Granola

I debated on whether to call this post Heavenly Granola, Darn Good Granola, The Best Granola I've Ever Eaten, or some other superlative name. Why the focus on granola? Well, I'm giving a demonstration to a group of women in our church next week on making granola. So I've been trying different granola recipes, seeking one that was more than just OK or even pretty good. I think I've found it. The recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz who adapted it from Feast by Nigella Lawson.

5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sliced almonds or chopped pecans
2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup oat bran
1 cup toasted wheat germ
1 cup whole wheat flour (freshly ground)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup untoasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup golden flax seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 325F.

1. Put rolled oats in a large baking pan and bake for 20 minutes while assembling the other ingredients.

2. In a large bowl, combine nuts, coconut, oat bran, wheat germ whole wheat flour, brown sugar, sesame seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and kosher salt.

3. In a small saucepan, heat the applesauce, syrup, honey, and vegetable oil until warm.

4. Add oats to other dry ingredients and mix well.

5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until thoroughly dispersed. The mixture should clump a bit. If it seems too dry, add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time (shouldn't need to add more than 2 tablespoons), and mix.

6. Spray two large baking sheets with cooking spray, then divide mixture evenly between the two pans. Spread out the mixture to an even layer.

7. Bake the granola for 45-60 minutes, stirring and rotating pans every 10 minutes, until the granola is a deep golden brown.

8. Remove from oven and cool in pans. The granola gets crunchy as it cools. Store granola in a large, airtight container.

Add raisins, dates, dried apples, dried cherries, or dried cranberries when you serve the granola. Enjoy!

Vitamin D - Have you had your sunshine today?

If you are feeling tired, weak, and completely drained, a lack of Vitamin D may be the culprit. The long-term effects on the body of low Vitamin D levels can be dangerous, as explained in the following quote from www.webmd.com:

Symptoms of bone pain and muscle weakness can mean you have a vitamin D deficiency. However, for many people, the symptoms are subtle. Yet even without symptoms, too little vitamin D can pose health risks. Low blood levels of the vitamin have been associated with the following:

Increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease
Cognitive impairment in older adults
Severe asthma in children
Cancer

Research suggests that vitamin D could play a role in the prevention and treatment of a number of different conditions, including type1 and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and multiple sclerosis.

Many people in western NY (including yours truly) have low Vitamin D levels. What is low? Normal range is 30-74 nanograms per millileter (ng/mL); concentrations less than 20 ng/ML are inadequate and require treatment. According to the experts on WebMD, the current recommended daily intake of Vitamin D is 200 International Units (IU) for children, men and women up to age 50; 400 IU for people between age 51-70; and 600 IU for people over 70. However, if your levels are very low, the daily intake recommendations are not sufficient to get your levels back within the normal range.

Vitamin D can be found in foods, supplements, and sunshine. Experts say that you should get at least 15 minutes of sunshine a day on your arms and legs - without sunscreen. Other experts say this increases your risk of cancer. . . If you are concerned, talk to your doctor. Check out www.webmd.com for more information. In the meantime, enjoy the sun - in moderation.

From Dried Beans to Refried Beans

A few weeks ago for our evening Relief Society (an organization in our church for women age 18 and older), I made tostadas for the dinner. If you haven't had tostadas before, think of it like an open-faced taco. Start with a tostada shell, spread with refried beans, and top with cheese, lettuce, and diced tomatoes. If desired, add salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. Rather than using canned refried beans, I've been making my own using either canned pinto beans or dry pinto beans. The flavor and texture are so much better than the canned refried beans, and, by planning ahead, it doesn't take that much more active prep time.

Several of the women in our ward had never cooked dried beans before. If you haven't cooked beans, give it a try. They're a delicious, economical addition to your meals. I love the flavor and texture of pinto beans, and use them in chili, soup, taco meat, and refried beans.

Preparing dried beans:

Measure 1 pound of beans (about 2 1/4 cups). Sort the beans and remove any stones or clumps of dirt. Put beans into a colander and rinse with running water. Place beans in a large pot, add 8 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside to soak for 1 hour. Drain water and rinse beans. Put beans back into the same pot. Add 6 cups of water. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. (Older beans make take longer.) Add salt to taste. (NOTE: do not add salt until the beans are tender.)

At this point, your beans are ready to use.

Refried Beans

Drain beans from the cooking liquid, but reserve some of the cooking water.

Heat 2-3 TB vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Add 2 cloves of garlic that has been minced. Saute until fragrant. Add the drained beans and stir. With a potato masher, begin mashing the beans. Add cooking liquid, about 1/4 cup at a time as you continue to mash the beans. Keep mashing beans and adding the cooking liquid (or water) until the refried beans are the desired consistency. For additional flavor, I like to add some onion powder, cumin, and dried cilantro to taste.

If you are starting with canned pinto beans, drain and rinse the beans. Follow the instructions above for refried beans, but use water instead of cooking liquid when you are mashing the beans. It's that easy.

The longer the refried beans sit, the thicker they get. If that happens, just heat, add more water, and stir to combine. Or keep the refried beans warm in a crock pot.

Fresh Lime Curd

I was assigned to bring fruit to a family party for Memorial Day. Easy assignment as the strawberries are still out and taste great, the first watermelons of the season are on the shelves, and fresh blueberries are now available. Now for the dip. In my goal to live more providently, I'm trying to use the items I already have rather than running to the store to purchase something else. With almost a full bag of fresh limes sitting on my cupboard, I knew I needed to use them.

