Baking

We made granola for the first time today. We love it, so I think we have long past the time to make our own. I found this recipe, and decided to let Sam help me. He was restricted to throwing oats and sugar around while I tried to follow these simple directions.

4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 300 F. In a bowl mix the oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a saucepan warm the oil and honey. Whisk in vanilla.

Carefully pour the liquid over the oat mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon; finish mixing by hand. Spread granola in a 15x10 inch baking pan.

Bake 40 minutes, stirring carefully every 10 minutes. Transfer granola-filled pan to a rack to cool completely. Stir in raisins or cranberries. Seal granola in an airtight container or self-sealing plastic bag. Store at room temperature for 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.

I used pecans instead of almonds, and went with the cranberries for a "cranberry pecan" flavor.

We love how it came out. Athough it could probably be a little less sweet.

I then made a loaf of english muffin bread. During nap time.

2.5 cups flour
1 package rapid rise yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk + 1/4 cup water (120-130 degreees F)
cornmeal

Combine 1.5 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Stir in milk/water combination.
Use your hands to mix in remaining flour until dough is soft. Grease 8 1/2 by 44 1/2 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with cornmeal, put dough in pan and sprinkle with more cornmeal. Cover pan and let dough rise in warm, draft free place for 30-40 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. It will stay 3 days in an air tight container, or frozen for a month.


Another favorite around here. It makes great quick toast for easy breakfasts. And goes great with some yogurt and granola.

Have a good weekend everyone!

a little bit of crafting

I had some time today to put together a little toy sack for Sam. It has been in the que for months now. I'm happy to finally have it completed! Of course, there was some seam ripping to be done here and there. But it was alot of fun embroidering on the corner. Hopefully it will go to good use.
Click on the picture for a couple more.

lots of time in Pennsylvania

We spent part of our hot weekend in Lancaster City. A cute little place an hour outside of philly.
Lancaster is smaller, with what I think are more friendly shops. There was a whole bunch going on. A fall art walk friday night. Where the galleries are open late for all to come in and enjoy the works. Some galleries even served wine and cheese for refreshments. Unfortunately there wasn't much for 19 month olds to do but scream for attention. So thats what Sam did. But the next morning, at the central market, they had a band, breakfast and ballons. The kind you can get made into sword shapes. That was fun for us and Sam. The whole time we were blessed to enjoy the company of the Yoders, who are great friends and live downtown. Thank you Yoders. We will be back.

w.i.p.: patchwork knit blanket

I don't think I'll need to keep you up on the entire process of this blanket. It seems as if it might take me forever. Let alone in time for the birth of this baby in January. Of course like I predicted, I had to cast-on and recount several times. But because of the nature of the pattern, I made the mistake of forgetting to switch stitches in time to keep my squares accurate. So out come the 200 stitch rows. Oh, this is not a project to do in tandem with anything else. Hopefully as I go along it will get easier and easier to perfect.

Thank you to this wonderful lady and her beautiful little man, I now have the pattern for my next project!

Oh fall,............

We have gone from welcoming the fall to begging the fall to come and stay.

The leaves are orange, burgundy, and yellow. I made the soup, but the thermometer says 80.

I'd really love to turn my fans off for a couple months. I'd be more than willing to feel a cool breeze and want a cozy sweater. But I guess all in due time.
In the meantime, to help bring on that cozy feeling, I started knitting a blanket for the wee one.
My idea of knitting is a little something like, "cast on and knit away". But what really happens is" cast on, re-count, undo. Cast on re-count, undo" This happens roughly 4 times before it is about right. Then the knitting begins. And thus it has. So here I go.

Diapers

I've decided to make the switch to cloth diapers. I feel that this change has been long coming. And I'm surprised that I'm just getting around to it. After lots of research online, (I don't have anyone local to guide me) I think I'd like to try a pocket. Made of PUL and cotton flannel. With a waffle-weave microfiber soaker. Does anyone with some experience have any tips or guidance? I'd like to try and make it on my own. The pattern is not an issue, but I'd love to hear some feed back on favorite materials. Or even great combos other that the PUL/flannel?

Philadelphia

I do really enjoy this city. This was Joel and I's second visit since wedded bliss. The first time babe # 1 wasn't around to enjoy it with us. We visited the Franklin Institue Science museum. Which was wonderful for adults and children. With hands on play exhibits in the center of a room, visible from all the reading and visuals around the perimeter. We originally set out to see King Tut,
but at a whopping $35 extra after museum entrance fees, and a lack a time, we decided to be satisfied without him.
Papa helps Sam touch the air plane
Daddy and Sam fly the plane
Uncle Kyle Can fly too.

We also got to shop the Reading Terminal Market.
The food,
Ah the food.
I love these markets and hope they never go away.

A lot has been going on since my last posted. So this might be a long one. Picturewise.

We took a much needed, long (8 full days) vacation to Idaho to visit our family and some friends. We had a good blast. Lounging, eating, fellowshipping camping, hiking, and worshiping. Samuel did great on the plane. I should really give him more credit and say he was good while we traveled because there was a good share of driving and waiting in between the flying. And he was a regular peach. I'm surprised that airlines don't feed you anymore. Everything is lame, and for purchase only. Luckily, they don't give you a fit about bringing food on with you. After the major check points. Before said check points they even made me throw out a half finished bottle of water. I wasn't even allowed to finish it before doing so. "alright, alright"

something I needed, something I'd like

My girlfriend Nikki and I took a loverly little stroll in a local village the other day. They have a fabulous little cake, candy and cookie decorating store called the chocolate duck that is just peachy to visit. We also got to go in this yarn store which I'm sure I've mentioned before. I think It might be a good idea to start a knitting group. To help each other along in various projects and whatnot. There could be some girl chatting in the mix as well. There's no way we wouldn't have fun.

One of my favorite thrift store is on the same block and as we walked by I saw a double stroller parked outside. It looked like it was in good condition. Or at least good enough to inquire about it going rate. Unfortunately it was being held for someone else until that evening. I gave up on it. Until I remembered this morning. So I drove around to find it still in its spot on the sidewalk. I ran in and bargain my way around and left with this. (after making a fool of myself for all the passing cars to see whilst I figured out how to close it up)
I got away with paying a mere $30. I'm not sure exactly how much this one actually went for but the ones I was looking at online were around $200. I'm feelin thrifty.
Sam and I took a trial run around the neighborhood when we got home. And I thought I'd take some pictures of this cute little house I've been admiring for some time now. It would be lovely to own. I mean look at that porch.
And the wonderfully wild greens.
Oh and the windows!

hello baby, how are you?

Here is our second bunting. Looking shy in comparison to the shots of its brother two years earlier. This baby seems to be milder in temperment the what we are currently used to. A bit more modest. Thats right folks. We got no visual. The mystery remains. I knew it was a possibility, but I was surprised anyway. Or at least we will be come January. Sigh,...Lets see if I can work some neutrals magic.