All Things Granola

Turkey Pot Pie

2009-11-15T09:15:00.000-08:00

What to do with all the leftover turkey?

Turkey Pot Pie is one of my favorites because it has endless possibilities.

Chop how ever much turkey you want to use - 2 cups is a good amount for a deep dish pie plate.

Put the turkey and your selection of veggies into the pie plate. I use a combination of frozen peas, frozen corn, diced potatoes, chopped carrots, and frozen broccoli (or whatever I happen to have in the freezer).

Cover the meat and veggies with cream of chicken soup. If you are using canned, use two cans and some milk. If you make your own you don't need to add the milk.

If you want to make it cheesy add shredded cheddar to the mix.

Cover your pie with drop biscuits and bake according to your biscuit recipe.

Cream of Chicken Soup

In saucepan melt 3T butter.
Add 2 T arrowroot powder and whisk.
Add 2 cups milk and stir constantly on med-high heat.
Add 1 T Chicken base or powdered bouillon. (If you have leftover turkey or chicken you can add it in too.)
Add a little salt and pepper. Stir until thick.

For cream of mushroom I add 1 can of mushrooms.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

2009-11-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

I would like to start now and blog about what to do with that leftover turkey (or anything else for that matter). So join in! I will be posting recipes of what we do with our leftovers, please comment and leave your own ideas.

Turkey Tettrazinni

1 pkg spaghetti noodles (~12 oz)
1 1/2 - 2 c cooked turkey meat
1/4 c chopped bell pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or make your own like I do)
1/2 c turkey broth (I use chicken base and water)
1/8 t celery seed
1/8 t salt
1/2 chopped onion
1 1/2 c shredded cheese

Cook spaghetti until almost done. Drain. Add remaining ingredients except 1/2 c cheese and toss. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 min.

Yum!

Get in on the Fun!!

2009-10-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

Spread of mouth is the best advertising, right? So I'm gonna use you guys to help, but to motivate such loyal support I am giving away a sleepy wrap! You heard right! There are a several ways to enter to win. Directions following.

If you are chosen as the winner, you will be able to pick the color of wrap out of what I have on stock which is currently red, purple, tan and light blue.

To enter:

Spread the word! You may do this by:

1. Posting a blog with a link to my website: www.allthingsgranola.com

2. Post a link on your facebook or myspace.

Then comment here with a link to your page so that I can make sure you did post something.

You can earn extra entries by referring people. If someone orders something and mentions your name, you both get entered in the contest.

This is a $48 value ($38 wrap + tax and shipping)! Contest ends Nov. 24. Just in time for the Holidays. Wraps are great gifts for new mothers and vanilla makes a great Christmas gift!

Bradley Childbirth Instructor Training

2009-10-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to announce that I will be attending the Bradley Childbirth Instructor training Dec 10-13 in Anaheim, CA! This is an investment of time and money, as any course of education would be. It takes about 9 months to complete the training. I have a lot of studying and work cut out for me, but I couldn't be more excited about it. When I complete the training I will be a Childbirth Instructor and a Bradley Doula. Both fields are very exciting to me. Sorry if I use that word (excited) repeatedly but it describes my feelings perfectly.

The Lord has provided (again) and has opened this door for me. Praise the Lord! Although I don't have all the funds raised yet, most of them have already been provided for. You can watch the thermometer on the right as I save money for my training.

To learn more about Bradley Childbirth please visit www.bradleybirth.com.

And don't forget you can follow All Things Granola on facebook.

Giveaway

2009-09-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

I love giveaways. And I wanted to share with you a really cool one!!

Go to Homeschool Notebooking and check out their boys and girls school planners. Who doesn't need a little help with keeping control on their school work?!?!

While you are there check out all the other cool products they offer for the notebooking mama!

A burn Healed!

2009-07-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

We had a terrible scare last month when my oldest daughter was cooking and splashed her face with hot oil. The burns covered the right side of her lips, chin and right cheek. It was quickly evident that it was 2nd degree burns as it began to turn gray and then black. After a visit to the ER, we were told that she would scar because they couldn't give her burn medicine that close to her mouth.

