Totally Natural, Homemade Granola

There are lots of ways to make this and even more ways to eat it. Here in SE Louisiana, we have very humid weather even in the winter. If I have things like this hanging around it needs to hold its crunch so my Granola is Crunchy. We eat a lot of yogurt and this works together with either dried or fresh fruit. The beauty is you add all the stuff you love.

Measure all of your desired ingredients into a large bowl. Here is what I tend to use: (Involve you child, measuring helps with math!)

1 1/2 C Old Fashsioned Quaker Oats

2/3 C Shredded Coconut

1/2 C Sliced Almonds

3/4 C Pecans

3/4 C Walnuts

1/4 C Wheat Germ (if you have it)

Preheat oven to 400F. In a saucepan, gentle boil 1/4 C. Water and 3 Tbls Brown Sugar for 3 minutes until it begins to thicken. Take off the heat and stir in 1/2 tsp Cinnamon and a dash Vanilla.  Slowly pour liquid over dry ingredients stirring the entire time. Lay out single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet. Place in hot oven.

Every 5-7 minutes, remove from the oven and stir so nothing burns. Once fragrant, it's about done. It will take roughly 20 minutes.  As this cools, it will become crunchy so test a piece to ensure it is crunchy.  Remove from oven and let cool completely before storing.





When serving, add any kind of dried or fresh fruit you like, but I encourage you to top to order.  Serve over yogurt or ice cream with fresh fruit. Can add milk and eat as a cereal.

Some Wine Stuff Coming Soon...

I know, you see Goodchardonnay and think, ok where is it? It's coming. A little background on the name aside from the fact that I LOVE wine.

The name actually goes back to the days when I first played backgammon online. Must have been mid 90's. I needed a screen name, ok, Merlot, cool, gone. Rats, ok, GoodMerlot, cool, gone. Rats, Ok, Chardonnay, gone. Rats! O..K.. too many wine drinkers playing backgammon. Goodchardonnay. Available. Been that ever since.

I have been consuming wine since the early 80's and hardly ever met one I don't like. But I have some I really like, especially for nice occasions. We don't have a cellar or anything cause it's too hot here and since we have to evacuate every so often I wouldn't be able to lug it out of here. I mostly buy to consume and fortunately we have a few great places for buying. I will begin to add some info very soon.

Pulled Pork

Pulled pork actually has 2 major variables. The first, how to cook the pork and the second, what sauce to make. Know there is no wrong way to do either of them as long as the meat is cooked enough to pull and the dish is tasty with sweet, sour and spicy all at once.
I read many recipes before coming up with this preparation. I have served this at pool parties and nephews D and E always tell me it's their favorite.
For the best results, use a roasting pan fitted with a rack so meat is not in the liquid. Preheat Oven to 400F and you will reduce to 325F once meat is in the oven. Pour 1/2 C. Liquid Smoke and 1/2 C. Water in pan. Place 4-5 lb Pork Butt (Boston Butt) on rack and season. I use Adams Rib Rubb and kosher salt. Otherwise use your own blend of seasonings. Cover pan tightly with heavy foil and place in oven. Reduce heat to 325 and cook for 4 Hours. Rotate every 30 minutes or so. When done, let rest for 30 minutes before pulling.
With about an hour to go make sauce. For these photos, I used 1 pork butt and 1 sauce recipe. If you like it drier make sauce and serve 1/4 on the side or make
1 1/2 times the recipe and cook 2 pork butts. It will not take any longer in the oven for 2.
For Sauce- Preheat large pot over medium heat and add 2 Tbl Butter. Slice thinly 1 large onion and add to pot. Cook stirring for about 4-5 minutes, do not brown. Add 1 1/2 C Apple Cider Vinegar and cook til bubbly and begins to thicken. Add 6 oz. Worcestershire Sauce, 1/2 C Light Molasses (I use Steens light syrup), 1/2 C. Light Brown Sugar. Bubble gently til it begins to thicken. Add 16 oz Tomato Sauce (Hunts) and 16 oz Ketchup (Heinz) while stirring often. After a few minutes add 6 Tbl Mustard (Zatarains), 1/2 tsp Tobasco, 3 crushed Garlic Cloves, 1 Lemon cut into quarters, 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, 1 tsp Salt.
Pull pork using 2 forks. Meat should shred easily. Add to sauce.

