Tuesday, July 21, 2015

What's for Breakfast?





There are so many choices for breakfast.  I love breakfast meals for dinner on nights when I'm tired or we just want something simple.  Pancakes or waffles are favorites in my home.  Grayden loves eggs and is happy to have them frequently.  Most mornings I really don't have time or don't want to make a hearty breakfast.  Those are reserved for slow easy days like weekends or vacations.


Hibiscus


This week I decided to make an old standby ---Granola.  A simple recipe to make ahead so we can eat a healthy breakfast is always a goal.  It's so easy to make and so tasty for breakfast.  Of course it's great over yogurt or as my grandson likes-- over ice cream.

Here is my recipe for homemade granola:

7 cups of rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 cup of wheat germ
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of canola oil
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup of honey

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl.





 Spread mixture in parchment or silpat lined baking pan.  Bake in 275 degree oven for 2 hours.  Stir every 20 minutes or so.  After the granola is all baked and toasty, sprinkle one or two cups of dried fruit over the granola.  I usually add raisins.  Any dried fruit is fine.  Allow mixture to cool completely and then store in an airtight container.  I love old jars and have a collection that I use in my kitchen.




When I was outside today, I noticed this bloom on the same hibiscus plant that produced the bloom above.  I hope this doesn't mean it is reverting back to the white plant it was grafted onto!


Pink and White Hibiscus



22 comments:

  1. Can you believe I've never made granola before? Your recipe sounds delicious! I'm going to make this one day soon. Will let you know how it turns out! Thanks for sharing! XO

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    1. Rosinda, I hope you do make it. It's so easy and really you can add whatever you like. Because the nuts are toasted it's so yummy! xoxo ♥

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  2. Granola is a favorite here too. Kati makes it using my daughter-in-law's recipe. Sooo good!
    Yours looks wonderful too...I love coconut and I love pecans, so I may try it. (Or have Kati try it?) ;)

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    1. Lucky you, Cheryl, to have your own chef in residence! Our grandson really likes this granola and I feel it's better for him than his favorite Cheerios! ♥

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  3. I haven't made granola either. Oddly enough, I've been thinking about trying home made Muesli, as Hugh Fearnley~Whittingstall has just been extolling the virtues serving it Swiss~style, mixed with orange juice instead of milk, with fresh, grated apple and a dollop of home made yoghurt. I prefer muesli as it is not as hard on my teeth.
    I do hope, for your sake, that the hibiscus is not reverting! I've tried to Google some information, but the only thing I can come up with is that it might be growing on a sucker from beneath the graft. Have you checked and is this possible?

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    1. Deb, I make a muesli that you prepare the night before and bake off in the morning. Thanks for reminding me of it. Your Swiss style sounds interesting.
      I need to check to see if it is a sucker under the graft--It's been so oppressive here with high temps and humidity. This morning is much nicer, so I'll be out in the yard working and looking for that sucker. ♥

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  4. I always like a new granola recipe. Thanks for sharing! I do make Museli more often, as I have Swiss heritage. Martha and Deb you HAVE to try the recipe Deb mentioned. Gut gesund!!! ( Good health!!!)
    I too have white and red hibiscus, but never a half and half…I thought that the bees did that to yours. LOL
    PS I finished painting the kitchen!

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    1. Margot, the hibiscus bloom was pretty, but I still want the dark fushia colored one. When I was out this morning I didn't see any more multicolored ones. I bet your kitchen looks all fresh and clean. I do love a freshly painted room, but alas I hate painting. ♥

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    2. I hate painting too, and I really hated the two layers of wallpaper I had to remove first! LOL

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    3. Margot, I used to have wallpaper in our kitchen and we had a terrible time removing it--I then vowed never to put up wallpaper again. ♥

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  5. I came over to see what you might have responded...no response and no comment! Now it comes to me, I came in so late that I didn't make a comment for fear it wouldn't make sense. We like granola here, too, and I am going to add raisins to my recipe next time!

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    1. Vee, my brain doesn't work well in the late evening either. Thanks for coming over. ♥

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  6. I've had a pink climbing rose sprout a whole cane of red roses after a few years--then the whole bush died a couple years later.

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  7. I love breakfast for dinner too! Your granola looks so good! You're the smartest one to make it yourself. That is interesting about your flower - it's pretty. And...I love your header. Thanks so much for popping in to see me.
    be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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    1. Shelia, thank you for stopping by. My hibiscus only had that one bloom like that--strange. Have a great day. ♥

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  8. Your Granola recipe sounds really yummy, Martha Ellen! I LOVE breakfast, too. I make a Flax Granola using whole flaxseeds. It's really loud and crunchy! Just chewing it is a real workout! So glad you snapped a photo of the unique Hibiscus blossom. I wonder what's going on? Gardening really is full of surprises! Have a lovely weekend, my friend! ♡Dawn@Petals.Paper.SimpleThymes

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    1. Dawn, your flax granola sounds good. Flax seeds are so good for us. That's the great thing about granola, you can add a number of ingredients that you may enjoy. Gardening is full of surprises. As I was pulling out some St John's Wort this week, there apparently was poison ivy or poison oak amongst the plants. I never saw it. Grayden was helping me and he is fine but I have quite a "good" case on my hands. Have a wonderful weekend and look out for poison ivy or poison oak in your garden! ♥

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  9. Oh, no!! I'm so sorry to hear about the poison ivy, Martha Ellen!! I've never had it and might not even recognize the plants if I came upon them. (I must look up photos of them!) I hope you will feel better very, very soon! Thankfully, Grayden can take good care of you, sweet friend. These are not the kind of gardening surprises that we ever want to see! Sending big hugs...
    ♡Dawn@Petals.Paper.SimpleThymes

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    1. Thank you, Dawn. You've heard the saying--"Leaves of three, let it be". So do look it up so you won't accidentally pull it as you would a weed. I still am not sure where I got it as we have not seen poison ivy or oak in our yard for years. I guess all the rain we've had has bought it to the surface! xo ♥

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  10. Looks delicious, especially with the coconut. Pinned!
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. It's so good with coconut, Amalia---even though I made some more and didn't have coconut and it's still yummy! ♥

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