Monday, 29 September 2008
Give my blog a new name
I have decided that perhaps 'The growlings of Granola Girl' is not the best name I could have for my blog, as I no longer can have that blog address. So, this is your chance to help me rename the blog, or tell me to keep the same name because you love it! Please do let me know if you think there is a better name for my blog. I will consider all suggestions and pick the one I like the best.
My new blogspot address
I found out when sending my new blogspot address to friends and family, that when putting in the address, someone else's blog came up. In checking this out I discovered that when first creating the blog, and naming the address for it, I had typed in 'granologirl', rather than 'granolagirl', so of course nobody could find me at the address I had sent them. I worked out how to change my address, fixed the error, and discovered someone else already has 'granolagirl'. So, a new address name needed to be found. I decided making it simple was best, so used the exact same thing I have in my email address, 'debssproule', and this address was accepted. I then tested it, to make sure people can easily now find my blog, and it worked! So now, friends and family you can find me easily, as all you have to do is remember the beginning of my email address, to also have my blog address. I debated changing the name of my blog, but decided not to bother at this time - maybe later when I think up something I like.
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Granola Girl - it's origins and recipe
So, where does Granola Girl come from you ask?! And even more importantly, what is the recipe for this delicious dish!!
In April 2007 I went to stay with my Dad & step-mom on the Isle of Skye, Scotland (totally beautiful place by the way - I recommend a holiday there in the summer and if you are an artist, they are all over this island, so as well as the incredible views, you get a veritable feast of art in every form going).
My dad had this delicious cereal that he makes himself called Granola. I became completely addicted to it. Granola for breakfast, granola as a snack just to munch a handfull of, granola with natural yogourt etc etc.
Dad taught me his recipe and then I started making my own and have made it ever since. I eat nothing else for breakfast. One bowl of this and you are totally set for the day - you just don't get hungry until later when it is time for lunch. All they have to say about having a breakfast that handles your blood sugar properly so it sets you up properly for the day, must be embodied in this granola. It also is great for having fibre in your diet, in a really tasty way.
I have passed the recipe onto a few and my brother-in-law now swears by it.
So when looking for a name for my blog, someone asked me (who had used something she had had for breakfast in her blog name), well, what did you have for breakfast? Granola of course!, So, use that in your name! And thus, 'The growlings of Granola Girl' was born!!!!
And now, the recipe, for anybody who happens to stumble upon my blog and is now panting to try this.
Granola - Original recipe
6 cups of large rolled oats 1/2 cup honey (see c. below)
2 oz flax/linseeds 1/2 cup sunflower seed oil
2 oz sesame seeds raisons
4 oz sunflower seeds other dried fruit to taste
4 oz chopped mixed nuts (do not chop these too finely)
a. Preheat oven to 100 degrees centigrade.
b. Mix together the oats, flax/linseeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds & mixed nuts.
c. In a measuring cup pour in 1/2 cup of oil, then add 1/2 cup of honey (doing it this way lets you measure the honey easily as it slides into the oil & also then lets you pour it all easily out of the measuring cup).
d. Pour the oil/honey mixture into the mixture of oats/seeds/nuts and mix these all up very well, so all the dry ingredients are fully coated in the oil/honey mixture.
e. Split this mixture into two different similar size pans for the oven and spread it out evenly. Make sure the pans have high enough sides that they will allow you to be able to stir up the ingredients several times during the toasting procedure. (I say two different pans simply because you want to be able to spread the mixture out to a good degree and I don't have a pan that is large enough and high enough to cover the whole of one oven shelf. Also, different ovens have different size shelves and you don't want the pan to be too small.)
f. Place the pans in the oven, on two different shelves and put a timer on for 25 minutes (so you don't forget about them). After 25 minutes, take the pans out of the oven, stir everything up and then put the pans back in, but switch around the shelves (what was on the bottom shelf now goes on the top shelf and vice-versa).
g. Put the timer on for another 25 minutes and follow the same procedure above in f. at the end of this time.
h. After this, put the timer on for only 15 minutes and when you take them out after this you are now going to check to see if everything is now a nice toasty brown colour, and if your nuts now look toasted as well. If not, and you feel it could do with some more time, put them in for another 10 minutes, etc, until the mixture looks nicely toasted to you. This will very depending on how your oven operates, compared to mine.
