I’m not actually finished painting the master bedroom yet.  And yes, it’s been three months already.  Thanks for noticing.  We’ve had a lot going on around here.  I”ve been lacking motivation.  If you’ve painted before, then you are well aware that painting is only fun for the first 30 minutes.  (And I used up all of that 30 minutes and more just painting sample swatches.)  So yeah, the going’s been slow.

I spent forever selecting a color.  I tried about 20 color samples (no kidding!), and didn’t like ANY of them.  (Remind me to show you my vast collection of paint samples sometime.)  Out of desperation, I start mixing colors myself: I like this blue okay, but it needs more gray.  Or, what would happen if I mixed this blue with this beige-y gray color? And finally, at long last, I created the perfect blue-gray I’ve been dreaming of.  I took it to Home Depot, and had it color matched.  It was my first time getting paint color-matched, but I am 100% satisfied.  Also, very proud of myself for creating my own paint color!

Here’s a close-up of the lid if you’re interested in the color:

And here’s a little sneak peek at the walls

Daytime…

And at night (because the light really changes the colors of paint, don’t you think?)

So what do you think of the color?

Just as I was getting started on this painting project I read about a neat little tool that helps create straight edges, eliminating the need for painters tape.  No painters tape?!  Count me IN!  In the last 3 years, I painted the entire downstairs (some rooms more than once), the playroom, The Littlest Apple’s room, and The Littlest Apple’s bathroom, all by myself.  Each time using rolls and rolls of blue painter’s tape.  Sometimes in desperation, I would attempt to freehand the ceiling or around doors and windows.  Even with a fairly steady hand, I was never able to recreate the nice crisp straight line you get with painter’s tape (assuming you apply it properly, a whole ‘nother story).  To add to my paint tape frustration, The Littlest Apple can’t seem to keep his hands off of it.  To him, it just screams, “PULL ME!!”

Enter the Shurline Edge Like a Pro Paint Edger.  Have you seen this?  Have you tried this?  If not, you should!

I picked mine up at Home Depot for around $6.   I’ll never use painter’s tape again!!  (Ok, I might, but very rarely).  This little tool is 1000 times easier than dealing with painter’s tape.  I’ll admit, it’s not completely fool proof.  There’s a bit of finesse involved in the technique.  You can’t use too much paint, and you have to remember to flip up the retractable guides before you dip it in the paint.  But once you get the hang of it, it works great!

I’m hoping to work on (maybe even finish!!) painting tomorrow.

As much as I’d love to go out and buy a whole bunch of stuff for this room once I’m done painting, it’s going to be a gradual (read: slow) process.  You know, budgets.  Extra medical expenses.  Not much extra money for home decor.

We don’t have a headboard.  How very collegiate of us, don’t you think?  I’m trying to convince The Picky Apple to build one.  But since I also want him to build a new toddler bed for The Littlest Apple and a new bookshelf, who knows when it will actually happen.

I’m hoping to get new bedding sometime soon, but I’ll probably have to wait for my birthday in July.  For now, we’re making do with our white duvet, uncovered, and ivory sheets.

As soon as I’m done painting, I’ll hang some inexpensive white curtains until I pick a patterned fabric.  I’d also like to get a large shelving unit (maybe Expedit?) for a huge empty wall.

A big comfy chair, a side table for said chair, mirrors, new lamps, a new light fixture, wall decor, maybe a rug?  I’ve got a long wish list for this room.

For now I’m just happy with my new paint color.

For the last few days, I’ve been working on an extensive review of the latest parenting book I checked out from the library.

But now I feel like posting it would be one big farce.  Today has been an awful parenting day, and I’m just completely overwhelmed with parenting.  Who am I to be posting tips on parenting?!  So I’m not going to.  I’m going to vent and ramble grumpily instead.  Because I feel like it.  Feel free to stop reading now if you don’t want to listen to whining.  Lots and lots of whining.

Finley has been sick since Sunday.  I’m not really sure what’s wrong exactly.  On Sunday he complained that his head hurt, had a fever, and was laying around all day.  It takes a lot to keep him down.  He had a fever of 101 yesterday, and was still bouncing off the walls.  He also threw up once on Sunday (all of his special formula and everything else consumed in the last 10+ hours… thanks, gastroparesis!).  All over my most favorite dry clean only fur blanket from Pottery Barn.  I washed it despite the dry clean only warning, multiple times, desperate to get the vomit stench out, but no such luck.  Into the trash it went.

