Granola

Picture is a bowl of homemade granola and hi-energy bars made from granola.

Granola is a good for breakfast and for snacks. Most varieties of granola that are available in the grocery store have ingredients that are not the best choices for a healthy diet. However, in making our own, we can control the ingredients that are in the granola we eat.

We use granola as cereal for breakfast occasionally when we want a change from our regular breakfast of pancakes made from the five minute pancake recipe that we included in our column of March 2. The column is still listed at our blog site listed below. We also use the granola to make a hi-energy snack bar.

When purchasing ingredients for any recipe we are always careful to look for added sugar, sweeteners or other additives. Many ingredients like the fruit and nuts we grow ourselves, so we know there are no additives in them. Dried fruits and nuts purchased in stores sometimes have sugar, salt, oil that are made from the bad fats and other things added to them. These are the types of things we try to avoid.

The granola is easy to make. We just combine the ingredients below and bake. It bakes at 225 degrees for a total of two hours. This seems like a long time but we make the recipe when we are in the house doing other activities. Also, the recipe can be changed using other nuts and dried fruit in place of the ones listed below.

Ingredients we use most often include:

3 cups uncooked, old-fashioned rolled oats

1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut shreds

½ cup wheat germ

1 cup sunflower seeds

¼ cup sesame seeds

¼ cup flax seed

¼ cup canola oil

½ cup honey

½ cup water

Mix above ingredients and bake for 1 ½ hours. Stir every half hour for even baking.

Then add:

1 cup chopped walnuts

Bake for another half hour.

Remove from oven.

Add:

½ cup raisins

When cool store in a covered container.

To make the hi-energy bars use 2 cups granola and 2 eggs. Mix and spread on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Shape into an oblong shape about 6 inches by 8 inches and ¼ inch thick. Press firmly and cut into bars 1 ½ inches by 2 inches. Bake for 20 minutes at 300 degrees. Cool and re-cut. Store bars in a covered container.

Another use for granola is as a toping on yogurt or ice cream. Healthy foods can taste good and this granola does!

Handmade cards

Pictured are a variety of handmade cards.

Receiving a personalized card says to us that someone thought we were special; they took time and effort to think about and do something just for us. Creating a personalized card is easy and inexpensive. There are many options and one does not need to be an artist to create a nice looking card. This kind of project is also easy for children and they can have a part in making someone else feel special.

Cards can be decorated with rubber stamps, marking pens, paper punches, stickers, stencils, ribbon, fabric and more. We use cardstock paper to start with. Sometimes we add a piece of regular weight paper on the front, cutting the edges with a decorative edge scissors. Then after choosing rubber stamps to create the design, we choose the color ink pad. Sometimes we color in or highlight the design with pastels, gel pens or colored markers.

One technique we like is to color the rubber stamp with water-color pens before stamping. That way, the various details of the stamp can be colored individually and with much greater accuracy than by using a multi-color ink pad. For words a set of alphabet stamps is nice but not necessary. Calligraphy pens can be used to write the words as well.

Added touches can be made by using stickers, punching the edge of the card with a paper punch and adding pieces of fabric or ribbon. Paper punches come in many shapes from animals and vehicles to hearts and stars. Using different fabric such as satin and lace will create a fancy look and plaids can give a country look. Designs can range from simple to elaborate. There are craft books and magazines full of ideas that can spark anyone’s imagination.

Our collection of rubber stamps, pads, punches, scissors and more has been added to over many years. We find things to add to our collection in thrift stores, at yard sales and we also keep an eye on the clearance sections in craft stores. You never know where you might find a good rubber stamp. After holidays is a good time to find many items on clearance for less than half price.

Cards can be given anytime. They can say hi, thinking of you, have a nice day, you are special,
thanks, I love you, congratulations and more. Cards can also be made to accompany a gift for any holiday or used as invitations to a party.

Rubber stamps can also be used to decorate plain wrapping paper or a gift bag to match the handmade card, giving it a customized look. Just use the same rubber stamps as used on the card and repeat the design over and over to cover the paper or bag.

