Tag Archives: homemade granola

Who Would’ve Thought

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Hello everybody! I wanted to update you all, and let you know that I won’t be posting as frequently. I won’t be getting a laptop until the end of November or December, so I’m taking a deep breath until then. It seems like recently my life has involved practicing letting go of modern conveniences like cars and computers. It’s been very refreshing actually to live life at a more human pace. Of course these things are useful, but when do we start becoming dependent on them. Take cell phones for instance. You send a text message or make a phone call, and it expresses this notion that this person should always be available. I guess in a sense I’m claiming my time back and becoming more creative with it. Even just sitting there and doing nothing is absolutely fine by me.

When modern conveniences leave your side for a bit, do those moments seem like a blessing in disguise for you?

Playing hide-and-seek...

Or pretending I'm a wild animal on the loose!

Oh my gosh! Ants have attacked my breakfast!

Oops, those are just chocolate sprinkles.

A delicious bowl of lentil curry with aromatic basmati rice.

Sitting down and eating with no distractions...

Enjoying some of the best bread ever from a German bakery.

Spread on a thick layer of mascarpone and pumpkin butter, and you're in for a treat!

And top some yogurt off with homemade granola.

I made this batch using a simple recipe I found in , but made it special by also adding in puffed millet and chia seeds.

Making it feel more like October by making a batch of pumpkin pie hummus.

I haven’t made pumpkin pie hummus in ages! I had a friend try it, and he said that it tasted like pumpkin pie filling. Perfect! This morning I served it over a warming bowl of oatmeal, along with medjool dates, walnuts, granola, and cinnamon. I like thinking of all of the different kinds of hummus flavors I can make, and who knew that a sweet hummus would be a success! Try it out and let me know what you think.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I’m hoping to go apple picking with some of my best friends up in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. I’m going to make sure to take in all of that fresh air and beautiful scenery while I’m there.

Oh wait! Here’s a random question before you go! Name an item of food, i.e. pasta, squash, lentils, apple… you get the picture!

p.s. I ended up not advancing to the next round of the Project Food Blog challenge, but I wanted to thank you all for your support! It was really wonderful to see that people had faith in me and were excited about it like I was. Also, I ended up getting to do my favorite challenge anyway (the dinner party)!

I Can Almost See Clearly

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So ladies and gentlemen, this chicka completed a philosophy exam today that took over 7 hours. Whoa mama! I just have to finish up an essay and then I’m done. Finito.

But let’s begin!

Oh how I love thee homemade granola!

I loosely followed this recipe by using things I had on hand, and instead I did half maple syrup and half apple-maple syrup. I also added in some coconut extract, raisins, sultanas aka golden raisins, white chocolate chips, and shredded coconut. Note for next time: bake at a lower temperature. Also, I loved the mix pre-baking as well! Seriously though, one of my favorite combinations during the warmer months is granola + Greek yogurt. And there’s something extra satisfying about having granola you made yourself. Doesn’t that go with everything?

I can't wait to make my next batch! Any suggestions?

Starting off the day by choosing a cute outfit!

I had my last Amy's Texas burger alongside some sweet potato wedges.

For the sweet potato wedges I just cut up two potatoes, tossed them in canola oil, then doused them with Old Bay Seasoning. Then I baked them in the oven till they were done.

I also got to try out something new!

The people over at Bone Suckin’ Sauce contacted me after seeing my love for their BBQ sauce. I had never tried their mustard so they sent me a package with a jar of their sweet hot variation and their classic mustard. I had no idea that they had all these other products like salsas, teriyaki sauces, seasonings, and rubs.

Check out the bits of jalapeno peppers!

The sweet hot was definitely hot with a hint of sweetness. The classic flavor was similar but not as hot. At first I was thrown off by the color, but not to fear because all of their sauces are all natural. And if you like thick sauces then this is great! Since I don’t eat things with bones in them I’ll just say that these mustards were “finger lickin’ good” just like the BBQ sauce.

Let’s rewind to last Friday. Since it was the first Friday of the month that meant that Richmond’s monthly art walk was taking place. I love it because not only do you get to check out galleries, but I’m always bumping into friends, vendors, and good food.

This isn't just any old bus.

They bring the farm to you!

I talked to Mark, the guy who helped start Farm to Family about a few things. One of the things he mentioned was their plan: they want to make a documentary of a year they’re going to live off what the things they sell on the bus. Not only do they sell produce, but cheese, eggs, milk, and meats as well. They want to emphasize that a person can live healthily off of local, sustainable, and seasonable foods. They’ll be doing monthly doctor check-ups to make sure they’re in tip-top condition. He also said that this is open to anyone else who is up for the challenge. Not only would it be an experience, but you also get to write a chapter in the book with your personal account. They plan on starting next month and I wish them the best of luck!

Saw lots of art of course!

And showed some support to some friends that were playing in a courtyard on a perfect night.

With some of my ladies and Matilda before she left.

Afterwards we went to Ipanema for the second time that week!

No complaints because the food, the service, the atmosphere, and the company was amazing!

The thing I love about eating out with people I'm close to is that I know that nobody minds sharing.

I just ordered the mulligatawny soup since I already had dinner and some snacks not too long beforehand.

Eventually we had to move inside because there was a drunk guy with a knife standing right behind me and he wanted to start a fight with some random guy. Luckily, the man was arrested. I guess he forgot the school’s police station was right across the street. After this meal we dubbed this the new place to go eat and then Cous Cous as the bar we frequent, since we headed over there afterwards.

Now remember how I left off my last post with a see you later to Matilda? Well here are a few things in my life that have made it more bearable. I know I may sound like a crazy dog lady, but I just love her! Everytime I walk into my bedroom I’m expecting to see her lounging around on my armchair.

Vintage hair accessories

It's all in the details.

Waking up to broken pipes that erupt through the asphalt and cause flooding!

Friends helping friends with their fashion lines!

One of my old professors/friends has been needing some extra helping hands to make things for her fashion line, Thief & Bandit. Also, she recently had the most adorable son! She was so nice to offer tea, coconut macaroons, and I just loved the smell of toasting raisin bread wafting through the air as we worked. She’s actually going to be featured on Etsy’s front page so definitely keep an eye out for her!

And banana "soft-serve" with Cacao Bliss.

So ending on that delicious note, I hope you’re all enjoying your week so far. The end of my semester is so near I can taste it. And it tastes divine!!!