my favorite

I've had a lot of people tell me how much they love the one ingredient ice cream I shared a while back.  I'm so glad I discovered it and could share it with all of you!  I've loved hearing what you've added to it to make it your way.  The other day I added nutella.  Nutella makes everything better.  It was really neat because the nutella hardened a little bit so there were teeny pieces instead of it getting blended in completely.  So good!

Have you tried anything to make your ice cream your own style?

best granola ever

My sister introduced me to a glorious recipe for granola.  Ever since then, I've been dreaming about it.  My healthy stuff didn't cut it anymore.  I had to have the real stuff.  And really, if you eat it in moderation, it's not that bad for you anyway.  I made some adjustments based on what I had in the pantry and my own likes and dislikes, but I fell in love with the idea of dowsing it in vanilla.  Amazing!  Why didn't I think of that before?

Serve it with some plain yogurt and fresh fruit and you have a dreamy breakfast.  (And if you have as much of a sweet tooth as my sweetie, drizzle with a little honey.  Though it definitely does not need it)  Best breakfast ever, in fact.  Well, it's up there with a few other things, maybe.

Homemade granola
makes about 7 (-ish) cups

4 C rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant)
3/4 C wheat germ or 1/2 C ground flax seeds
1-1/2 ~2 C nuts (I used chopped hazelnuts, halved pecans, and whole almonds--my favorites)
1 C flaked (shredded is fine, too) unsweetened coconut (sweetened is fine, but will obviously turn out a lot sweeter)
1/2 C light brown sugar
1/4 C honey
1/4 C canola oil (or if you're ok with a little fruity flavor, go extra virgin olive oil!  It bakes up really mild and SO tasty!)
1 T pure vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a small pot, heat oil and honey until smooth and honey is thin.  Stir in vanilla and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the oats, wheat germ (or flaxseeds), nuts, coconut, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
4. Pour the honey/oil/vanilla mixture over the oat mixture and stir to combine.
5. Spread all ingredients onto a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer.  Bake for 30~35 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned, tossing once or twice during baking.  Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container.  
6. Serve with yogurt, milk, fresh or dried fruit and some extra honey.