For a more elaborate look we use embossing powder or flocking to enhance the rubber stamp design. These take a little more time to do but are fun when we get the whole family or a group of friends together to make cards. We have also used these techniques to make personalized stationary, which is always nice to give as a gift.

In the past we have made sets of cards and stationary to sell at fundraisers for different clubs we have been a part of. Card making is also an activity we have used for children’s parties that gave them something they could take home with them.

There is no “right” or “wrong” way to make a card. It is all about making a personalized greeting that says, “You are special” to the one you give it to.

Handmade gifts

Pictured are six macramé hangers and gift bag.

Summertime seems to bring more weddings and therefore wedding showers. Most brides have a registry at several stores where gifts can be selected. But we prefer to give gifts we make when possible. We like the more personal thought put into a gift made just for us.

One gift we like to make for brides are covered hangers. Covered hangers are good to hold things that tend to slip off regular hangers, like those made from silky fabrics or with a wide neck.

We start with wire hangers. First we spray paint the top of the hanger in a color to complement the color of the macramé cord chosen to work on the lower part. This time we did six hangers, three white and three brown. We used green for the paint color.

Each hanger needs about eight to nine yards of cord to cover it. Folding the cord in half, center it at the top below the hook. Tie half-square knots, going all the way around and back up to the top. Cut off excess cord and melt or glue ends to secure them.

To dress up the hangers ribbons can be added to the top. This time we used nine 6-inch pieces of quarter-inch ribbon in green and white. First we tied eight pieces onto one piece, which we then tied that piece to the hanger creating a fringe. Larger ribbon can be tied at the top in a bow or a pom-pom can be made and fastened at the top.

Wrapping the gift can also be personalized. Instead of regular wrapping paper we made a fabric bag out of a piece of green fabric about 25 by 30 inches.

To make it a little fancier we first sewed a piece of white and silver lace fabric on the bottom which was about 18 by 30 inches. Then we sewed a white ribbon across the top of the lace to cover the edge. To make the bag sew the top and side together, leaving about four inches open on the top of the side. Then fold over and sew the top edge to make a casing for a cord to go through. The cord of about one yard in length is then threaded through the top to close the bag.

This bag held six hangers. Fabric bags can be made in any size to fit any size gift. Then the recipient can later use the gift bag for holding other items such as lingerie or toiletries.

Boxes can also be covered with fabric to hold a gift, which can then be used again for another use instead of being tossed out like regular wrapping paper. We use craft glue or a hot-glue gun to secure the fabric to the box. Lace, ribbons and appliqués can be glued on to make it fancier. Lining the box with a contrasting fabric is also a nice touch. Shoe boxes make good choices to cover and fit many size gifts.

Then to complete the package a handmade card is the finishing touch. We use rubber stamps, scissors that cut fancy edges, color markers, card paper and other accent paper. We have collected rubber stamps over the years and have a selection that includes the alphabet, upper and lower case, animals, hearts, teddy bears, trains, planes and more. Cards can be customized for any occasion and they are always one of a kind. Next week we will go into more details on making cards.

We always treasure gifts and cards others custom make for us and hope others like receiving gifts made just for them. They are always fun to make.

Lan Party

Pictured are Craig Love, Suzanne Love, Aaron Peterson, Josh Paul and Jim Faggard. Players not pictured are Curtis Love, Scott Miller and Dillon Mendenhall.

It was party time at our house this week. We had a computer game party called a Local Area Network, or LAN for short. Our computer friends came over with their computers and we connected them all together to play games. They come with all sizes of computers from large desk top models down to lap tops.

All ages from teenagers to parents come over to play. Most players are guys, but occasionally one of the girls join in too. The rest of the girls hang out in another room, watching a movie or making snacks for the group. A lot of times parties have from 12 to 15 players, but this week we only had eight.

One of the favorite games to play is “Battlefield 1942,” published by EA games. This is a World War II simulation where the players compete with each other using the various weapons and equipment available at that time in history. The game is rendered in 3-D which makes for very realistic and almost TV-like quality. It takes a fairly up-to-date computer to play these games. They generally require 512 MB ram memory and a 64 MB video card.