In a serendipitous moment, the June issue of Bon Appetit magazine had just arrived with a recipe for Lime Tart with Blackberries and Blueberries (which sounded wonderful, but will have to keep for another day). The lime tart is made with lime curd. I made the lime curd mostly according to the recipe, let it chill, and added whipped cream. It was the perfect accompaniment to the fresh fruit. And if you've never had watermelon with fresh lime, you're in for a treat. Enjoy!

Lime Curd
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
6 TB unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces (I used regular, salted butter)

Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a medium metal bowl to blend. Whisk in lime juice. Set bowl over large saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until curd thickens and instant read thermometer inserted into curd registers 178 - 180 degrees F, about 6 minutes. Pour into bowl. Add butter to the warm curd; let stand a minute, then whisk until blended and smooth. Cover curd and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours.

For Fresh Lime Curd Fruit Dip
Whip 2 cups whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Whip to combine. Gently fold whipped cream into lime curd. Chill until time to serve. Serve with fresh fruit.

You can also use the mixture to fill tarts or as a cake filling or frosting. The flavors are tart, refreshing, and perfect for summer.

Lesson learned:  I had the idea to add lime zest to the recipe to add a little extra limey-zestiness.  But don't do it!  Whatever was added in flavor was more than offset by two negatives: the lime zest was tough and it turned dark in the finished product.  Just leave it out.

Homemade Croutons

For years I've made croutons, and never really thought anything about it. It was just something I did with day-old (sometimes week-old) bread, rolls, hot dog buns, etc. It's a great way to use something that might end up being thrown out. The prep time is minimal and they taste delish! Much better than any packaged croutons I've ever tried. Try them on salads, soup, or eat them by the handful. I store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Pull them out right before you serve dinner and they're ready to go.

Croutons
8 slices "homemade" type bread - use day old for best results
4 TB vegetable oil
4 TB butter
onion powder
Garlic salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a serrated knife, cut bread into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes. Put oil and butter on a large rimmed baking sheet and place in oven until butter melts. Remove baking sheet from oven and sprinkle with onion powder and garlic salt to taste. Sprinkle bread cubes over melted butter and lightly toss until most of the bread is coated in the butter. (I use a large pancake turner and just scoop the bread and flip it over.) Bake about 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until bread is toasted and dry. Cool on baking sheet. Store in ziplock bag in the freezer - if you can keep them that long!

Notes:
1) Almost any type of bread works for croutons EXCEPT bread with whole grains (like wheat berries) mixed into the dough. The grains get very hard. I also have not had good success with using the dinner rolls from Sam's Club to make the croutons - the croutons never dried out. Perhaps it's because I live in a high humidity area? No idea.

2) The baking time is approximate because all types of bread have a different moisture content. If the croutons are getting brown but aren't getting crisp, turn down the heat in your oven and prop open the oven door just a crack with a wooden spoon.

3) I've made croutons with all different seasonings and spices including season salt, parsley, sage, rosemary, etc. All are good, but for a basic crouton that will go with anything, the onion powder and garlic salt really can't be beat.

More Advice from Aunt Catherine

More housekeeping wisdom from Aunt Catherine:

To remove water rings from wood furniture, use toothpaste squeezed on a damp soft cloth. Rub with the grain.

A spray that keeps bugs away from rose bushes and other flowers: put 3 TB ammonia and 1 quart of water into a spray container and spray the solution under the leaves and on the bushes.

To sharpen your scissors, cut sandpaper once or twice with them.

Keep neighborhood animals from visiting by sprinkling a heavy dose of cayenne pepper around the edges of your yard.

If nuts are heated before they are cracked, they will come out of the shell almost whole. Pecans should be heated in hot water a few hours before cracking. Harder shelled nuts (such as Brazil and hazel) may be heated in the oven.

To avoid toilet clogging and odors, pour a cup of baking soda down the bowl weekly.

Take a couple of socks, slip them over the end of a yardstick and secure with a rubber band. Now you can clean under the fridge and other hard-to-reach places.

A great "whitening" formula is 1/2 cup dishwasher compound, 1/4 cup bleach, and 1 gallon very hot water. Mix. Use to soak white (bleach safe) clothes to remove staines, etc. Do not use an aluminum container for this purpose as solution will discolor it.

A good homemade furniture polish: 1/3 cup boiled linseed oil (purchase this - you can't make your own), 1/3 cup turpentine, and 1/3 cup vinegar. Mix together and label clearly! Moisten a soft cloth with the mixture and rub over the furniture. Then go back over with a dry cloth.

Use rubbing alcohol to remove mildew and other stains from the silicone caulking around your bathtub.

Toss a couple handfuls of laundry detergent into the bottom of garbage cans to repel insects and control odor.

Instead of using shelf paper in your kitchen cabinets, try using inexpensive self-stick vinyl floor tiles. Easy.

A formula for cleaning glass shower doors. Rub lemon oil furniture polish over the door to soften the gunk. After a few minutes, scrub the door with nylon net. If the scum is not removed, use a single-edged razor blade and carefully scrape it off. When the door is completely clean, go over it once more with the lemon oil furniture polish. Polish with a dry, soft cloth until it shines.

When drawers or zippers stick, rub the edges with soap and they'll slide slick as a whistle.