Granola, Great for Your Get Up and Go

When you are in the snacking mood, grab this granola. 

I can't remember when granola became a staple in my house, but I think it was when oatmeal's health benefits became public knowledge.  Now I have a handful of it everyday.   Full of healthy grains like sunflower, sesame, flax seeds, wheat germ, dried fruit, nuts and more.  Combine one half cup granola with the same amount of plain yogurt for a delicious mid-morning snack. 




Colleen’s Granola

10 cups old fashioned rolled oats                  
1 cup wheat germ                                           

½ lb. shredded coconut                                   

2  cups raw sunflower seeds                       
1 cup sesame seeds                                       
½ cup flax seed                                     

In a large bowl combine the above ingredients.  Mix well.

In a saucepan combine the following ingredients:

1 cup oil
1 ½ cup brown sugar 
1 1/2 cup water                                                        
 ½ cup honey
 ½ cup molasses
  2 tsp each vanilla & cinnamon
  1 ½ tsp salt

Heat until sugar is dissolved, but do not boil.  Pour syrup over dry ingredients and stir until well-coated.  Spread into dripper pans or cookie sheets about ½ thick.  Bake 12 min @ 300 then stir and move to lower rack adding another tray on top rack and bake 12-15 minutes longer. Keep rotating the pans until they have baked about 25-30 min. Cool. Add 1-2 nuts,  raisins, craisins etc.  May also use raw peanuts, but must add to oat mixture and bake with mix. 

Not So Nice Knife

Occassionally I bake bread, goodies and dinner and more.  See, I even bake knives.  As I was taking a batch of bread out of the oven I noticed a shiny black object.  It was a nicely melted knife on the bottom.  Great!  This is gonna stink and be impossible to remove.  After the oven had cooled down, I was able to easily pop it right out. 

Finding a matching knife in the drawer it was fun to see the original shape.  The edges of the new and not so improved one are a little sharp, so it has seen its better days.  Thanks for the many years of service you rendered and sorry for your untimely demise.   I'm just glad it wasn't one of my new expensive ones. 

Hold On to Hope

   

One winter a few years ago when Allan was going for an oil change, he dropped me off at the river walkway so I could get my exercise. We both thought he would only be thirty minutes, but it ended up taking much, much longer. It began to rain, then snow and get quite miserable. Too wet and cold to be outside, I took shelter in this tunnel under the road.

As I walked back and forth at least a hundred times, waiting for Allan, it made me think of a neighbor recovering from back surgery who said she was finally seeing the 'Light at the end of the tunnel.' I thought of other friends and family facing trials and challenges and how seeing that light truly is promising, because it is so bright and inviting. Hope was there.

With each walk back and forth from one end to the other, I was able to observe different things along the way I had missed previously. Hope is a wonderful healer and helps us look forward to better times.

May you hold on to hope while on your own pathway toward the 'LIGHT'. Keep faith in our Savior and know he is there waiting and willing to help carry the load.

Me and Martha

This time of year I look back in my pictures to group and see what happened recently. The Martha Stewart show was a stop I made last year and you need to see how fun it was. After being checked and cleared we sat in a big room full of other fans until it was time to line up. After walking down lots of hallways we entered the studio. Everything was prepped and in place for the show. Lots of workers were busy getting every angle and spot perfect. Seconds before the show began filming, Martha came out.

Our seats were in the far corner, but we didn't care. Cameramen hovered around 'The Queen' so there were times only their backs could be seen. We had been prompted to cheer at certain signals and hush at others. Technicalities are important and the audience is dispensible. It was a great place to visit and get a free October magazine.

Stories Survived to be Shared

I did it! I wrote twelve stories for the Twelve Days of Christmas, complete with pictures and sent them to my children in a decorated binder to read each night. This was part of focusing on a Christ centered Christmas. When I missed the "Best Christmas Ever" story deadline to the local newspaper, I decided to write them anyway.








The stories included religious, memorable, funny and from mine and Allan's youth. I asked the children as they read them, to think about their own experiences and have their parents tell about some of theirs. A great deal of missed opportunities are passed by when we want to share, but don't. This was my chance to do it and leave a legacy for my grand children to enjoy year after year.

They were introduced to some of my best and worst, longest and shortest, funnest and most boring Christmases. This was only the beginning. There is more.

When we begin to write about our youth or past, the flood gates open and many things we had forgotten come to mind. Take the time to write about some of your great events and share them with your family. Questions they didn't think to ask will be answered. Someday they will be glad you did and so will you.

Drilling Down on December

My accountant taught me how to drill down to decifer finances. I'm drilling down on what festivities to attend during the month. A Sounds of the Season choir performance, first time ever seeing the Forgotten Carols and a Christmas breakfast, lunch and four dinner events are all done.

Still on the list are a seeing a live nativity, It's a Wonderful Life or some other play, a Trees of Diversity display, a river cruise, two weddings and a Christmas Carole Sing-Along. No wonder I sleep like crap and fly off the handle over little or nothing.

Then there is the book, 'A Christ Centered Christmas,' I picked up. It made me feel guilty that I was devoting too much time to fluff. Jesus is the reason for the season. 3am every morning like clockwork, I spend thirty minutes reading the Four Gospels, about his birth and the great gifts He gives us 24/7.

Don't forget the twelve velvet Christmas stockings I bought two years ago to fill and give to the needy. They're still empty and waiting for employment.

At work I secretly filled up the 'Food Bank' trash can, because it was empty. Now more has been added to it. Yeah! Next are treats for the gang and gifts for others.

GIVING, Giving, giving
Every day you are living.
You'll never have a misgiving
When you are generously giving.

Handicrafts for the Holidays

Surprisingly we had the kids making crafts on Thanksgiving. These turkey pumpkins with fancy paper tails kept the young men busy. Afterwards turkey shaped table favors made from Oreos, corn candy and sprinkles were cute as could be. Too bad we forgot to take a photo. I'm sure the Oreo website has a sample.

The highlight of a holiday is also playing board games. Apples to Apples Junior is our current favorite. I hate to throw the turkey pumpkins out. Maybe I'll make penguins out of them dressed in Christmas colors.

Get ideas for Christmas crafts from the internet, magazines and friends. You will be glad you did.