Recipe #1

Today I made Jamie Oliver's Awesome Granola Dust. Here are the photos:

In the process of making I discovered, realized, decided it's finally time ... that I need a roasting pan, and a funnel.

I only made 1/3 of this recipe - turns out that's the amount of oats I purchased when I was at Honest Weight Co Op the other day -- a pricey but amazing store!

They smelled so good while roasting!

The nuts I used: pistachios, cashews, hazel nuts, and brazil nuts. 

The seeds I used: flax, chia, sesame, sunflower, and pepitas (pumpkin).

The dried fruit I used: cranberries and cherries.

This stage smelled even better ... the addition of coco powder and the orange zest, so good!

This recipe was really easy to do, and now I have the base - or added ingredient of this dust - for other recipes in the cookbook.

Recipe #2 will be one of the yogurt recipes that uses the dust so that I can try it!

Cooking my way through...in 2016

This should be fun ... I love to cook ... I want to continue to eat healthy / learn to eat even healthier (without cutting meat out of my diet, I'm a carnivore - actually I'm an omnivore) ... and a fun challenge for the year.

There are ... ??? number of recipes and 366 days this year (#leapyear) ... we'll see how I do, stay tuned!

Edible Ornaments

Or as some of my relatives said ... orna-mints. Hardy har har! :) This is super easy to do, fun and they make really adorable gifts.

Step one: buy peppermint candies, cooking spray & parchment paper (if you don't have it)

Step two: select which shapes you're going to make

Step three: set oven to 350 degrees

Step four: spray cutters with cooking spray

Step five: place cutters on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and then place candies inside - they melt and spread out so you do NOT need to worry about getting candy in every empty space

Step six: place cookie sheet in oven for about 6 minutes (might take longer)

Step seven: once melted, remove cookie sheet - and if you're going to make it into an ornament that can hang, you'll need to use a toothpick (though I used a nut pick as the metal was better) to make a hole for a piece of string/ribbon to go through. 

*You'll need to wait until it's cooled a little or the hole will close right up. And you might need to make the whole and go back a minute or so later to "clean it up."

***If you want to make it a tree ornament that can be used year after year, you'll probably want to spare it with something to preserve it. 

Gingerbread Men

These are some of the most delicious cookies I have ever baked! And I got to use my "new" (I got them over a year ago, but never got the chance to use them) cookie cutters that included a little gingerbread man. 

I used the Gingerbread Man recipe from my Fanny Farmer cook book, and now, I always will!!!!!

mmmm....

My Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie

It was super tasty. 

Graham Cracker crust.

Pie recipe off of the can. 

I love Pumpkin Pie!

My friendsgiving stuffing in progress...

Kentucky Derby Bread Pudding