Over the last two years -- since we were married and moved into our house -- Hali and I have both been taking steps to cultivate more of a homemade life, because it is less expensive, less consumerist, easier on the planet, healthier, more local, and so satisfying! I'm not sure where we started, but making our own ice cream was near the beginning, because someone I married eats a huge mug of ice cream every night, and wow, it gets pricey! No, we're not hand-cranking it; the fabulous little machine does the work. But it's far less expensive and doesn't include any carrageenan or other added un-delights. Over the last two years, we've added things one by one -- and I have to say, despite being troublesome in some ways, a silver lining of cancer has been more time at home -- making or buying, canning and freezing, whatever we can do: bread, yogurt, beans (from dry instead of cans), pasta sauce, jams, applesauce, pie apples, local delivery milk, a few hand-knits, a couple of toys sewn -- even making our own enchilada sauce! A bit more organic, a bit more local, closer to the source. We would love to be growing more of our own produce, and to that end, we even had a maple tree taken out last summer, but apparently, we still don't get quite enough sunlight, alas. We did manage to grow some lovely golden potatoes, a fair amount of kale, and a few jars of raspberries that are going to become jam one day soon (they're in the freezer), but otherwise, this summer I became a big fan of a small farmer's market nearby. Now that it's November though, the local growing season has evolved into baking season, so I thought I'd share below the recipe for the healthy and fabulous granola I've been making!
I first found this recipe through the gorgeous blog Food in Jars which led to Local Kitchen and the recipe I played with a bit to fit my desires... (including the fact that we're completely nut-free until we get better allergy testing for the kidlet, who does seem to have a nut allergy)
it looks ooky, but it's just applesauce, peach butter, and maple syrup.
Preheat oven to 325, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
9 c rolled oats
1 c shredded coconut
1 c pepitas
1.5-2 c applesauce and/or peach butter
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c maple syrup
1-2 c finely chopped dried apricots (cranberries, cherries, raisins, whatever tickles your fancy)
Mix the first three ingredients together, and in a separate bowl, mix the second three together. Combine them (this will require two large bowls) and spread the mixture loosely on the baking sheets. You can separate more if you like it more crumbly, less if you like larger clumps. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool; the granola will become crisp at it cools. When cooled, stir in the dried fruit and pour it into jars.
Enjoy!
