//DELIGHTFUL GRANOLA//

I am not a rule follower when it comes to cooking. This gets me in trouble a lot. I'm sure improvise is a big part of a good cook's kitchen, but too often my compromises end up sabotaging my best intentions, and the end result is less than the recipe promised.

Sometimes, it works out and I end up with a delicious granola that I can-not-stop-eating.



This recipe is adapted from here, and I did follow it to the letter for the first few batches. Ten plus batches later, I think it's safe to write it down and call it a recipe. Following the rules would mean measuring the same amount every time to get the same crunch every time, and while I did measure carefully for this post, I usually eye it up and when I am done mixing, adjust ingredients according to texture before baking.

I also make a similar version for the kiddos, leaving out the nuts since they prefer it without and it cuts the cost a bit. The last batch I made for them, I added applesauce to replace some of the peanut butter and honey, also making it a little chewier which they enjoyed.


Preheat oven to 325*.

Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a medium saucepan, then add 1/3 cup raw honey, and 1/3 cup natural peanut butter. (Costco has the best natural peanut butter in my opinion!) 

Add a half cup each of raw almonds and unsalted peanuts. (I prefer more almonds and less peanuts, but again trying to cut down the cost.)

I  like to put these directly in the hot peanut butter mixture before adding oats, to give them a kind of candy coating texture. 

Just heat until combined and melty; I don't like to heat the raw honey too much, which would take away from some of the "raw-ness". Turn off heat. 

Stir in a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  

Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract. I adore this little shot glass measuring cup I recently bought. It measures up to three tablespoons of liquid and is so handy opposed to a regular measuring spoon.(Read : I don't spill as much using this)

Add one cup of quick oats and two cups of rolled oats. I prefer rolled oats in general, but the quick oats help with the crunchy texture I like about this granola. 

Stir until combined. 

Spread on parchment or a handy baking mat like this(totally worth the investment!).
Bake at 325* for 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and let it sit in the oven for as long as you like; I try to have it in there at least a half hour to get the crunch I like.
Put it in a pretty glass jar on the counter and make sure you have enough ingredients on hand to make it again in a few days!

Peanut Butter Honey Granola

2 T. Coconut Oil
1/3 C. Peanut Butter
1/3 C. Raw Honey
1/2 C. Raw Almonds
1/2 C. Unsalted Peanuts
1 t. Cinnamon
1 t. Vanilla Extract
1 C. Quick Oats
2 C. Rolled Oats



Granola aside, I know I said I would try to have a post on our new bedroom this week. Well... I don't know what I had envisioned our bedroom would be looking like by now but it is sorely lacking in the eye candy department. I need to hang a few things, declutter a few things, and buy closet doors so the hanging clothes are not the focal point of the room. Our room is TINY, so I am not sure how I will pull off a cozy, inviting bedroom, but try I will. 
//Do you have a granola recipe you love? I am open to trying new recipes, despite how much I already enjoy this one!//

//A HOUSE BECOMING A HOME: THE GUEST ROOM//

The thing I love most about this new room is that it sits at ground level with double windows looking out towards the lake. We cannot see the lake from our house, but we can certainly tell where it is, especially in the mornings when we see the fog rising off the waters. This view produces the most beautiful sunrises, and the fiery pink reflections on the opposite side of the lake from the sunset are a beautiful sight as well.


This tiny room was not a bedroom when we moved in; we added a wall/door and it will now double as guest room/ baby room when the time comes for her to have her own space. For now I am enjoying the empty, clean feeling. When it is time to put a crib/ baby accessories in here I'm afraid it will feel cluttered, but we will make it work and are grateful for this extra space.

Here is a glimpse of the sad, dark space just a few short(long) weeks ago.



I didn't buy anything specific for this room, except a pendant light which is not hung yet; I would like to buy a neutral lamp for the bedside and maybe add a few things as I find them to make this space feel more personal. But like I said, it is small and the simplicity is so inviting to me.



The day bed was given to us by my aunt when she no longer had a need for it; it was Addisyn's bed until we decided to switch things around and put in her room a double bed and dresser passed down from Brian's dad. The antique washstand in this room is a matching piece for the set in Addi's room. The white quilt is a special piece made by Brian's grandmother for him. I love this especially, because even though it is pure white, it is actually a picture of a buck and doe which is just perfect for him. Bonus for me that it is beautiful and can be used to set the tone in this room. The rocker is a piece I got from an online yard sale sight. It's a little pink for my liking and I hope to get it reupholstered someday but for now I think it fits nicely in this room. The faux sheepskin rug is a $13(?) buy from Ikea. I am debating buying another because until this week I had it beside my bed and loved the soft landing when I roll out of bed in the morning. "Roll" in literal terms as its nearly impossible to coax my round, achy body to sit up in the morning. The pillows are place mats I bought at Home Goods, ripped a small opening in a corner seam, stuffed with stuffing and hand stitched back up. They are not the coziest place mats, if there is such a thing, but they add the cozy look this bed deserves. I'd like to also find a textured blanket to throw on the end of the bed and maybe a few more pillows. Lastly, the chalkboard is a piece I redid years ago and made its rounds in our first house. It now acts as a cover for the breaker box.

And lest you think we only hope to have single guests sleep here, we also have a queen sized air bed that will squeeze in here for the guests who actually want a full sized bed to sleep in. When we were discussing how to put this room together last weekend, Brian thought it such a good idea to have the daybed in here for the times that I sleep in the baby's room, so I don't have to sleep on the floor. I don't remember a whole lot of sleeping in the baby's room with our first two babies, so I don't know if he was trying to tell me something or just sell his vision, but either way, it looks a whole lot better than an air mattress. Who knows, with an actual bed in here maybe I WILL steal a few nights of sleep to myself :-)

We are planning on switching our bedroom to the basement this weekend, and unless baby makes her arrival in the next few days, I will try to have an update on our room next week. I now have just a week and a few days until my due date, so every day holds exciting possibility, but the goal of having the basement done before she comes is balancing it enough that I am not going crazy with anticipation/misery :-)



//What would you add to this space to make it more inviting for our guests? Does it need more to look at on the walls, or maybe some pillow mints? :-) //