I firmly believe that having rudimentary cooking skills should be a requirement to graduate high school.  (Everyone should know how to feed themselves.) That and having a part time job in retail and some oversees travel experience, at least before graduating from college, would help people understand the world and hopefully themselves a lot better.  

So what does all of this have to do with granola? Not a darned thing! But from my perspective, it’s the kids in college today that are going to be left with our messy and unhealthy world to clean up. So they better know how to feed themselves, get along with others, feel compassion for their fellow world citizens, and understand that as Americans we are simply a small part of the whole picture. We are not the center of the universe.

They better also understand that currently we are being governed by politicians who appear to not want the United States to remain a democracy. And if this current administration and their response to our coronavirus pandemic isn’t indicative of how low a regard they hold the average citizen, then I don’t know what it would take to shake some people’s belief.  

Now, if I have offended any of you who are reading this post – good! Be offended. But put your indignation aside and do yourself and your fellow Americans a favor. Do some independent research about our current administration. And I don’t mean by just talking to friends who feel the same way you do. Read the op-eds in your local paper. Read the New York Times, the Washington Post, and check out wire services such as The Associated Press, Reuters, and Bloomberg News.

Now, you might be asking yourself why I am risking loosing readers by offending their delicate sensibilities. It’s because I care about our country, and I care about living a productive and happy life. And I simply can’t continue to feel good about myself if I don’t at least try to help people understand what a fine line we are currently walking. The almost total disregard Washington D.C. is currently showing other nations, and the increasing way in which our national leaders are hurting the very citizens who most need this countries help, is beyond my comprehension. So the better informed people are, the better their decisions will be when it matters the most. Like the upcoming presidential election.

So to those of you in the choir out there – sorry for taking up your valuable time. But if I have helped even one person understand better what is currently happening to our nation, it was worth the loss of readership.  

Be safe out there. Stay healthy. And stay informed. Oh, and make this granola. It’s really yummy!

⅓ c. extra virgin olive oil

⅓ c. real maple syrup 

2 T. bourbon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt 

1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

6 c. old-fashioned rolled oats 

2½ c. mixed nuts (roughly chopped pecans, almonds, roughly chopped walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.)

1 c. unsweetened coconut (I use Bob’s Red Mill Unsweetened Coconut Flakes)

2 c. dried fruit, chopped if large pieces (dried apricots, dates, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried cherries, dried figs, dried apples, etc.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl whisk the olive oil, maple syrup, bourbon, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Stir in the oats, nuts, and coconut.

Pour the mixture onto prepared pan and spread into an even layer. (You may need more than 1 pan.) (Don’t wash the bowl.)

Bake until lightly golden, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through the baking process. Remove from oven, pour back into the same bowl, and stir in the dried fruit. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. 

Included in our Christmas package from daughter Ursala, was a special gift for Mr. C. His own package of granola. (He shared his granola with me, so I let him live. Smart guy that he is!) Anyway, the granola was over-the-top delicious. So I asked for the recipe. (Well, of course I did!)

Now I know what you’re thinking – “Patti, you’ve already posted two granola recipes on this site”. True enough. But if you and your family are anything like me and mine, well granola as part of a well-balanced and hearty breakfast is a must. And who doesn’t like variety in their food selection, especially in cereal?

Now for those of us in the baby boomer (and older) generation, a big old bowl of granola might add too many calories if accompanied by toast, egg, and a breakfast meat. But for someone like myself, who is trying to be good, a delicious breakfast of a plain piece of toasted grain and seed bread, topped with 2 over-easy eggs, a chicken sausage patty about the size of an Oreo cookie, a quarter cup of homemade granola with a small amount of fresh fruit and a quarter cup of vanilla yogurt is only about 500 calories. And I’m telling you, there is no way I am ever going to be hungry before lunch when I start my day with this high in protein and fiber breakfast. I truly look forward to a small variation of this breakfast menu every morning. OK, not as much as my cup of coffee and the newspaper, but it’s next on my list.

And yes, I know there are some really good granolas that can be purchased at your local grocery emporium. But they come at a price – a very high price! And while homemade granola isn’t exactly inexpensive to make, you sure as heck get a better return for your hard earned dollars! Plus, you have control over the quality of the ingredients. Which, in case you haven’t already deduced, is the main reason, along with eliminating ingredients with names that I can’t pronounce from my diet, that I am such an advocate of home cooking.

OK, off your soap box Patti. After all, it is clearly pointless to attempt to convert those who by their very interest in this recipe have already demonstrated a love of home cooking. (Maybe someday I will learn not to “preach to the choir”. But alas, that day has yet to come. Sorry!)

Thanks again darling Ursala for the granola. 

• ½ c. + 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
• ½ c. honey
• ¾ tsp. vanilla
• 1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
• 4 c. oats
• 3 c. nuts (slivered or whole almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts)
• 2 c. unsweetened coconut
• 2 c. chopped dried fruit, such as dates, cherries, apples, apricots, blueberries, etc.

Whisk together the olive oil, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Add the oats, nuts, and coconut.  Spread evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (Don’t wash the bowl yet.)