Serve with soft style buns and a variety of pickles. Some compliments are Mac & Cheese, Broccoli Soup, Cabage Salad, Sweet Potatoes (mashed, baked or chips), Fresh Corn on the Cob, Spinach Salad, Potato Salad.

A look at the garden 9 days later

Here in the south, sugar snap pea seeds go in 6 weeks before the last frost. We can get frost right up til April 15th and frequently we do.

A lady bug eating aphids on the apple tree. Look closely you can see them!

The pear tree is really about to bust out, first flower.

The spinach is just showing is first 2 leaves although they wouldn't photograph well I didn't bother. Next week I will though.

Blueberries are going to flower soon. Each cluster of flowers will produce a cluster of berries with 1 berry ripening per cluster every other day.

I planted 5 varieties of tomatoes and those may not make it if we get a frost but I already have 3 Romas and a few cherry tomatoes as we just had 3 days of rain over the weekend. My shot really focused in on the fence.

Next Monday we will move another cubic yard of garden soil. It was too wet this week. Will photograph again soon!

Chocolate Banana Freeze

Last summer some friends and our children went to the Camelia Grill for a late lunch after a morning at the Aububon Zoo. The place is small and was packed. We all ordered Hamburgers and Chocolate Freezes. It was all delicious and I don't think any of us ate dinner that night. We certainly didn't need to. The freeze was simple. Blended Hershey's Syrup, milk and ice. Sometime after that my sister D mentioned something similar with a banana, an idea I loved. In an effort to get more protein into my growing 6 year old who isn't the world's best carnivore, yet, I began making my own.

To blender add, 2/3 C. Milk, 1 Packet Carnation Instant Breakfast, 1 ripe banana, 12 ice cubes. Whirl in blender until smooth. Pour in glass and enjoy.

Many times kids go from school to sports practice or a game and barely have time to choke down a sandwich. This is a perfect drink to add calories. Also, excellent for after practice or a game. I played tennis this morning and it was my lunch.

Fresh Pasta with Fresh Tomato and Parmesan Cheese

I used to make 20 lbs of pasta a week to sell at our local farmers market. I haven't made it in a while but decided to after buying 6 roma tomatoes to make a quick topping I like.

Feel free to make your own pasta or buy fresh pasta in the dairy case. I made 24 oz of pasta and used 12 oz uncooked pasta.

This recipe goes quickly so the prep work has to be done in advance.

Cut 6 Roma Tomatoes into quarters the long way and remove all of the mealy parts and seeds. You will be left with the flesh of the tomato. Julienne, then dice and place in a bowl. Use any herbs you like. Pictured is fresh parsley and fresh oregano. Chop about 1 Tbl total fresh herbs. You want both pasta and topping to be done about the same time. This takes some co-ordinating depending on whether you use fresh or dried pasta.

Boil water for pasta in 6-8 quart pot. When ready, cook 12 oz Fresh Uncooked Pasta (8oz if dried). Heat empty All-clad saucepan over medium heat and add 1/2 C. Olive Oil. Heat for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, they should sizzle. Cook for about 1 minute to 1 1/2 minutes. Add 3 Cloves of Pressed Garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring. Add S&P and a Sprinkle of Red Pepper Flakes. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring. Add 1 1/2 Tbl Balsamic Vinegar. While this is finishing, drain pasta and place on platter or individual plates. Pour tomatoes over cooked pasta. Top with shaved parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Cooks Note: While setting up these photographs, tomatoes cooked for and extra minute. I prefer this topping slightly more firm.