i. When it is done, leave it to cool, stirring it up a few times so it does not cool in one lump.
j. You are now going to add whatever dried fruit you want, to whatever amount you want. I add in raisons, chopped up apricot, and cranberries currently. You can also add dried figs, bananas, pineapple, blueberries, raspberries - you'd be amazed at the wealth of dried fruits you can find to add.
k. Now, pour some into a bowl, add milk and eat! Or grab a handful and munch!! Or add to yogourt with some fresh fruit as well, or, or, or......... whatever takes your fancy!!!
Granola Recipe Variations
1. Sometimes I like to add in coconut. I look for the strips of coconut that have not been toasted. I rip these up into smaller pieces and add these to the oats/seeds/nuts mixture in step b. above. If you can only find coconut that has already been toasted, then just add it when you add the dried fruit.
2. I have now also tried this recipe using maple syrup instead of honey, this is delicious. You will find that it does not get as toasty brown for some reason though, but you can still tell when it is done. This is more expensive to use maple syrup, so I do it as a treat for us every once in a while but mainly stay with honey because it is cheaper.
3. I once found I did not have enough honey and the store was closed; but I also had some golden syrup in my cupboard, so I used the honey and golden syrup together (it was about 1/2 and 1/2) and this was fine.
4. I have since now added pumpkin seeds to the oats/seeds/nut mixture and really like these. I add in about 4 ozs.
5. I now add more then 4 oz of chopped nuts, as I really like them in the cereal. I put in about 8 oz in total. Also, keep in mind that you don't have to make this mixed nuts. You can put in whatever nuts you want, or none at all. If you put in none at all, just add a bit more oats so the proportions stay right to the oil/honey mixture.
6. I have recently found out that barley, rye and millet all contain something that is very good for people with arthritis. As I have had arthritis in the past that I had to have a small operation on to handle and as this still occasionally flares up for me in other parts of the body, I have now altered the original recipe for myself, to include barley flakes, rye flakes and millet flakes. I figure that if one eats these every day it must be good for helping to prevent arthritis or flareups of it in the future. I now put in 3 cups of oats, and the other three cups are a mixture of the barley, rye, millet flakes to my taste. The millet being much smaller then the barley and rye, I only use about 1/2 cup of this.
So there you go, you can now create your own special granola recipe.
I only give you one warning: As you have different smallish seeds etc in this granola, they can lodge inbetween your teeth. So be prepared to use a toothpick to get them out before flashing your sunny smile, or just go give your teeth a quick brush before leaving the house. It is worth it though, believe me!!!
In April 2007 I went to stay with my Dad & step-mom on the Isle of Skye, Scotland (totally beautiful place by the way - I recommend a holiday there in the summer and if you are an artist, they are all over this island, so as well as the incredible views, you get a veritable feast of art in every form going).
My dad had this delicious cereal that he makes himself called Granola. I became completely addicted to it. Granola for breakfast, granola as a snack just to munch a handfull of, granola with natural yogourt etc etc.
Dad taught me his recipe and then I started making my own and have made it ever since. I eat nothing else for breakfast. One bowl of this and you are totally set for the day - you just don't get hungry until later when it is time for lunch. All they have to say about having a breakfast that handles your blood sugar properly so it sets you up properly for the day, must be embodied in this granola. It also is great for having fibre in your diet, in a really tasty way.
I have passed the recipe onto a few and my brother-in-law now swears by it.
So when looking for a name for my blog, someone asked me (who had used something she had had for breakfast in her blog name), well, what did you have for breakfast? Granola of course!, So, use that in your name! And thus, 'The growlings of Granola Girl' was born!!!!
And now, the recipe, for anybody who happens to stumble upon my blog and is now panting to try this.
