i've spent the past few days at my parents home on vancouver island enjoying the sunshine and quiet. the only downside of the peace and quiet is that it's hard to sleep when it's completely silent and you're used to falling asleep to the sound of trains slamming together. what a thing to complain about!
i've been trying to get hans to help me move the old clipper canoe down to the water because i'm not confident i could portage it down several flights of stairs without killing myself. i just want to go for a quick paddle, but he doesn't want me to go out alone. he doesn't care how good i am in the canoe, he just knows i am an awful swimmer. i'm one of those people who can't just sit and enjoy the sunshine though. i have to be doing something. so with no canoe or kayak, and not wanting to walk through the woods where i wouldn't be able to enjoy the sun, i tried to find something to busy myself with. so i dug a hole. i recommend you try it sometime, because it's really satisfying. it's crazy wild here on the island.
and when i'm not digging holes, i like to make homemade granola. i know, i'm out of control. clearly the reason i didn't go to sxsw this year is because i've turned into an old person. but this granola is so damn good that i'm glad i put down my crochet hook and got my bifocals out long enough to make it. it's much better than digging holes, so you should make it too.
best granola ever
6 cups rolled oats
2 cups whole almonds
1 1/2 cups shredded or flaked coconut
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup sesame seeds (i used black)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
3/4 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons honey
2 cups pitted dates, each cut crosswise into quarters
3/4 cup dried cranberries
preheat oven to 300°F. mix first 12 ingredients in large bowl. melt honey into the olive oil in a saucepan over low heat, then pour it over the granola mixture and stir well. spread out mixture over 2 large baking sheets. bake about 20 minutes, stirring 2-3 times. stir in the dried fruit and then continue baking until golden brown. this can take between 15 and 40 minutes depending on how deep the pans are and how often you stir the mix. cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
you can really use any dried fruit, i just happened to have dates and cranberries.
Tuesday, March 18
doing as the islanders do
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mouse the dachshund
4 comments:
Thanks for posting the recipe. I have been making lots of granola bars lately - this will be next.
hey erin. found your blog from tinywarbler. really like it. i live in boulder, colorado but come to vancouver every six weeks to visit someone i met. i have decided to hold a cocktail party on april 25th at uva
and i am wondering if you'd like to come. it's uncomfortable for me to come to a place repeately and not get to know more people...hence the party. you can check out my blog: thesweetbird.blogspot.com
and be in touch there if you are in.
best,
kate
omg, i LOVE your bowl! it's such a beautiful color. And the granola mixture looks so delicious!!
hi kate, i would love to meet you and uva sounds perfect. BUT april 25th is my boyfriend's birthday so it's a bad day for me. maybe another time?
sara, it's one of my mum's bowls and she has them in a beautiful apple green and a rich cranberry red too. i think she might even have them in saffron, and they're all nesting bowls. i'll ask where she got them, but i'm sure they're from her travels somewhere. you really have to make that granola though, because i think it's the perfect combination of spices and flavours. i'm never going to buy granola again.
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