Granola

So I've tried making a few different granola recipes. So far this is my favorite. I adapted it from Smitten Kitchen.

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sliced almonds (1 oz)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup green (hulled) pumpkin seeds, sometimes called pepitas (1 1/2 oz; not roasted)
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup mild honey
Healthy shake cinnamon
Pinch salt (flaky sea salt preferred)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Stir together all ingredients. Spread mixture evenly on a large (17-by 12-inch) shallow baking pan lined with a silpat and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown for 15 minutes.

Here is the secret ... Check it every 3-5 minutes after that. It burns really quickly. Transfer granola, in pan, to rack to cool stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Granola keeps, frozen (the fruit’s moisture softens granola if not kept frozen) in an airtight container, a few months.

Natalie's Neat-O Banan-O Punch-O

For the shower. I made this drink. The invite list was 70 people! So I doubled this recipe ... and didn't even get through a quarter of it! IT MAKES A TON!

And I officially named it after Natalie ... because you know ... well she gave it to me.

6 ripe bananas

1 large (46 oz) can of pineapple juice

1 large (12 oz) can of frozen orange juice

1 large (12 oz) can of frozen lemonade

6 cups water

4 c sugar

3- 2 liter bottles of grapefruit soda or Fresca

Mix bananas and all juices in blender. You'll have to do this in groups as not all will fit at once.

Boil water and add in sugar until it dissolves (1 minute) let cool.

Mix everything altogether and freeze in large tupperware (or ziploc bags) containers

Take out of freezer before party. Use a potato masher to mash up frozen mix. Add soda and enjoy!

This makes A LOT, about 3 gallon ziploc bags worth of just the mix, not including the soda obviously.

Peach Cobbler Muffins.

Hosted a big shower this weekend. Made these. They were tasty. Thank you A Few Short Cuts.

Peach Cobbler Muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups white sugar
2 cups cannedpeaches


Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly grease 16-18 muffin cups.
In the mixer, mix the oil, eggs, and sugar. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour to the oil mix until well incorporated. The batter will be thick! Fold in the peaches. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Pecan Streusel Topping Recipe
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup pecans, finely chopped, optional
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix together all of the above ingredients. Fingers work best. Sprinkle a Tbs on top of each muffin before you bake!