Granola - Original recipe
6 cups of large rolled oats 1/2 cup honey (see c. below)
2 oz flax/linseeds 1/2 cup sunflower seed oil
2 oz sesame seeds raisons
4 oz sunflower seeds other dried fruit to taste
4 oz chopped mixed nuts (do not chop these too finely)
a. Preheat oven to 100 degrees centigrade.
b. Mix together the oats, flax/linseeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds & mixed nuts.
c. In a measuring cup pour in 1/2 cup of oil, then add 1/2 cup of honey (doing it this way lets you measure the honey easily as it slides into the oil & also then lets you pour it all easily out of the measuring cup).
d. Pour the oil/honey mixture into the mixture of oats/seeds/nuts and mix these all up very well, so all the dry ingredients are fully coated in the oil/honey mixture.
e. Split this mixture into two different similar size pans for the oven and spread it out evenly. Make sure the pans have high enough sides that they will allow you to be able to stir up the ingredients several times during the toasting procedure. (I say two different pans simply because you want to be able to spread the mixture out to a good degree and I don't have a pan that is large enough and high enough to cover the whole of one oven shelf. Also, different ovens have different size shelves and you don't want the pan to be too small.)
f. Place the pans in the oven, on two different shelves and put a timer on for 25 minutes (so you don't forget about them). After 25 minutes, take the pans out of the oven, stir everything up and then put the pans back in, but switch around the shelves (what was on the bottom shelf now goes on the top shelf and vice-versa).
g. Put the timer on for another 25 minutes and follow the same procedure above in f. at the end of this time.
h. After this, put the timer on for only 15 minutes and when you take them out after this you are now going to check to see if everything is now a nice toasty brown colour, and if your nuts now look toasted as well. If not, and you feel it could do with some more time, put them in for another 10 minutes, etc, until the mixture looks nicely toasted to you. This will very depending on how your oven operates, compared to mine.
i. When it is done, leave it to cool, stirring it up a few times so it does not cool in one lump.
j. You are now going to add whatever dried fruit you want, to whatever amount you want. I add in raisons, chopped up apricot, and cranberries currently. You can also add dried figs, bananas, pineapple, blueberries, raspberries - you'd be amazed at the wealth of dried fruits you can find to add.
k. Now, pour some into a bowl, add milk and eat! Or grab a handful and munch!! Or add to yogourt with some fresh fruit as well, or, or, or......... whatever takes your fancy!!!
Granola Recipe Variations
1. Sometimes I like to add in coconut. I look for the strips of coconut that have not been toasted. I rip these up into smaller pieces and add these to the oats/seeds/nuts mixture in step b. above. If you can only find coconut that has already been toasted, then just add it when you add the dried fruit.
2. I have now also tried this recipe using maple syrup instead of honey, this is delicious. You will find that it does not get as toasty brown for some reason though, but you can still tell when it is done. This is more expensive to use maple syrup, so I do it as a treat for us every once in a while but mainly stay with honey because it is cheaper.
3. I once found I did not have enough honey and the store was closed; but I also had some golden syrup in my cupboard, so I used the honey and golden syrup together (it was about 1/2 and 1/2) and this was fine.
4. I have since now added pumpkin seeds to the oats/seeds/nut mixture and really like these. I add in about 4 ozs.
5. I now add more then 4 oz of chopped nuts, as I really like them in the cereal. I put in about 8 oz in total. Also, keep in mind that you don't have to make this mixed nuts. You can put in whatever nuts you want, or none at all. If you put in none at all, just add a bit more oats so the proportions stay right to the oil/honey mixture.
6. I have recently found out that barley, rye and millet all contain something that is very good for people with arthritis. As I have had arthritis in the past that I had to have a small operation on to handle and as this still occasionally flares up for me in other parts of the body, I have now altered the original recipe for myself, to include barley flakes, rye flakes and millet flakes. I figure that if one eats these every day it must be good for helping to prevent arthritis or flareups of it in the future. I now put in 3 cups of oats, and the other three cups are a mixture of the barley, rye, millet flakes to my taste. The millet being much smaller then the barley and rye, I only use about 1/2 cup of this.
So there you go, you can now create your own special granola recipe.
I only give you one warning: As you have different smallish seeds etc in this granola, they can lodge inbetween your teeth. So be prepared to use a toothpick to get them out before flashing your sunny smile, or just go give your teeth a quick brush before leaving the house. It is worth it though, believe me!!!
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