Pull Out The Tool Belt

It's the weekend again, and the weather is starting to feel like "not winter". People are starting to get outside more. My front step faces East and I like to sit out there with a cup of coffee and soak up the sunshine like a cat. Families are walking, cycling, creating hopscotch with sidewalk chalk and one young girl is gamely learning to use roller blades. The whole neighbourhood goes by my front step, 2 people at a time.

Yard and garden projects are getting into full swing. We may be a month away from planting, but there is always plenty to do before tomatoes and peppers. If you have spoken to anyone who works at a hardware store, they are hopping. Since we can't go to ball, soccer, or barbeques, we might as well get to those to-do lists. Plus, it's supporting local business.

At my house that means spending the weekend building a potting bench and garden cupboard. To call it a shed would be a bit of a stretch. I drew up the plans for this about 8 or 9 years ago (miraculously, I never lost them). It's the perfect substitution for missing out on shop class at school. This been a great family project, to get the boys outside doing something with their hands.

It has also been a great way to spend some meaningful time with my Dad on the phone. It's hard to find things to talk about when no one goes anywhere! Even in Alberta, we can only talk about the weather so much! This project has given us both something to sink our teeth into. There is no better source of expert advice than our parents and grandparents.

A great way to cook from scratch and have a satisfying snack for hikes and bike rides is to make trail mix. Start with homemade granola which is super easy to make and tailor it for every family member. By itself, it can be a muesli cereal. It can be added to fresh fruit and yogurt for a parfait. You can sprinkle on top of muffins for some crunch or a super crispy fruit crisp. Add dry fruit, nuts, seeds and dark chocolate for trail mix. By making it yourself, you use only the ingredients you like, and have complete control if someone has allergies.

Granola Base

This makes a bit more that a regular mason jar,
without dried fruit or anything else added.

1 c. sweetener 

1/4 c. oil

4 c. rolled oats

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

1 c. assorted nuts and seeds

1 c. dried fruit

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.  If your sweetener or oil are solid, warm them to liquify. Mix the honey with the oil.  Toss the oats, seasonings, small seeds together.  Pour honey and oil over top and mix together very well.  Spread evenly over cookie sheet and bake at 325 on the middle rack for 45 minutes.  Check occasionally and stir if necessary to make sure it toasts evenly.  It will be more crispy when it cools.  Add the dried fruit while it is still warm.  Cool completely before storing in glass jars.

When I was a kid, learning to bake, I liked to
measure all the ingredients into Mom's fruit
nappies and pretend to be on a cooking show!

Olive oil and coconut oil have the longest shelf life - you can use melted butter if it will be eaten quickly. Sometimes we used flavoured olive oil, like blood orange. I love oil and vinegar stores!

We have used honey, maple syrup and substituted 1/2 brown sugar. Try experimenting with fruit syrups, or other types of grains.

The longer you let it cool before breaking up, and the less you stir while baking, the bigger the oatmeal chunks will be.

Small seeds like sesame and poppy have to be added before baking so they stick.

I prefer to toast larger seeds separately, as I find they toast at different rates. Pumpkin, sunflower, and pine nuts all work well. Pine nuts have a short shelf life, don't buy these in bulk. Spread one type at a time on a cookie sheet and toast at 350 in the oven until they start to turn light brown. Let cool completely and store in a glass jar.

I stir it once after 20 minutes. After 35 minutes
check often to prevent over cooking.

Other flavours can also be used, like vanilla, ginger, nutmeg, etc.

I like the old fashioned, steel cut oat better than the quick cooking.  They have bigger flakes and it make a nicer texture, but I use whatever is on hand.

Adjust the chewiness by increasing or decreasing the honey. This also makes it easier to have bigger snacking chunks.

When using as trail mix, I divide it into 4 bags and each family member adds the fruit, seeds, chocolate (and mini marshmallows) that they like.

Cut larger pieces of dried fruit into bits.