And here's my footwear of choice. Those are wool felt Birkenstocks and the socks feel like little ski sweaters. Not much snow, so I haven't resorted to boots yet. I've been cooking to to keep warm. I've studied my seed catalogs. I've read the small space gardening book I found in the basement. Figured out I can add coffee grounds to my compost. I don't drink coffee, but I've been collecting used grounds at work.
My automatic thermostat keeps the house at 60 degrees overnight, so I've piled on the blankets.
I made some raisins in the dehydrator because a site I googled described the process as "stupid easy." And it was! Wash grapes. Put them in the dehydrator. Turn it off when they look like raisins. The raisin googling started after a trip to my practitioner last Friday. Among the suspicious items he tested me for, store-bought raisins did not pass the test. But grapes did. Hmmm. So I thought I'd make my own.
I needed a recipe to use my tasty treats. So I started with a granola bar recipe I found on Gluten Free Gallery.
Granola Bars
1 C gluten free oats
1/4 C peanuts (I used salted)
1/4 C brown sugar
Stir together and add:
2 T melted butter
1/4 C goat milk (or whatever milk you like)
vanilla bean scrapings (or 1/2 t vanilla)
1 medium egg
1/2 C raisins
Spread in a greased 8 x 8 pan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before cutting.
These bars are kind of spongy, but good. I think I'll try adding coconut, a dab of molasses, and a little more sugar next time. I could definitely live on these for 39 days if I was on The Amazing Race and competing for a million dollar prize!
Daddy Cat says, "I'm bored with oatmeal. Why don't you get that pot roast going?"
6 comments:
That picture out your window is priceless! This cold redefines "bone-chilling," eh? Fighting a very bad cold, twice this week I would not even venture down our driveway to pick up mail! Well, today it was 33ยบ -- practically summer, I guess, in comparison. I think I will put your picture on my desktop background!
I hope that Daddy Cat is surviving. Our little guy is permanently parked in front of the space heater we have in the living room.
"The Naked Fork"
Oooh, these sound good. I'm a total granola freak and make my own power bars when in the mood.
Love the picture of your frozen window. I had a funky house in Taos, NM when I was young and carefree and there was no heat (just a wood stove). I remember a couple of occasions when it was so cold, there was a skiff of ice in the toilet bowl. Ugh!
Melissa
Hi Kay--I can always count on smiling and laughing when I come here, often out loud, which is the BEST kind of laughing for the soul! Thank you always for that. :-)
Yikes on the picture window photo! And, your wool felt Birkenstocks--too cute. Good socks are worth their weight in gold, aren't they? I love cooking in the winter to stay warm. You sure can't cook to stay cool in the summer and I have a hard time with that. :-(
Sounds like you have a good supply from work, but did you know that Starbucks will give you coffee grounds for composting upon request? They did a while back anyway. They cite the merits of grounds here: http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/compost.asp
Raisin googling sounds like more fun that raisin drying. LOL But, I'm glad you've found an easy solution! That recipe sounds great, too. I really like recipes for 8 x 8 pans--it seems like just the right amount. Best of all with that recipe is your plan to live on it for 39 days! One day, girl! Put it on your dream board and it will happen. :-)
I'm sooo ready for spring. That cold snap was a bit much to take. It was nice today though! Had my kitchen window cracked for a bit. It was so nice to smell fresh air!
Hi Suzette - Daddy Cat has learned a new trick. He climbs up on my shoulder when I sit at the computer and wraps himself around my shoulders like a mink stole. We both stay warm. I'll have to discourage this when the weather warms up!
Hey Melissa - so far my toilet remains ice-free. That last cold spell was painfully cold! Another one is on the way . . .
Hi Shirley - I may check with my nearby Starbucks. I'm getting into this composting thing. I might even expand to include a worm farm.
Hi Melanie - Why don't we both live farther south?!
Kay -
We made raisins last year out of white wine grapes. They were good, had a sort of wine flavor, and were not as sweet as I would have like them. Meaning...my kids wouldn't eat them, oh well, all the more antioxidants for my husband and I. Congrats on your first batch of raisins!
Like the window picture. We have had some cold spells this season here in the northwest, but probably not that cold.
-Ali :)
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