "Christ-In" and I am commanded to love like Christ loved.  What a privilege!  When I try to love people on my own I often run out very easily.  But when I look at God's love for me and Jesus Christ love for me I then have so much more to give to other people.

One thing I learned this month is how there are similar topics covered in John 13-16 and in the book of 1 John.  In 1 John it also talks about what Christians are commanded to do.

^"23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us." 1 John 3:23 NIV

This is what I am endeavoring to do on a daily basis, believing in the power of the name of Jesus Christ and to love other people.  That sounds like a good life to me.
 
Gardening

My Mrs. Moon plant made the first substantial showing, and boy did she show off!  From a little sprig of a plant that my mom gave me last year she really started the season off with style!

 I was so thrilled that my Solomon's Seal blossomed.  This is a flower that grows wild in the woods.  It is great to have a little woods in my backyard.

For my birthday Luke gave me 2 double pink knockout rose bushes.  They are going to get to be 3 to 4 feet tall.  I'm very thankful.  (for those of you keeping score in the gardening department, I ended up not getting the David Austin rose this year.  I found out that in the hot South, those English type roses need partial shade.  Maybe next year I will get one).




Learning How to Cut With Scissors
After the past 7 years of working with preschool and elementary school children to develop fine motor skills, I am still fascinated by the process, and still find it interesting.  I am starting to share what I know about fine motor development with my sister-in-law Anna for her little daughter Charlotte.  For any moms of preschoolers or people that have preschoolers in their life, I thought that I would also start sharing some fine motor skill development information on this blog.  Let me know if you use it.

View "Learning How To Cut With Scissors"

Cutting with scissors is something we take for granite as adults, but it is a skill children have to learn.  I've seen too many time a child never having used scissors before and then given the shape of a dog or flower to cut out and then been unsuccessful and very frustrated.  If you would like more information please click on the link for a document about learning to cut with scissors.

March Blog

Hello Friends!  I have enjoyed a happy but busy March.  Here are some things I would love to share with you.


1.  The Baby
Luke and I continue to look forward in excitement to our little girl coming in only 2 months!

2. Cool People Laugh at This Video
This You Tube video has had me laughing this week.  It is a true paradox.  Guys love watching movies with explosions, but the men in movies never watch the explosions, therefore: "Cool Guys Don't Look at Explosions".


3.  Oh, the Joy!
Two different things I have been thinking a lot about lately is the resurrection of Jesus Christ and also preparing myself mentally for my upcoming labor.  When I was reading the Bible in John 16 these two different topics intertwined in a way that surprised and encouraged me.  This section in John is when Jesus was talking to his disciples right after the last supper.

¹⁶"A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me." ¹⁷Some of His disciples then said to one another, "What is this thing He is telling us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because  I go to the Father'?" ¹⁸So they were saying, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is talking about." ¹⁹Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, "Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me'? "Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. ²¹"Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. ²²"Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you."

When I have a thought dreading the labor and work involved of delivering my baby, I try to remember the joy that I will have because a child will be born into the world.  And then I remember the even greater joy I can have right now because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead!

4.  Who Said Oatmeal Cookies Couldn't be Yummy?

My new recipe for this month is Chocolate Cherry Cookies.  I love how this recipe uses whole grains and are delicious.  You don't have to force yourself to eat these cookies!  I froze half of them and have them stored in the freezer.  Then I microwave one for 25 seconds, and the chocolate and cherries get all gooey, perfect!

Chocolate Cherry Cookies
From Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2010
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup old fashion rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter melted
3/4 cup brown sugar or raw cane sugar
1 cup dried cherries * (you could reduce this to 3/4 cup, or do a combination of raisins and cherries)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg lightly beaten
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate pieces

1.  Preheat oven to 350
2.  Stir together, flours, oats, baking soda, and salt.
3.  Stir sugar with melted butter till smooth.  Add to flour mixture.  Beat until well blended.  Add cherries, vanilla, and egg.  Beat till combined.  Fold in chocolate.
4.  Drop by the tablespoon on baking sheets that have cooking spray.
5.  Bake for for 12 minutes.

