Homemade Granola!

My mom and grandma used to make this yummy granola all the time when I was little. My mom just made some recently and since we eat granola regularly I thought it would be great if I made some. This recipe makes A LOT, but you can freeze it! I calculated the cost compared to even the cheapest store bought granola and it's less than half the price! Totally worth the time! 

I used all Best Choice or Always Save to save a little money. 

You'll need two large bowls or containers. 

Separate dry ingredients equally and mix together.

Mix and bring wet ingredients to a boil. 

Pour wet ingredients equally onto dry ingredients and mix well. 

Put a thin layer of mixture on a cookie sheet with sides. 

After baking in the oven for your choice of time (shorter for chewy, longer for crunchy) cool it on foil. 

Repeat the baking process until you've cooked and cooled all mixture. It will take awhile! Put cooled granola into freezer bags. Make sure to put the date on the bags. The first bag doesn't have a date because we were going to eat it first!

Grandma's and Mom's Homemade Granola

In a saucepan, cook down

     3 cups brown sugar

     3/4 cup honey

     3 cups vegetable oil

     1 1/2 cups water

     1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Mix with 3 pounds old fashioned oats (NOT quick oats) plus nuts, dried fruit, ect. 

Bake at 300 degrees (for at least 10 mins on each side - longer for more crispy) flip and cook until brown. 

* Side note: Don't let the granola get too brown. I think I almost burnt a few batches. The best batch I did was the last one. I cooked it for 10-15 mins. on each side and then let it cool on the pan before I put it on the foil to finish cooling. I don't have two cookie sheets with sides or I would have done this for all batches. 

Lots and lots and lots of pictures!

Bo has been growing and learning by leaps and bounds! I just get used to something he can do and then he's all of a sudden doing something brand new! He's hard to keep up with!

Bo getting ready to try avocado. 

First bite down the hatch! 

"I don't know if I like this." 

"It's o.k. mom - let's try some more."

"Mmmmm" 

"Nom nom nom" 

"You're a good cook mom!" 

I love the sequence of events that take place in these pictures. 

Bo - "Come here dog!" Max - "Aaaggghhhh!" 

Bo - "I just want to give you a kiss." Max - "No you don't!"

"You're right, I want to bite your ear!" (He didn't really, it just looks like it) 

I love him in this outfit, but it makes him look too big! :'(

My handsome blue eyed boy. 

And last but not least, I snuck this picture of how Bo currently likes to sleep - on his side, just like his mom.

Lots and lots and lots of pictures!

Bo has been growing and learning by leaps and bounds! I just get used to something he can do and then he's all of a sudden doing something brand new! He's hard to keep up with!

Bo getting ready to try avocado. 

First bite down the hatch! 

"I don't know if I like this." 

"It's o.k. mom - let's try some more."

"Mmmmm" 

"Nom nom nom" 

"You're a good cook mom!" 

I love the sequence of events that take place in these pictures. 

Bo - "Come here dog!" Max - "Aaaggghhhh!" 

Bo - "I'm just want to give you a kiss." Max - "No you don't!"

"You're right, I want to bite your ear!" (He didn't really, it just looks like it) 

I love him in this outfit, but it makes him look too big! :'(

My handsome blue eyed boy. 

And last but not least, I snuck this picture of how Bo currently like to sleep - on his side, just like his mom.

Wordless Wednesday

This, That, and a New Chair

A few months ago I found this little chair at a garage sale for $5. The material it was covered in was old and stained but I thought about recovering it. My mom went with me to Joann's Fabric to help pick out fabric for the chair. I wanted to find some retro cowboy fabric or some brown faux suede to match our couches. I got lucky and found both! I found some super cute red cowboy fabric and brown suede that had off white fuzz on the back. Here are the before and after pictures. 

Before

After - Bo loves his new chair!

The white is fuzz. 

The brown is the faux suede. 

Bo rockin' his camo pajamas. 

Flirting with the camera. 

Bo likes playing while sitting in his highchair. 

Practicing sitting in the highchair. 

Such a big boy!

Bo has been doing new things, trying new things, and being just an overall joy (most of the time) to be around. He tried some rice cereal but still hasn't lost the extrusion reflex so his tongue pushed all the food out instead of in. We're going to try again in a week or so. 

He's also been becoming a lot more active with his toys. He really enjoys them. He recognizes familiar toys and gets excited for new ones. Garage sales are so awesome for new, cheap toys. I love plush toys you can hang on things because I can pop them in the washing machine and put them outside (which is as hot as an oven) and they're as good as new! 

Bo trying the rice cereal. He liked it, but his tongue is not ready. 

LOVE this picture of my boys!

Hanging out and posing for mommy.

Photo shoot in the big dump truck I found at a garage sale. 

'Cheesin' it!