Best Granola Recipe

I did some research, looked on Pinterest and Google for a Granola Recipe.  That was on my summer list of things to do.  I have a whole bucket of rolled oats and my children have taken a liking to yogurt parfaits.  So, I found a recipe on Artisan Bread In Five.  It is called Aunt Melissa's Granola but I adapted it to my liking.  So, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

 

Granola Recipe

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

3/4 cup chopped nuts of your choice

3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped apricots, and dried cranberries ( you can use what fruit you like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment or a silpat.  Combine the honey, maple syrup, oil, water, and vanilla, set aside.  Toss together all of the dry ingredients (leave out the raisins and dried fruit until after the granola is baked and cooled.)  Add the honey mixture and toss with a spoon until the oats are well covered.  Spread the granola over two rimmed baking sheets in a thin layer.  Bake for 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Continue to check granola so that it doesn't get too brown and so that it bakes evenly.  After the granola is cooled, pour the granola in a storage canister and add the dried fruit.  Note: There are two pans, we pour each one in a storage container, one we add dried fruit for snacking and the other we leave plain without fruit for our parfaits and cereal. 

Here is a picture of our Yogurt Parfait.

We put yogurt in the bottom of a bowl, topped it with our granola and added strawberries and blueberries.  Yum-o!

Alcove Decorating

Ok, so here is what I have done as far as the alcove in my entry way is concerned.  I hung the bird cage.  I got a longer table so that the lamp could stay but you could visualize all of the decorating pieces in the alcove.  I added some vinyl wording above the alcove.  So, what do you professional mommy decorators out there think?  Honesty is important!

I would love to hear your thoughts!  Maybe I am finished, maybe I am not!

Some of My Fav's

We have quite a few projects that we are in the middle of!  Isn't that the usual, we have such great ideas and start something and then we find it so difficult to finish anything quickly.  It usually takes a while to get things done!  Grrrr!  Frustrating sometimes! 

So, my projects right now are:

1. Finish Decorating the new Homeschool room
2. Decorating the Foyer (have done some... you've seen the posts, I'm sure!)
3. Finish Cleaning out the old school room (Maddie's new room)
4. Paint Maddie's new room

As far as Finishing to decorate the new Homeschool room, I have ordered some ABC signs.  I went through and picked out all my favorite one's on Etsy.  I thought I would share them with you.  You'll find the one all the way at the bottom the one that I purchased.

I also wanted to mention that in sharing my projects, it will help me be better about finishing these projects that I have in the works!  Do you all have any projects that you would like to share?  I would love to see a link or a picture!

Cute As A Button Art

Bedlam Country Crafts

Spunky Fluff

Stevens Signs

Lola Decor

          And Here is My Fav!

 

 

The House of Belonging

 So, what do you all think?

                                   

                   

          

Marriage is Like a Garden

Marriage is hard!  Truth be told, marriage really does take work!  I can say that because I have been married for 20 years.  We have had some tough times and some amazing times. 

I have come to the conclusion that marriage is like a garden, if we sit back and expect it to take care of itself, it will be in ruin.  If we weed the garden, it will thrive.  If we water and feed the garden, it will grow.  But, if we forget about our garden or make something else a priority, it will die and what we will have is a garden (marriage) that is a complete mess, a garden or a relationship that is choked by weeds as the result of a lack of care.  The garden must be taken care of to flourish.  This is the same for a marriage!  Ok, you get it!

My husband and I recently started watching "Staying in Love" by Andy Stanley.  He is the pastor of Northpoint in Atlanta, Georgia.  He makes some statements that really help to put marriage in perspective.  He says we need to make love a verb.  I thought, what does that mean?  Well, it is so true!  Are we loving our husbands, are they loving us?  What do we need to do to love someone?  We have to show it!  Some of you are saying, well, he is not lovable.  Why should I love him when he does nothing for me? 

Well, Andy Stanley says that when we first get married or start dating, it is easy to be in love but staying in love is a challenge.  As time goes on and life happens, things change and it takes work to continue to have that feeling of being in love.  Couples find themselves in a spot where they feel like they didn't choose the right person.  We hear it all the time, "I am not in love anymore" or "I must hove chosen the wrong person."  He says that once you choose to stay with that person and make it work you are doing right thing.  By making love a verb, we are trying to love that person, not just having the feeling.  God's word in John 13:34 commands us to Love One Another, it is an imperative, a command. 

It also commands us to submit to one another in Ephesians 5:21. What does that mean?  Does that mean I have to serve my husband?  Yes, but that doesn't mean we do it alone!  God will help us! We must mutually submit to each other.  It means we both need to, but sometimes God calls us to step up and be the first.  That means I must choose my husband over everything else! 

I would love for each of you to watch this four part series with your husband!  If your spouse says, no thanks then I would love for you to take a look at these.  I bet your husband will begin saying, "There is something different about you."  What do you have to lose?

My hope in writing this post is that each of you think about what your marriage is like.  Does it need work?  Have we taken care of our "garden?"  Are we allowing the world to dictate what is right for our marriages?  When we don't have that "in love" feeling anymore are we too quick as a culture to give up and start again, looking for that feeling?  That feeling can come back, trust me, I know!  God can restore that "in love" feeling even if you think He can't!  I want to share with you what I have learned.

Remember, the garden needs care!  What are you doing to take care of your "garden" today?

key words: staying in love, andy stanley, marriage, marriage is like a garden, love, valentines day

Not Finished, Yet!

Well, you know that I take the risk of ya'll thinking I am plum crazy!  This has been a trial decorating of a wall alcove.  I did not realize how difficult it would be to decorate an alcove.  Two things I have learned is that height matters and it is best not to clutter the area with too many things.  

My son graciously held up the bird cage so you could see what it would like like if it were hung. I also included another picture with the bird cage on the old table.  Did you notice that I changed out the table?  Does it look too dated? Which one do you like better, the bird cage hanging or it on the table?  If I leave it on the table, I am definitely going to find some vinyl words to fill the spot!  I do think I like the bird cage hanging, though!  What do you think?

I would like to say thank you to all those people who have taken the time out of their day to help me with this project.  With all that in mind, I would like to share some more pictures and ask for some more help.  No, I am not finished, yet!

Need Some More Help!

I've arranged things so nicely in my wall acove but what really bothers me is that I had such a hard time finding a bird cage.  There is one at Pottery Barn that is reallllllly expensive! 

I think it looks really funny because I don't have height.  I have a large space with nothing to fill it.  So, what should I do gals? 

I did buy some vinyl letters that say something sweet about Family that could fill some of the space.  Any ideas about how to complete the space or what to change?  I just love this lamp, do I have to get rid of it?

Ok, So Here's What I've Done

In an earlier post, I asked my readers to give me some much needed decorating help.  I have taken some ideas from some of my sweet followers and I will show you what I have done.  Am I finished?  No, not yet!  I am thinking about painting the back of the alcove, and maybe placing some vinyl words at the top.  So, before I reveal the somewhat finished project, I'd like to remind you of the before picture.                                                                                                                                     

      

                                                                                                                                                                                            BEFORE 

ALMOST FINISHED

I would love to know what your thoughts are on what I have done!  By the way, I have kept the receipts for these items so that I can return them if I want.  Also, I am looking for a tall bird cage to put in the open space in the alcove.  I saw one at Pottery Barn, but too expensive!  I was thinking of putting in a fern. I am asking for the constructive criticism so please know that it won't hurt my feelings!  Added later: I just saw that Heather Bullard has the same lamp!  She bought them at Marshall's and I bought mine at TJ Maxx!  How funny!