Bake in a 325 degree oven until lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes. Stir once or twice during the baking. (Watch carefully, as coconut and nuts can burn easily.) Remove from oven and scoop back into the mixing bowl. Add the chopped dried fruit. Stir to combine. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Based on a Michael Symon recipe.

 

There is just nothing better than waking up to a lovely Americana handed to you by your husband along with the morning paper. This is how I start every morning. (Not a bad gig, right?) Well, to make it up to him, I usually fix him a breakfast that is both nourishing and delicious. And one of the ways I do this is by making my own granola. Now granted, I don’t serve granola every morning because that would get too monotonous. (And as you well know, breakfast can be a bit tedious if you don’t change things up every day.) So when our dear friend Peggy offered me her granola recipe, plus a sample, I jumped at the chance to taste another person’s homemade version of this very expensive (off the grocery shelf) breakfast staple. And oh was it good! So of course I had to make some for us, and share her basic recipe with you. (And yes I changed a couple of things, but I simply can’t help myself!)

At this point, I really should explain what constitutes a typical breakfast at Chez Carr. I basically like to serve a variety of items for breakfast in much the same way I would serve several small tapas at a dinner party. Small portions, but a nice variety. So breakfast at our home usually consists of a piece of whole wheat toast, a small piece of breakfast meat (one slice of very lean bacon or 2-oz. of chicken breakfast sausage), an easy over or scrambled egg, a half piece of fruit, and a small bowl of granola with either a dollop of Greek yogurt and blueberries (for example), or a small amount of milk. And when I say a small amount of granola, I mean about 3 tablespoons. And the dollop of yogurt is about 2 tablespoons. Just enough granola to add crunch to our meal, and just enough yogurt to give us that delightful creamy mouth feel we so dearly love. So all in all, really not a heavy breakfast. Once in a while I go nuts and fix us pancakes. But they’re made with whole grain or oat flour, so they really do have some protein and therefore some redeeming nutritional value! Oh, and Mr. C always has a small glass of juice every morning with breakfast. (Can’t leave that out!)

So if you too would like to add a bit of excitement to your morning meal, make up a batch of this healthy granola. Your whole family will appreciate the delicious flavor and crunch. And even though they might not equate their newfound energy with eating this protein rich cereal for breakfast, they should be able to make it to lunch now with energy to spare. This is simply not Captain Crunch my friends! This is the real deal. And no preservatives with names only a biology professor can pronounce. Just healthy ingredients that are easy to assemble and ever so easy to get everyone in your family to eat. Word of warning to you parents with school age children: Don’t be surprised if your children start wanting this granola for an afternoon snack. This grandma advises – let them! Granola is sure a lot better for your kids than candy, cookies, chips, or any form of frozen after school snack.

Thanks again Peggy for this wonderful recipe. And for my recipe for granola, search under Granola, and mine will magically appear.

• 3 c. rolled oats
• 2 c. nuts & seeds (almonds, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, etc.)
• 1 c. shredded unsweetened coconut or whatever coconut happens to be in your pantry at the time 
• ¼ c. vegetable oil
• ½ c. honey
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 1-2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
• ¼ c. roughly chopped candied ginger
• 1 c. dried fruit (golden raisins, chopped dates, dried blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, apricots, etc.)

In a large bowl mix together the oats, nuts, seeds, and coconut. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, honey, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom; pour over the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Spread evenly on 2 large baking sheets. Bake in a pre-heated 250 degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in the candied ginger and mixed dried fruit. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. (Total baking time – 45 minutes.) Remove from oven and place baking sheets on wire racks. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Serve with yogurt and fresh berries or simply with milk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, call me lazy, but I like freezer jam because there’s no cooking involved, no boiling jars, boiling water baths, pressure cooker action, or botulism concern. (Temperatures below freezing render botulism inactive, which is why it isn’t a concern with frozen jams or jellies.) Plus, the un-cooked fruit in freezer jam simply tastes fresher than if it had been subjected to a baptism of fire. But of course, there is always the exception that proves the rule. And if anyone can find one (exception that is) it’s yours truly.

So you guessed it; this “freezer” jam is cooked. But I have to tell you, in this case the cooking works to advantage. The cooking process helps to blend the flavors (plums and spices) resulting in a final product that is incomparable.

So if you too are crazy about freezer jam, I would highly recommend that you put your prejudices aside (fresh rather than cooked fruit) and give this recipe a try. It is simply delicious, plus you get to break the rules. (This is in essence the encapsulation of the idea that although technically this recipe is a breach of standard freezer jam procedure, there is no need for punishment, apology, or retribution since no actual damage has occurred.) In other words, no harm, no foul! Just good eating.

• 8 c. pitted and chopped plums (about 4 lbs.)
• 3 c. granulated sugar
• ½ c. brown sugar, packed
• zest and juice of 1 large lemon
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• 2 3-oz. packets liquid pectin (6-oz. total)

Combine the plums and sugars together in a large heavy pan. Bring to a boil, stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Continue to gently boil for 30-40 minutes or until the jam thickens and the liquid resembles syrup. Stir in the pectin and bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Spoon into freezer containers and let sit on your counter for 8 hours or overnight.  Makes about 6-7 cups of jam. Store in the refrigerator if using immediately, or freeze until ready to us. Wonderful on fresh Buttermilk Biscuits. (See recipe on site.)