Today The Littlest Apple stayed home from Mother’s Day Out because he still has a fever.  But other than making him a little extra cranky and whiny, he isn’t really acting sick.  And I may have a touch of whatever he has.  I really could have used that 5 hours to myself today.

He’s gotten up at 5:30 in the morning for the last 2 days.  Ugh!  Those days I take naps when he takes his nap, just to make it through the day.  Otherwise I’m completely useless by dinner time at 7:15.

We’ve totally regressed in potty training.  Accidents left and right.  3 or 4 a DAY, which is more than he had when we began potty training.  Thankfully the last 2 days have been better, but it has been extremely frustrating for the last 2 weeks.

Lots of discipline issues too.  He’s not listening.  One of my biggest pet peeves is not being heard and having to repeat myself, and this alone is a major hurdle for me as a parent.  He also runs away from us when we want him to do something (take medicine, get dressed, etc).  He’s started this nails-on-a-chalkboard shrieking thing in response to anything he doesn’t like, including but not limited to getting dressed, going to the potty, eating dinner, putting away toys, me touching/moving his toys, turning off the TV, the list goes on and on.  We’re trying hard to remind him to use his words, but it is a constant battle.

The Picky Apple and I have been trying all kinds of different approaches for various parenting issues, and nothing is really working.  I’m feeling very helpless.  Timeout DEFINITELY isn’t working for us.  Time IN works on occasion, but that takes some real patience which I seem to be lacking.  I bought a timer to use, and that works occasionally: “It’s time to go inside when the timer goes off in 2 minutes, okay?”  Sometimes I even let him pick the length of time.  There is usually still lots of screaming.  I’ve tried saying what he CAN do instead of what he can’t, but I still find myself saying NO STOP DON’T way too often.  And he doesn’t listen to any of it.

I’m really struggling.  And feeling like a bit of failure.  I only have ONE child.  I have friends with 2 and 3 kids who seem to be managing multiple kids in addition to work, school, and other big life changes just fine.  The Picky Apple and I are BOTH feeling like we can’t handle any more children right now.  The “maybe one?” sentiment has turned in to “definitely only one!”  We can’t even handle the one we’ve got!

Before kids, I never thought I had a bad temper.  I always saw myself as patient and kind, with the occasional bad day and hissy fit.  Since The Littlest Apple was born, I’ve developed a temper that I’m always struggling to keep in check.  (Gee, I wonder where The Littlest Apple gets HIS temper from?!)  And when I fail to keep it in check (like today), it isn’t pretty.  I scream, then I feel guilty for screaming, promise myself I won’t do that again.  But then it happens again.  And again.

Feeding issues are worse than normal since The Littlest Apple is sick, though honestly not by much, because our normal is pretty awful to begin with.  (Can you say pity party?)  Total Boost consumed today?  About 6 ounces.  Tonight’s dinner was 3 tiny slices of apple (no peel allowed, lest it be flicked on the floor or spit out), 1 bite of tortilla chip.  The rest of the meals have been similarly stellar.  At lunch he smushed stuff down with his sippy cup, just for fun and ate none of it.  Awesome, right?

On top of that, we’re STILL waiting to get his NG tube placed.  Having the tube placement hanging over my head is making me a little crazy as well.  Let’s just get ON WITH IT ALREADY!!  It’s been a week since I last heard from the nurse, who is supposed to set everything up for us.  At that point, she said she was waiting for some of the home health agencies to call her back.  I called today to follow up.  She said that she can’t find a company to take our insurance.  I’m having trouble believing that.  In a town as large as Houston, with one of the major insurance providers in the nation, surely SOMEONE will take our insurance.  Now she’s supposed to be talking to the Dr. about tube placement at the hospital.  That will solve that problem, I suppose, but what about follow up care at home?  Will we have to drive the 45 minutes to the children’s hospital (and pay for a hospital visit every time!) any time we need a new tube?  I’m about ready to start calling home health companies myself, but that’s a little overwhelming too.  And since my child can’t stop screaming long enough for me to make a phone call today (ok, I’m a little bitter), I guess it will have to wait.  I hate the waiting.