5.  "The Music Within"
This movie about the man behind the writing of the Americans with Disabilities Act was funny, moving, interesting, and made me very thankful for how far we have come as a society.  



















6.  A Late Bloomer Just on Time

Two years ago on Mothers Day I was at a brunch where they gave all the mothers an African violet plant.  They had left overs, so they gave one to me.  In the last two years it hasn't bloomed once.  And then out of no where it bloomed, right before I am about to become a mother.  How beautiful!



Next month I hope to have pictures of our nursery and our gardens.  Enjoy April!

February 2010

Happy February!  Here are somethings that made me smile this month.

1. The Baby

Our baby is growing strong.  I am 6 months pregnant and they estimate that she is 2 pounds in weight!  It is so fun to have her kicking all the time.  On the ultra sound they were able to tell that her toes are like mine!  Her second toe is longer than her big toe.

2.  The Belly
Some people have asked to see a picture of my belly, so here it is. It is strange to have your body change so much so quickly! 

  


3.  Don't tell my Grandma!

As a child, anytime my mom would estimate instead of being exact with a measurement while baking she would always say "Don't tell Grandma Bucher!"  This is because I come from a long tradition of baking and cooking.  My Grandma is precise in measurements, and her wonderful baking and cooking demonstrates the wisdom of that.   

Carrying on with tradition, I normally like to bake from scratch.  But with the pregnancy I am learning the importance of simplifying when needed.  

I highly recommend  Duncan Hines whole grain muffins.  I've been staying away from mixes because I'm trying to stay away from white flour.  But these are amazing.   I've made the blueberry and the chocolate muffins.  The chocolate muffins are almost like brownies!

4. My "Cry" Book

Pregnancy has definitely made me more emotional, so crying can often be from a happy place.  Whenever I get out this book from the library that has pictures of what the baby looks like every day of the pregnancy, I inevitably cry.  I'm such a visual person and this book has helped me to try to comprehend the amazing things that are happening inside of me.  God is an awesome designer!  This book has brought back memories of when my mom was pregnant with my brothers.  She had a book with pictures about the stages a baby goes through in the womb.  I think it really helped me to connect to what was happening, and have an awe at an early age for the birth process. 
 
5.  The Bible
 This month I have been so thankful for the wisdom that the Bible has provided for my life.  Everything in my life that I enjoy comes from God blessing me and from the wisdom and the guidance that the Bible provides.  I know that I couldn't have figured out how to have such a good life on my own!

"The fear (reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7
 
6.  Jane Austen

The funny thing about being a Jane Austen fan is that I never tire of seeing different adaptations of her books!  I watch, knowing what is going to happen in the plot.  Instead, I am excited to see how characters are portrayed, or what the outfits look like!  Masterpiece Theater did a new Emma.  They have it available to watch online for another week.  
Watch Emma Online Here


7.  Cooking
Last month I learned the lesson of checking over a recipe before you post.  Leaving out 2 cups of water in the ingredients last month will be noticed when making a rice dish!

This month's recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, "The Healthy Kitchen" by Andrew Weil and  Rosie Daley.  I've had fun learning how to make homemade granola.  It is so easy to adapt to your own personal taste, which is what I have done with this recipe.  

Note on the picture:  It is difficult to make granola look appetizing in a picture!

Granola
2 Tablespoons oil (I use grapeseed oil)
1/2 cup honey 
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 Tablespoon wheat germ
1/2 cup pecans (or your favorite nut)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 F.  Mix ingredients  Spread on a greased baking pan with a rim.  Bake 20 minutes.  Stir half way through while it is baking.  Let it cool before storing in an air tight container or in a bag.

8.  Gardening

These Pinwheel zinnias are going to grow around my tomato plants this summer.  The are supposed to be really easy to start from seed.