One of the fun aspects of “Battlefield 1942” is that it is open to being modified. The game mechanics and operation stay the same but the time period, soldiers and weapons can all be changed. The original game must be purchased, but most modifications are free. All you have to do is download them from the internet. The modified games, usually called mods, are numerous and represent historical periods from the Middle Ages to WWII to current Middle East conflicts. There is even a Star Wars-like mod called “Galactic Conquest.”

Each mod includes a number of maps, each map having various objectives that must be captured. At a LAN party there are plenty of maps to last us all night. People come and go when they want, most arriving around 6 or 7 p.m. and leaving around midnight. The real hard core players stay until 3 or 4 a.m. The more players we have the better the game play.

Some of the maps can accommodate computer players, usually called computer robots. That way, even if there are only four or five human players, it is still possible to have as many as 40 or 50 total players on the map. While the computer is never as good a player as a real person, it is still entertaining to have a reasonable number on each side. In fact, sometimes we play a version of the game called “Comp Stomp” where all the human players are on one side and the other side is made up entirely of computer robots. The object then is to see who can rack up the highest score of robots eliminated.

We also play a game called “Battlefield Vietnam.” This is a follow up game to “Battlefield 1942” also published by EA games and is about the Vietnam conflict. The game mechanics work about the same as the original game but there are many added variations. One interesting addition is the helicopter, which was not around in WWII. They are fun to fly and with a little practice can be very devastating to the opposite side. There are also many mods available to play, one of the favorites being “Dice City.” This mod pits the police against the gang in a modern city, sort of a computer style “Cops and Robbers.”

The games reflect times of historical battles to science fiction to life on the streets. The games spark many discussions about why conflicts happen and what we can learn from them. It gives added prospective to history that some just read about.

Fruit is ripe

Pictured is the juicer kettle used to process fruit into juice.

Payoff time has begun. The fruits of our labors in the garden are happening. This is the best time of year because our favorite fresh fruits are finally ready to eat. We have been picking and eating strawberries and cherries for a few weeks now.

The strawberries were first. We’ve enjoyed strawberry shortcakes, muffins, ice cream and have cut and frozen bags full for later use. They have slowed for now, but will produce again later this summer.

Cherries were next to ripen and this year the crop was bountiful. There were so many we could pick them by the handfuls instead of one at a time. We have had cherry crisps, pies and ice cream. The rest we have either been pitted and frozen or juiced. Frozen ones can later be used to make more crisps, pies, ice cream and more. The juice we later use for drinking, making jelly and in other recipes.

To juice fruits we have a special kettle that has three layers plus a lid. The fruit is placed in the top which has holes in it for the juice to drip down to the middle layer. The middle has a funnel shaped hole for the steam to come up from the bottom layer and a hose in front where the juice can be drained into the canning jars. The bottom is for water that steams the fruit. Processing the fruit to juice is easy with a set up like this. While steaming the fruit we set a timer to check it about every half hour and then drain the juice into canning jars.

The old method of making juice was to cook the fruit, then put it in a cloth bag and hang it up with a large container placed under it to catch the juice. After the juice drained from the bag it had to be placed in canning jars and processed in a canner to seal the jars. With the juicer kettle the jars can be sealed immediately after draining the juice into them. This makes the process faster and easier than the old way.

Kumquats are also ripe now. We eat them fresh but don’t process any for later use. In the past we have made marmalade with them but that was not one of our favorites.

The boysenberries have produced just enough so far to make boysenberry shortcake. More will soon be ripe and the raspberries are not far behind. Also, apricots and early peaches should be ready in a few weeks. So far this year the apricots look really good. Last year we didn’t get a single apricot so we are more than ready for some fresh ones.

The vegetable garden looks good too. We are keeping ahead of the weeds this year, which can be a hard thing to do. Some years we almost loose the plants among the weeds. It is a never-ending battle.

Gardening is a lot of work but the results of great tasting foods are worth it all.

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Monday we remembered all the United States service men and women who have served and are serving our country. We appreciate all they have done and are doing for our country.