Since my initial post about the NG tube, we’ve decided to just leave the tube in 24/7 instead of putting it in each night and taking it out in the morning.  Even though it might get ripped out occasionally, I think once The Littlest Apple gets used to it, it might be okay.  His preschool is okay with the tube, and I don’t want to add an NG tube battle to our nighttime routine right now.  I’m still coming to terms with the fact that we’re going to be getting lots of attention when we go out as a result of the NG tube.  And that people’s first impression of The Littlest Apple is that he is a sick child and all of the stereotypes that go along with that.  I know The Littlest Apple doesn’t care about those things, but I do, unfortunately.  And I’m still feeling incredibly guilty about it all.  I’m the mother that can’t get her kid to eat enough, and GREAT! now there’s proof for everyone to see in the form of a tube taped to his face (and a constant reminder to myself of my failure to adequately feed my child, in case I ever forget for half a second).  I know, I KNOW it’s not my fault, but there is still some Serious Mommy Guilt.

So, that’s why you haven’t seen any great crafts or recipes or home improvement things from me lately.  I’m barely keeping my head above water in this big ocean of parenting, pardon the goofy metaphor.

Just so I’m not ending this post on a negative note, here are some things I’m thankful for today:

• new episodes of Glee (hooray!!) and Lost
• my husband, who truly understands what it is like to be The Littlest Apple’s parent
• the margarita ingredients my husband brought home today, knowing I had a rough day
• the delicious Honey Lime Enchiladas I made for dinner
• the beautiful new paint in my bedroom

I’ll be back tomorrow with something happier, okay?  Maybe a sneak peak at that beautiful new bedroom paint, and info on a great painting tool I discovered….

This is one of the best salads I’ve ever had.  It is certainly the best salad I’ve ever created at home.  All of the components to this salad taste great on their own, but toss them all together, and you’ve got an out-of-this-world salad.  The dressing is phenomenal!  I plan to start making this dressing regularly instead of buying a store bought red wine vinaigrette.  The grilled chicken has amazing flavor (and I plan to serve this chicken on its own for dinner sometime soon).  The sugared almonds are so simple to make, but add a great sweet crunch to the salad.  It was a huge hit at Easter Brunch-many people went back for seconds-but it would also make a great main dish.  I’ve got it on the dinner menu for next week!

Now if I could just figure out how to duplicate the Chopped Asian Salad from benjy’s, I’d be in salad heaven!

Chicken Poppy Seed Salad

Lemon Grilled Chicken

This cake is delicious!  It tastes like spring.  Lemony fresh.  Blueberries.  Those things alone make this cake fantastic, but the crumb layer (on the bottom) takes it a step beyond.  This is one of my new favorites!  Sorry I don’t have a better photo of this.  It was a mad dash to get photos of all the food before Easter brunch started.

Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bundt Cake

adapted from One Hungry Mama who adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 c flour, plus 1 tsp for blueberries and zest
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 c packed light brown sugar
• 1 c granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c sour cream
• 2 c blueberries
• 2 tbsp grated lemon zest
• nonstick cooking spray, for pan
  

For the crumble:

• 5 tbsp cold butter, cubed
• 3/4 c flour
• 1 c light brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 c freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk 2 1/2 cups flour with baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of sour cream.

In a bowl, toss blueberries and zest with remaining teaspoon flour; gently fold into batter. Coat a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with cooking spray. Spread batter in prepared pan and set aside.

Prep the crumb topping: pulse brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and cold butter in a food processor until crumbly. Spread topping evenly over the batter, gently pressing down. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a rack.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze: in a small saucepan, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice over very low heat until smooth and warmed through.

Using a toothpick, poke holes over the top of your bundt cake and pour warm glaze evenly over it. Serve!

Are you tired of the Easter recipes yet?  I am, but I’ve got just a few more to share.  Then I’ll blog about something besides food!  For Easter Brunch I really wanted to have shrimp, even though (A) there was already way too much food and (B) only about half the guests like shrimp.  Not much of it got eaten, but my dad and I both liked it.  It’s a little more work than just plopping down a platter of shrimp cocktail, but it also has a little more kick to it.  Don’t forget to plan ahead on this one: the shrimp needs to chill in the marinade overnight or up to one day!  In the magazine photo, it was served in a giant hurricane glass, with a lemon slice on the rim.