While it finished oozing and was stil an open wound we just put Bacitracin on it, but as soon as it closed up I gave my daughter a stick of Young Living's Lavender lip balm. She applied the lip balm on her burns as needed. A week later the burn spots were almost not noticable. Two weeks later and no one knows she got burned! It was a great example how God uses the things he gave us to heal!

Homemade Baby Wipe Solution

2009-06-14T11:43:00.001-07:00

Since using cloth diapers tends to lead to more bacteria build-up and yeast infections, I have found a wipe solution that wards that off! I have made my own wipes from flannel material and I use the flannel/hemp wipes sold here. I prefer the wipes sold here, but when on a tight budget the flannel homemade ones work too!

In a air tight container add:

1/2 cup distilled water

1 t Dr. Bronner's Lavender Castile Liquid Soap

6 drops of Young Living Tea Tree (Melaleuca) Oil

Mix and add your cloth wipes. This recipe also works if you are making disposable wipes from paper towels.

The Lavender smells good and kills bacteria. The Tea Tree is anti-fungal and kills the yeast. It works great!

Blanco Lavender Festival

2009-05-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Come check out the fun at the Blanco Lavender Festival this summer.

I will be doing a cooking demonstration 10:00 Saturday morning, June 13 at the Blanco River Lavender Company.

If you are in the area, this is a fun event. There is much to do and see. Come join us.

The New Sleepy Wrap!

2009-05-23T07:34:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to introduce you to the new organic Sleepy Wrap. They are available in Natural and Khaki. So for all those going "all natural" you can enjoy the comforts of an organic Sleepy Wrap!

Check out the assortment of colors here.

And the winner is . . .

2009-05-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

For the Vision Forum Parental Rights Giveaway the winner is . . .

Honeybee! Please congratulate her and visit her blog page.

Giveaway!!

2009-05-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! In honor of all the parents out there, I am giving away Vision Forum's The State of Parental Rights in America DVD.

All Things Granola is all about the building stronger families. Families that will stand through tough times. All Things Granola wants to put the emphasis back on our roles within the family, specifically the mothers. Go back to the "granola" lifestyle and enjoy being a mother and wife. We are losing our parental rights quickly and quietly here in America, but that doesn't mean we can't fight it!

So to win this DVD you need to leave a comment before May 12, midnight. Comment what you love about being a parent or what you cherish about your parents. You will get an extra entry for linking to this post. Just leave another comment letting me know where to find your link! Make sure you leave contact information.

History Has Been Made

2009-03-30T14:41:00.000-07:00

Over the years, as we homeschool, we come across good resources and great resources for our families. One of those great resources I came across a few years ago was Vision Forum. This year I have partnered with Vision Forum to bring my customers great resources! Watch the side panel for current Specials and Offers.

My church was really pumped up and excited about the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival this year, especially with the release of Fireproof. Due to family changes, we were unable to attend, but we definately felt the excitement. And when all was over and members of our church reported what a great and uplifting time they had, I really felt like we missed out. But, lo and behold, Vision Forum is now offering the event on audio CD: History Has Been Made.

The 14-disc set has beautiful music, dynamic speakers, and exciting moments. The topics covered speak to the Christian family trying to raise their children in an ungodly world. The media is such a strong force in our lives, we need to be on guard and protect our children from its draw. Dr. Voddie Baucham, Kevin Swanson, George Sarris, and Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr. bring important issues to the surface. Charlie Zahm and the Von Trapp children offer beautiful music. And Doug Phillips gives detailed introductions and history throughout the whole event. And as an added bonus a panel discussion with the creators and actors of Fireproof, including Kirk Cameron.

And to really feel like I was there, I bought The Widow's Might, winner of the 2009 San Antonio Christian Film Festival. This was a great movie, well done with a great meaning. My kids were especially excited to see friends from our church as actors! And I own Fireproof and highly recommend owning this film too! Just thought I would mention that.

