Thursday, January 9, 2014

January Blues

One year ago today I lost my grandmother. She was 95 1/2 years old.

The day before, I lost a great talented, creative friend. He was 33.

Nine days later, I lost my grandfather. He was 97.

It was a difficult beginning to a difficult year. I lost 5 loved ones in 2013, including my 26 year old niece and the 26 year old son of an old friend.

Todays January blues are so much different than last year. It's blue sky and sunshine! I have a brighter outlook, a new job, great new friends and a new blog to share with all of you.



Watched Jurassic Park the other day. Love this movie! My favorite line is when Samuel L Jackson flips the electrical breaker back on and says "Hold on to your butts!"

I made a double batch of black bean and corn quinoa veggie burgers today. Shared a couple with my daughter, ate one for dinner and froze the rest. Click the link if you haven't been reading my blog long enough to remember this recipe. They're so good. No lie.
 
Then it was time to relax and warm up. It's still relatively cold in Akron, OH. The temperature has been rising all day and is finally up to 28F tonight. Hot cider with some Fireball Whiskey hits the spot!
Finally I started thinking about breakfast. Do you think about your next meal when you've barely finished your last meal? Yep. That's me. I noticed earlier that I have some Greek yogurt still hanging out in the fridge so I though "why not make some granola to mix with that?" Sure! Why not?
 
 
Peanut butter granola. So simple. So good. Nutty but lightly sweet.
 
4T natural peanut butter
4T agave syrup
2t cinnamon
1t vanilla extract
Melt together over low temperature until combined.
In a large bowl stir together
2C oats
1/2C coconut
1/2C peanuts
Pour peanut butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined. I ended up having to use my hands, much like mixing a meatloaf.
Spread this mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Bake in a preheated 325F oven for approximately 30 minutes. Stirring every ten minutes. You'll know it's finished when it's a toasty golden brown color. I wish you could smell my kitchen right now!
Let this granola cool completely. It will harden as it cools. Store it in a canister or canning jar. It won't last long!
 
Share your time with the one's you love! See you again soon :)
 
 

 

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