Note on the recipe:  Don’t you just hate it when the recipe is on two pages, and those pages get separated from one another?  That’s what happened to me with this recipe.  I actually only have the ingredients list.  I just guessed at the actual directions.  I’m sharing my method below.

Spicy Pickled Shrimp

from Southern Living, March 2010

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. peeled cooked shrimp (26/30 count)
• 3 small white onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup tarragon vinegar (I just used plain old white vinegar)
• 2 tbsp pickling spices
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (omitted)

Combine onions, olive oil, vinegar, pickling spices, salt, sugar, Worcestershire, mustard, and pepper in a large bowl.  Add shrimp.  Cover and chill for up to 1 day, stirring occasionally.  Prior to serving, add parsley.

Raise your hand if you noticed my blog was broken for most of the day yesterday.  I didn’t notice until 10pm, when I sat down to write a blog post.  The Picky Apple fixed it, but we really have no idea what went wrong.  My apologies!

These little Brie Kisses made an excellent appetizer and lunch-y addition to my Easter brunch menu.  They are relatively fool-proof, though you do want to make sure your Brie cubes are not too large.  A few of mine were too large and made a bit of a mess in the muffin pan.  I used a green pepper jelly that was labeled “Mild”.  Next time I’ll use a “Hot” one for more oomph.

Brie Kisses

from Gooseberry Patch Christmas All Through The House

Makes 32

Ingredients:

• 2/3 pound Brie cheese
• 17.3 oz. package frozen puff pastry
• red and green hot pepper jelly (I just used green)

Cut Brie into 32 half-inch cubes; arrange on a plate and place in the freezer.  Let pastry thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes; unfold each pastry and roll with a rolling pin to remove creases.  Slice each sheet into quarters; slice each quarter in half.  Cut each piece in half one more time for a total of 32 squares.  Place squares in greased mini muffin cups; arrange so corners of dough point upwards.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.  Place one Brie cube in center of each pastry.  Bake 10 minutes or ’til edges are golden.  Remove from pan.  Immediately top with pepper jelly.

I don’t drink very often, but I thought these drinks were fabulous for brunch (or any other time, really)!  A great option if you’re looking for something besides Mimosas.

Sparkling Sea Breeze Punch

from Coastal Living, December 2009

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
• 2 cups pink grapefruit juice, chilled
• 1 cup cranberry vodka, chilled
• 1 bottle sparkling white wine, chilled (I used a Moscato)

Combine first 3 ingredients in a pitcher or punch bowl.  Gently stir in sparkling wine.  Garnish if desired.

Subtitle: A Control Freak’s Guide to Hosting Brunch

Easter Brunch went off without any major hitches yesterday.  We certainly had plenty of food to eat!  I had an ambitious menu, including five new recipes.  (Since it was family, I didn’t mind doing a little experimenting.)  I was pleasantly surprised that ALL five of those dishes turned out great!  I’ll be sharing those recipes and more food photos in the next few days.

I’m already looking forward to hosting another brunch!  I felt like things were so much smoother this time around.  Usually I’m a complete wreck in the minutes before everyone starts showing up.  This year I was calm and collected, aside from one little snip of “Do SOMETHING!  Don’t just stand there!” to my husband about 30 minutes before guests arrived, which I promptly apologized for after realizing he couldn’t read my mind and didn’t know what needed to be done.

Today I thought I’d share some tips on how to have a successful brunch.  Or at least how I managed to get it all done, as well as some notes to myself on things I could do differently next time.

Brunch is a tricky meal to host since it typically starts before noon, leaving you without much prep time the morning of the brunch.  Organization, planning ahead, and prepping the day before are crucial.

