Homemade Granola

Today is the last day of the first year of preschool. A tender day, for sure. I hope the most important lesson my son has learned is that school can be incredibly fun.

As a thank you to the teachers, I made some homemade granola and included a recipe card.

Homemade Granola (from the now defunct Blueprint magazine)
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together oats, almonds, pecans, cherries, cranberries, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, combine oil, honey, and sugar. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Drizzle syrup over oat mixture; toss with a wooden spoon. Pour granola onto sheet pan and spread evenly. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden (about 25 minutes). Let granola cool completely on a wire rack. Break it into chunks and store in an airtight container.

Beans & Reads

A small gift to Eric, bean seeds.

And a few good reads:
Guerilla Gardening Movement Takes Root in L.A. Area by Joe Robinson in the LA Times
On the Trail of a Sustainable Feast in Sonoma by Taylor Holliday in the NY Times

Planting Tomatoes

At Ramshackle, some plants have a tendency to linger in pots. It doesn't take long to put a plant in the ground, but often the poor plants awaiting a transplant get pushed to the back of the line in the constant triage of living/life activities. I put these tomato plants near the kitchen door to keep them on my radar. Nothing like guilt to serve as a motivator. This morning, the dishes remained dirty, the toys scattered.


Today is a triumphant day for the tall heirloom Carpasian and the smaller Roma, a gift from a friend. Now, if I could just remember to water them.

Honey from Live Wire Farm

We just received 12 delicious ounces of Live Wire Farm honey. My mistake is I should have bought 24 ounces. This stuff is good!

I learned of Live Wire Farm through their exquisite timber products and hooks. I have aspirations to make hooks from the olive trees at Ramshackle.

A Small Organic Home Garden

Does starting a vegetable garden seem too overwhelming? You might consider getting a jump start with a master gardener lending a hand. Our neighbors and friends Jessica and Carl Bronson worked with Homegrown LA to create this beautiful vegetable garden.


Carl used his brawn and smarts to create the raised beds. And Homegrown LA supplied the plants and gardening know-how, including the strategic planting of plants for natural pest control.


And a praying mantis sack.


Even their daughter enjoys eating salads now, knowing that she has watched them grow.



American gothic, Carl and Jessica.


Jessica's inspirational pottery.

Rethink Your Yard

Thinking about starting a garden? What about a small suburban farm? A group of inspired Colorado individuals are doing just that.



Maybe take that stimulus check and make it work for you.

Thanks to www.SouleMama.com for the link.

The Great Strawberry Experiment

About two months ago on a walk with my sons, we stumbled upon a strawberry patch. The eldest spotted the small green fruit and exclaimed, "Mom, a strawberry."


The discovery inspired us to plant our own. I picked up six young plants at the local hardware store and threw them into the pots we had available. As a devoted slow learner, I'm a big fan of throw-it-in-some-dirt-see-what-happens style of gardening. I do my share of research and planning. That's what makes breaking the rules so fun. I used a few large pots for the bulk of the plants but decided to put the last two plants in small pots and try to grow them on a sunny shelf in my kitchen.

Witness my folly:


There was no amount of water to keep these plants happy. The poor things never had a chance. In the "duh" section of strawberry cultivation, they like large pots and need that extra soil to keep them drinking up the water.

Now I understand the age-old ubiquitous terra cotta strawberry planter.

Photo by Corey Harmon

The other four plants, however, are thriving and delicious.

Alabama Stitch Book Project #1

I aspire to make the printed t-shirt corset. In the meantime, Jen's Whole-Wheat Crackers on page 94 will do.


Easy & tasty. Even better when paired with a red bell pepper and cilantro goat cheese from the Highland Park farmers market. These will be made again and perhaps enjoyed while I attempt to stitch a printed corset.

Risen bread

The bread baking was successful. The Tassajara Bread Book receipe #1 did the trick and inspired a dance.