Food Network- Cooking Club Challenge (March)

This month's challenge on the Foodtv.com Cooking Club Challenge was Beer Battered Onion Rings. I wasn't wild about making them in general because I don't think onion rings are challenging. I make onion rings the way my Mom taught me. Dip in milk, dredge in flour and fry. Yummy, crisp, light and piled high! The only place I have ever eaten them like that was at MacArthur Park in San Francisco.

I decided to follow the recipe as shown and to create 2 dipping sauces. My Spicy Ginger Pear Chutney was a very good compliment to the thick battered rings. The remoulade was too rich for me.

Once the batter began to get thick due to the corn starch I thinned it out with remaining beer. I preferred this thin crispy texture to the thick batter.

Fudge Pudding Pie

This recipe has been in my family for over 50 years. It is baked in a pie dish, perfect for ala mode, with just about any flavor ice cream you have on hand. It has a wafer thin crispy top crust and is slightly chewy due to the sugar to flour ratio.

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter a pie dish.
Melt 1 oz Unsweetened Chocolate in All Clad sauce pan. Remove from heat and using a portable mixer beat in 1 stick Butter, 1 C. Sugar, 2 Eggs. Gradually add 1/2 C Flour. Stir in 1/2 C. Nuts and 1 tsp. Vanilla.
Bake for 20-25 minutes til top slightly cracks. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Escargot

This is a shout out to my friend C. We split an order of escargot at a local restaurant in December and neither of us could put our finger on what went wrong with their recipe but it was clear, it wasn't good. At $8 an order they ought to be delicious. 

That prompted a Christmas gift idea for my husband. He had bought a can of snails for $2 at the Fresh Market and they were in my pantry. On the internet, I purchased hollowed dishes with a beautiful glaze and they were made in France. At $25 a dish I realize now when we order escargot at a restaurant, we pay for the dish not the snails.

Make a compound butter using 1 stick of Unsalted Butter, 1 large Shallot Minced, 2 cloves of Garlic pressed, 1 Tbl fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, 2 Tbl Chardonnay, and S&P. Rinse snails several times and soak in Red Wine Vinegar for 30 minutes. 

Fully preheat oven to 450F. Place small amount of butter into each cup of the dish. Add 1 snail to each cup, shaking off excess vinegar. Top with butter. 


 

Bake for 15-20 minutes til butter is slightly browned and bubbly.

Place a loaf of crusty bread in the oven while snails rest for 5 minutes. Serve together.

Martha Stewart's One-Bowl Chocolate Cake

If you don't have the Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook this recipe comes straight from its pages. I always choose good over simple but this happens to be quite easy and extremely delicious. The only alteration I make is to use 2 different cocoa powders.

Sift dry ingredients straight into your mixing bowl.
2 1/2 C. All-Purpose Flour
3/4 C. Dutch-process Cocoa Powder
1/2 C. Droste Cacao
2 1/2 C. Sugar
2 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/4 tsp Salt

Measure wet ingredients one on top of the other into a 4 C. measuring cup and give a quick stir.
1 1/4 C. Milk
1/2 C. + 2 Tbl Vegetable Oil, I use Canola
1 1/4 C. Warm Water
2 eggs + 1 Egg Yolk
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 3 muffin tins with paper liners leaving 1 corner empty (will make 33) OR prepare (2) 8" cake pans. Butter pans, insert parchment circle on bottom,butter again and lightly dust pan with flour. Discard excess flour.
Using the paddle attachment, add wet ingredients to the bowl and mix on a low setting until smooth, about 3 minutes. If you over mix you will have large holes (tunnels) in your cake. Ladle cupcakes 3/4 full or divide between cake pans. Cupcakes will bake in about 20-25 minutes. Cakes will take about 45 minutes. In both cases, once cake is fragrant, test with a toothpick and if it comes out clean, cake is done. Let cool on wire rack for 30 minutes and then remove from pan and let cool completely before trying to decorate.