Granola

This recipe is based on a recipe I got from Food Matters; A Guide to Conscious Eating by Mark Bittman. If you are like me, cold cereal is handy to have around on school mornings, but just not a good option with all the additives and crap that goes in it. This granola makes a good cereal or a good snack. It is also very flexible and you can add anything you like (or not add as you please). Here are the basics:

5 cups steel cut or old fashioned oats (not instant or quick cooking)
1-1 1/2 cups honey
1 cup chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds)
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

Pour honey over oats and nuts and coat well. Add more honey if desired.
Pour mixture on a baking sheet and cook at 350 for about 20 minutes. Make sure you remove from oven and stir a few times to avoid burning.

Remove from oven and add desired amount of dried fruit (raisins, chopped dates, apricots, cranberries, apples, whatever you like).
(To diminish any health you could even add chocolate like I had in my Museli at a youth hostel in Munich. A long time ago, but that was some yummy cereal!)

When cool put in storage container and enjoy.
You could add flax seeds, whole grain hot cereal, anything you think would add to the taste/nutrition.

For another variation skip the honey and baking and have all of it raw, like Museli.

Carrot Cake with Honey

I got this recipe from allrecipes online. Not that it is the only place, but when I decided I wanted the first birthday cake to be made with honey, it was the only one I could find.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cups honey
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated carrot
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

In a large bowl, stir together the honey, buttermilk, eggs, oil and 2 teaspoons of vanilla until well blended.

Add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture, and stir until all of the dry ingredients are absorbed. Stir in the carrot, pineapple, and walnuts by hand. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.


The frosting I wasn't thrilled with. It has a different texture which day of is fine and delicious. The day or two after it isn't so great. Maybe I should have refrigerated the cake. I also considered using butter for some of the cream cheese...but I haven't tried it yet.

INGREDIENTS
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the frosting, mix together the cream cheese, honey and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until smooth and well blended. Spread over the cooled cake.