Yummy, Easy, and Healthy Granola

What is there to do on a Sunday afternoon?
I mean after taking a nap?
Why not make some granola?
I came across this recipe a few years ago, I probably got it from my sister. 
I have no idea where it came from, but I have adapted it a little to boost the health factor.
I have never been disappointed by this recipe, unless I burned it.
It is always delicious and filling.
Plus it smells amazing while it is cooking.

Here's the recipe:

4 cups Oats (not instant)

1 cup wheat germ

1 cup chopped walnuts 

1 cup pecans (any nut will do)

1 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup real maple syrup

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup local honey

1/3 cup water

1 cup dried fruit 

*Heat the oven to 300 degrees

*In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, wheat germ, nuts, coconut, cinnamon and salt.

*Make a well in the dry ingredients and and the maple syrup, water, oil, and honey.

*Toss until well combined

Spread the mixture evenly on a cookie sheet.  I use parchment paper, so that I don't have to wash my pans.

*Bake for approximately 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. 

You want to cook it until it is a deep golden brown color, but you do not want to burn it!

*Allow to cool in the pan

*If desired, you can mix in the dried fruit

*Store in an airtight container

I made a double batch so that's why I used 2 pans.

Come on, you have to admit, it even looks good!

You can almost smell it.

Mmmmm.

The list is pretty simple and it is super simple to put together.

The most tedious part of the process is the stirring and watching it to make sure it burns.  

And believe me, you don't want to burn it.  If you do, you might cry. 

At least I almost did the last time I burned it. 

This granola is very versatile.  You can eat it plain for a snack, put it in your yogurt, or pour some milk on it and eat it as cereal. 

 It is filling and nutritious.  

Whip up a batch and enjoy!

These Pancakes Will Change Your Life - Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I'm being serious.  These pancakes quite literally changed my life.

I fell in love with the first bite and haven't recovered yet.

I ate them 3 weeks ago.

Just looking at the pictures is causing me to salivate and swoon. 

These pancakes are in no way healthy, or low calorie.  Which is why they taste so good! 

I cannot remember a food that tasted just as decadent, amazing, delicious, and satisfying as these pancakes.  The last bite was every bit as good as the first, except you cried a little because you knew it was over.

I am not exaggerating.

Try them for yourself.

These will be our new Christmas morning tradition.

They are just what I've been waiting for. The perfect blend of flavors and textures.

They are worth every calorie. 

They are also worth every dirty dish and extra step it takes to make them.

Be prepared to have your taste buds changed forever.

Mmmm - mmmm - mmmmm.

I got the recipe off a page on Face Book called Texas Recipe's.


Cinnamon Roll Pancakes: 

* I would cut this recipe in half if you are only making them for your family. 
This recipe makes an extra large batch. 


*for the Pancakes:
4 cups all-purpose flour
8 tsps baking powder
2 tsp. salt
4 cups milk
4 tbsps vegetable oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

*for the Cinnamon Filling
1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp ground cinnamon

*for the Cream Cheese Glaze
1/2 cup butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

To make the Cinnamon Filling:
Mix the three ingredients together. Place in a disposable piping bag and snip the end off or put in a Ziploc bag and snip the corner off.


To make the Pancakes:
Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Stir them together until everything is moistened leaving a few lumps.

Heat your griddle to exactly 325 degrees. You don't want these too cook too quickly, and you won't want your cinnamon to burn.

Make desired size pancake on greased griddle and then using the piping bag and starting at the center of the pancake, create a cinnamon swirl. Wait until the pancake has lots of bubble before you try to turn it. You will find that when you turn it the cinnamon swirl will melt. The cinnamon will melt out and create the craters which the cream cheese glaze will fill.

To make the Cream Cheese Glaze:
In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter and cream cheese and then stir together. Whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Add a little milk if needed to make
it a glaze consistency. 
Place pancake on plate, then cover with cream cheese glaze. 

Be prepared to be amazed.
Oh, oh, oh so good! 
Oh, and just to brag on him a little bit, yes Hunky Hubby did make these.  He is the breakfast chef after all! 
I know, I'm spoiled. 
Please don't hate me.