Planning your brunch menu:

• In my opinion, it’s called “Brunch” not “Breakfast,” so there should be a mix of breakfast and lunch items.  I still tend to lean heavily toward breakfast dishes, but there are many things that can serve double duty (ex: you can eat a croissant and ham for breakfast or make it into a little sandwich later for lunch; coffee cake can be a breakfast sweet or an afternoon dessert).
• Include some brunch basics. Pick a dish from each (or most) of these categories, or several dishes that combine a few of these categories (ex: a dish with eggs, potatoes and breakfast sausage) and you’ll be all set:
  • Egg Dish (ex: Scrambled Eggs, Migas, Breakfast Burritos)
  • Potato Dish (ex:Potato Hash, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, Cheddar Chicken and Potatoes)
  • Bacon/Sausage/Ham
  • Breads/Rolls/Croissants/Muffins (ex: Allspice Crumb Muffins, Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping)
  • Something sweet: Cake/Bread Pudding (ex: Glazed Lemon Blueberry Poppy Seed Bundt Cake, Chocolate Cinnamon Bread)
  • Fresh fruits
  • Lunch-y things like Salad, Appetizers, Dips (ex: Warm Goat Cheese Toasts with Rosemary, Pecans and Honey, Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps)

• Decide whether you want to do potluck or tackle it all yourself.  You’ve got two options:
  • You prepare everything yourself.  Pros: Fellow control-freaks, rejoice!  You can do everything your way! (Ha!)  Have the dishes you love most!  Best suited to smaller groups (15 people or less: any larger, and you’ll definitely need help).  Cons: Potentially a little more costly.  More for you to do.  You won’t get to experience some dishes you might not otherwise try.  Your guests might not get to have some dishes that they like most.
  • Or you can ask guests to bring a dish.  Pros: This will most certainly cut back on your responsibilities.  It might save you a little bit of money.  You get to try some new foods.   Guests get to bring some of their favorites.  Cons: Probably best suited to an event with family or close friends, since you’re making your guests work!  Also, if you’re a control freak like me, asking guests to bring a dish can create a bit of stress.  (Control freaks, keep reading!  The rest of you can move on to the next bullet point!)  I try to find out ahead of time what everyone is bringing, but getting people on MY planning schedule doesn’t always work out so well.  Also, be prepared for general responses like “muffins.”  I would want to know what KIND of muffins?  If they are lemon crumb muffins, then I don’t want to wind up make a lemon cake, too.  (I’m pretty good at stressing about this stuff and over-thinking it, in case you haven’t noticed.)  So you have to let it go if you’re expecting guests to help by bringing a dish.   If you really have your heart set on certain types of food, then you either need to speak up and request it (“Hey mom!  Those potatoes you made at Christmas were great!  Would you mind bringing those?”), assign categories (egg dish, bread/rolls, fruit, dessert) to guests, or resolve to make those things your self.  This is part of the reason our menu this year was so lengthy.  The Picky Apple really wanted Breakfast Burritos and something lemon-y, meanwhile I wanted shrimp and salad.

The Pyrex measuring cup is full of Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing waiting to be poured as the guests arrived...I didn't actually use it as a serving dish, I promise!

Figure out what can be done ahead of time and write out a schedule of what to do when:

• Start with the day of, and work backwards.  Certain dishes need to be served piping hot or ice cold.  Those will be the LAST things you make.  For me, this was the Brie Kisses and adding the dressing to the Chicken Poppy Seed Salad.  Other dishes, like Breakfast Burritos, need to be made the morning of the brunch (though even these could possibly be made the night before), and kept warm in foil or reheated just prior to the event.
• Plan on spending the day before prepping.
  • If you’ve got kids, enlist your husband to help keep them entertained.  I wouldn’t have been able to get anything done without The Picky Apple keeping an eye on The Littlest Apple.
  • Baked goods like Blueberry Lemon Crumb Bundt Cake or muffins can be made ahead of time.  So can dips, fruit and vegetable trays.
  • Some things MUST be made ahead of time, especially if they need to marinate over night, like Spicy Pickled Shrimp and the chicken for the salad.  I actually marinated the chicken on Friday night then grilled it on Saturday and added it to the salad on Sunday.
  • It’s also important to think about components of dishes that can be prepped ahead of time, instead of using “all or nothing” thinking about your dishes.  Yes, the dressing can’t be added to the salad until just before the party, but you can prepare the chicken and sugared almonds the day before.  I cooked the breakfast sausage for the Breakfast Burritos the night before, and that saved me about 10-15 minutes the morning of the brunch.
  • Get out your tablecloths, dishes, glasses and silverware the day before (or earlier).  Lay out your place settings, if you’re doing a more formal brunch.
  • Prepare your centerpieces.  I actually purchased the flowers for the centerpieces on Friday.
  • Prep the drink station the day/night before.  Get out your glasses/goblets and coffee cups.  Name tags for drinks are helpful, especially when there are lots of people and a limited number of glasses!
  • Lay out your serving dishes with post it notes labeling what will be served in each dish.  I used this tip for a 50 person wine & cheese party when I needed LOTS of serving dishes.  It can be such a lifesaver!  Don’t forget the serving utensils!
• Finalize your menu 5-7 days in advance.
  • If you’re asking people to bring dishes and want to know what they’re bringing you’ll need to give them a deadline and start early with your invitation, if at all possible.
  • Shop for your groceries at least 2 days before the event.  That way you’ll have time to run back for anything you forgot.  Keep in mind that most stores will be closed on the big holidays, so plan ahead or do without!

