Homemade Granola

This summer I have been addicted to yogurt and granola for breakfast. It began when I visited my aunt and uncle and she prepared a lovely bowl of fruit for each of us, with homemade granola and yogurt to add as we wanted... which reminded me of a recipe I hadn't made for years.

I got home and dug it out. I have no idea where it came from, but it's ok. I've changed it to suit my taste, or whatever I have in the house on the day I'm making it. Which is the fun part: do whatever you want!

Here's what I've been doing lately, but honestly, add whatever YOU like!

First, preheat your oven to 325° F.  In a large-ish bowl, combine the dry ingredients:

4 C old fashioned oats
1/2 C coarsely chopped almonds
1/2 C coarsely chopped peanuts
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 pinch of salt

Stir those together.

Then in a saucepan, stir together:

1/3 C vegetable oil
1/4 C honey
1/2 C brown sugar

Heat to boiling and remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

Drizzle the syrup over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. Spread it evenly onto a sheet pan. You'll want to either line your pan with parchment (that's what I do) or spray it with cooking spray for easy cleanup.

Bake till golden, about 25 minutes, stirring a couple times in the middle. I "stir" it by piling the edges into the center with a pancake turner, and then pushing the mound back out to the edge of the pan in sort of a fold, just to be sure it all gets a little crunchy. Here's the mound...

After it's finished baking, let it cool and then break it into chunks, or crumble it. Store it in an airtight container.

In the comments, tell me your favorite granola ingredients. I'm always up for trying new ideas!

Enjoy...

Renegade: the photos

It's been almost a month since the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco. We had so much fun and met some wonderful people. I mentioned last post that we had the best spot in the house, with an amazing view of Alcatraz and the Hyde Street Pier area.

Here are some shots of our booth and our wares.

Amanda and me

Ruffle dishtowels, gray placemats with cross stitch X's (these sold out, but I think I'll make some more... I love them, and so did lots of customers), and ruffle runners.





















Pillows and some paper products... notepads, notebooks and thank you notes with a french knot for the period.


And last... Alcatraz with a little fog hovering around it. Beauty!

Changes

Lots of changes going on here at Rufflewood. We started early 2011 as a mother/daughter/sister partnership. Brainstorming sessions and production Saturdays (AKA Sweatshop) -- SO fun! But then...

Change #1: In August Kate gave birth to their second child. She hung with us for 4 months, but at the new year, had to leave the business. You can still visit her, though, on her blog Style Smaller.

Change #2: Amanda launched Delighted, her online magazine, I am so thrilled and proud of her. You'll want to grab a cup of coffee and sit down to enjoy every page.

Change #3: Amanda is pregnant. Their baby is due 12.12.12!

As you can imagine, working a day job and launching a magazine while you're pregnant is pretty exhausting. So then,...

Change #4: I'm on my own. Not nearly as exciting as 1, 2, and 3. But I am enthusiastic about continuing to create useful and just-for-fun items for the home, and preparing for the new line for Fall. So be sure to check back in the coming weeks and months to see what's happening in the Rufflewood shop. Fortunately, Amanda and Kate are still great consultants and support.

And I am, of course, overjoyed to increase the grandchildren count!


 

PS: Here's a photo of the view from our booth at the Renegade Craft Fair last weekend. (Not great photography... just used my phone.) Beautiful sight, no?

Renegade

Hey! If you're in the San Francisco area this weekend, be sure to visit us at the Renegade Craft Faire at Fort Mason.

You'll find us at booth 47...  at the north east corner of the building. Right near the DJ. Hope we see you there!

Our Table Runners in Rue!

Thanks to Erin at Bustle Designs for using our ruffle linens in her Rue photoshoot! Take a peek on page 82.

The Wonder of Cloth Napkins

A few years ago we had a casual dinner in the home of some friends who have three children... and we used cloth napkins. I was helping their daughter set the table, and watched as she took a basket with cloth napkins and put them at each place. The five for their family each had a different napkin ring, identifying who the napkin belonged to. Jen, our hostess, explained since it was the same person's germs on their napkin, that they would use the same ones for several days (unless it got particularly dirty, ending up in the laundry.)

I have a thing for cloth napkins, and have a ridiculous supply.

But I had wanted to keep them unstained, so used them only for special occasions. But no more. After our visit to Jen's table, I started using those beauties regularly. And now a paper napkin seems so flimsy and worthless. I have discovered the many benefits to cloth napkins!

- they will actually clean your hands and mouth
- they really covers your lap and stays put
- they keeps all that paper out of a landfill
- they can be doubled as a bib for a child (and looks so cute... like a little bandana)
- they do a great job sopping up a spill
- they look so much nicer next to my place
- they really don't have to be washed after each use... unless you had barbecued ribs
- they end up less expensive in the long-term

And now I've been making lots of napkins myself, and having fun getting creative with them. We've got a good selection for sale... and more coming in the next few weeks. If you're into cloth napkins (or want to be) take a look.

 


PS: Here's a peek at three.