A Family Getaway

We finally did it.
After talking about it off and on all summer, we actually did it.
We may have done it a little differently than we originally planned.
We may have gone somewhere we didn't originally plan to go.
But we finally took a family vacation.
Not a long one, not a fancy one,
but a good one.
Just enough time away to feel refreshed.
Just enough distance from home to feel relaxed.
Just enough adventure to satisfy the need to shake things up.
Where did we go?
What did we do?
Here's a little picture of our home away from home (for 3 days at least)

 

We have good friends in Baraboo, Wi that own this little pop-up camper.  We gave them a phone call the day we wanted to leave on vacation and asked them if we could borrow it.

They said yes.

Because they are good people like that. 

They also towed it to Devil's Lake campground (after reserving us a site) and set it up for us.

Yeah, they win the 'Most Amazing Friends of The Year' award.

We showed up just in time to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich supper,  hug our friends and thank them profusely with promises to see them tomorrow, and fall into bed.

 

 

The next morning, after 3 middle of the night trips to the bathroom, we set up the rest of  our little campsite and made some breakfast.

 

H.H. was all over breakfast detail.  He's not only the best breakfast chef at home, he'd the best on a camp stove or over an open flame.  That's right, he can do it all.  

The boys helped to string up the clothes line. It had a little sag in it but we made it work.  One day they'll be able to do all this stuff without help. Troy and I will be able to wake up to the smell of frying bacon, with the coffee and tea already made.  (sniff, theygrowuptoofast) Hey, a mom can dream.
 

I stuck with my normal morning role, I mean, we weren't trying to shake things up too much, you know?  So I happily sipped my chai tea while I watched H.H. cook the bacon.  (it's crucial, even on vacation to keep some of the most important routines of your day consistent)

I think mornings are the best times while camping.  Something about waking up and sitting out in the fresh air, eating food prepared outside.
Maybe because we had nowhere to rush off to. We just took our time, ate our meal in stages, shared time in the Word together.
It was relaxing, and nice.

 

So our vacation was to go camping, which is slightly ironic since we work at a camp.  However, we haven't camped as a family very often.  Probably because we live in the woods where everyone else comes to camp.  The boys love it though, and it is one of the last affordable places to stay with a family for a few nights.

Plus, if you have access to a camper, it's not half bad.

 

Stay tuned for more of our vacation adventures!

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Jana

 

The Pioneer Woman's Berry Butter

My dear sister gave me the Pioneer Woman's new cookbook for my birthday this summer.
Since summer is crazy busy around here and we eat most of our meals at SBR I finally got around to making something from it.

I chose berry butter.
Why?
Well, it looked easy, and yummy, and I already eat berries and butter so they sound super good put together.
Plus, I've been trying to eat a little healthier this summer, and lets face it, Pioneer woman knows all about good food. Which usually doesn't mean healthy.
Her recipes have delicious butter and cream and cheeses and sugar, all swirled together!
Goodness.

We are a big breakfast eating family, it's Hunky Hubby's favorite meal of the day.
He's also the breakfast chef, since I am still half comatose on the couch by the time he wants to eat breakfast. Hey, what can I say, as a non coffee drinker, I've got nothing to give me a jolt of energy in the mornings, I have to do it naturally. Which translates into slowly.

Since we like our breakfasts homemade and delicious around here,
I try and help H.H. out by making some of the garnishes.

So, 1/2 a pound of softened butter, 3/4 C blackberries from our back yard and 2TBS of powdered sugar later - we have berry butter!

Then Pioneer Woman tells you to roll it onto cling wrap surrounded by tin foil to make a butter log.

I made this a day ahead of time so it would have time to firm up in the fridge.  You wouldn't have to do this, you could just spread it straight from your mixing bowl if you wanted to.

And here you have it, a berry butter log.

Cut a slice, spread it on your waffle, french toast, or pancake, and drizzle with a little maple syrup.

Mmmmm, a delicious addition to breakfast.

Thanks Pioneer Woman!

What's your favorite topping for waffles and pancakes?

I'd love to hear your comments.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jana