Things to work on for next year:

• Lower centerpieces.  My flower vases were too tall and got in the way of conversation.
• I set out napkins and silverware at the place settings, but kept the plates by the food.  Place settings work best if everyone arrives at the same time, or if you wait to eat until everyone arrives.  As it happened, the dining room table went unused, and I swiped the silverware from the dining room to use at the more centrally located kitchen table for those that arrived later.
• Buy more dessert plates, use disposable (not my favorite option), or be prepared to wash dishes mid-party.
• Less food?  I like to have lots of options, but we did have way too much stuff.  The control freak in me is having trouble with this one because I feel like I need to roll out a restaurant-quality buffet.  (Note to self: You are not a restaurant.  You are one person.  And your name is NOT Martha Stewart.)
• Favors.  I attempted to make the Un-baked Cookie Nests again, but they didn’t harden up like they were supposed to.
• Put more thought into decorations.  Ties/ribbons on chairs, place cards (maybe one that does double duty as a favor), hanging lanterns.
• Takeout containers to send leftovers home with guests.

Even with all of those suggestions for next year, I was still extremely pleased with how smoothly things came together this year.  Maybe I’ll lobby to host Thanksgiving, too!

What are YOUR favorite brunch dishes?  Any other tips for hosting a successful brunch?

I finalized my Easter Brunch menu yesterday, and wanted to share.  We’re going to have WAY too much food, but I wanted a nice assortment of breakfast and lunch items since everyone will be here well in to the afternoon (at least they were last year).  I’m excited about all of the new recipes I’m trying, and plan to share them soon!  Keep in mind that I’ve asked everyone to bring a dish, but I’m still in charge of about half of this stuff.  I’m doing lots of prep work and baking today so I won’t have too much to cook in the morning.  Brunch starts at 10:30!

image from HGTV.com

Easter Brunch 2010

Breakfast Burritos

Bacon

Quiche

Hash Browns

Scones

Assortment of biscuits, rolls, croissants

Tropical Fruit Muffins

Honey Baked Ham

Chicken Poppy Seed Salad

Brie Kisses

Spicy Pickled Shrimp

Veggies and Ranch Dip

Fresh Fruit Tray

Apple Cream Cheese Dessert

Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bundt Cake

Mystery Cake

Sparkling Sea Breeze Punch

Greek yogurt and granola is one of my favorite snacks.  I got a little burnt out on granola after making Pumpkin Spice Granola many, many times last fall, so I took a little break.  I switched to smoothies instead.  But now I’m getting tired of smoothies, so it’s back to granola.  I love the ginger and pecans of this granola, combined with the sweetness of the dried cranberries.  It makes a delicious breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Ginger Pecan Granola

from The Houston Chronicle, December 16, 2009

Makes 10 cups (I halved the recipe, and had plenty for a couple of weeks!)

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 6 cups whole oats
• 2 1/2 cups unsalted pecans
• 1/2 cup ground flax or flax meal (optional)
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil (I used coconut oil)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 2 cups dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.  Coat two baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.  In a large bowl, mix together oats, pecans, and flax.  In a medium bowl, whisk together syrup, brown sugar, oil, water, salt and ginger.  Pour liquid over oats and stir until evenly coated.

Distribute granola on baking sheets and bake until it is a rich brown color, about 1  to 1 1/4 hours.  Turn pans during baking if granola is not cooking evenly.  Remove from oven, pour into a large bowl and toss with dried cranberries.  Let cook before storing in an airtight container.