History Has Been Made is a great set to listen to in the car or for family time. The speakers used examples and thought-provoking questions to encourage us to really evaluate what the television is bringing into our homes. And for the aspiring film entrepreneur, Ted Pittenger and Kevin Swanson touch on specific issues relating to that industry. End the event with the awards and more music!

A Sugar-Free Christmas Anyone??

2008-12-05T04:23:00.000-08:00

With the holidays, sugar seems to follow. What do you do??

My rule is you can go to Grandma's and eat anything that is offered, but only one of each questionable item. We don't eat pork, so on Christmas my kids can go eat ham, but only one slice. They can pick one dessert, etc. This gives them some freedom and doesn't upset their stomachs too much. Who wants to spend Christmas and have to say "no" all day?

Of course, I offer lots of special, sugar-free or low-sugar, treats! Here are some ideas and recipes.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
I use bittersweet all-natural chocolate chips to melt and dip the strawberries in. The trick is to melt the chips with a little milk. Then dip, cool, and eat!

Homemade Hot Chocolate
6 cups milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup agave nectar
pinch of salt
1 t vanilla

Mix cocoa with salt in saucepan. Add milk and wisk together as you heat on low. Add agave nectar as you stir. Heat to just under boiling. The trick is to heat it slowly so it doesn't get that scalded milk taste. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Serve!

Other ideas are substitutions!
Sucanat is great in cheesecake, brownies and pies.
A dab of maple syrup is great in salad dressings or smoothies.
Agave nectar works wonderfully in beverages.
Use molasses in cornbread or other quick breads.

Hope that gets you off to the right start for your holiday season!

And the Winner is . . .

2008-11-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

Angela has won a large bag of homemade granola! Please go visit her blogs and congratulate her!

Don't forget we still have the cookbook giveaway going on - so start brainstorming granola ideas and get entered! I would like to have the cookbook finished by the end of November!

Bloggy Giveaways!

2008-10-26T21:22:00.000-07:00

It is time again for Bloggy Giveaways! We are joining in on all the fun! And also to celebrate the opening of our new business All Things Granola we are giving awaya large bag of homemade granola. That is a $10 value!

Don't forget we are still giving away a free cookbook to one winner of our "granola recipe" contest.

Our granola is all natural and we use no white sugars! It is yummy with milk or yogurt, or sprinkle it over a homemade apple pie!

Hop on over to our new website and leave a comment here telling me what you liked or didn't like about the site. I'm still tweaking it and would love to hear your comments. Please leave a way to contact you (like an email address). You can be entered twice if you post about our contest with a link back here!

I can only ship to the lower 48 United States. You must post your comment by October 31, noon time. I will post a winner that evening.

Roast Turkey with Wolfberry Stuffing

2008-10-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't tried this yet, but with the holiday season approaching us this sounded really yummy. Please let me know if you try it! I imagine cranberries could be substituted for wolfberries. but I am curious to try it with wolfberries. You can purcahse these on my website.

Roast Turkey with Wolfberry Stuffing

10-12lb. Turkey, Thawed
Salt
4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. parsley, minced
1 tbsp. sage, minced
2 tsp. thyme, minced

Rinse turkey and remove all packets, giblets, neck, etc. Salt inside and out. Run fingers between the skin of the turkey to separate it from the breast meat. Combine the extra virgin olive oil with the herbs, and stuff between the skin and the meat of the turkey. Place in a roasting pan and set aside. Stuffing8 slices of Whole Wheat Bread3 tbsp. butter1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil½ c onion minced¾ c. celery, mincedSalt Place bread on a baking sheet and toast at 300°F for 8-10 minutes. Flip the bread and turn off oven. Leave in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour until cooled. Slice into small cubes and place in a mixing bowl. In a pan sauté on medium heat butter, oil, onions, celery, and a pinch of salt until just tender. Remove from heat.

Add to bread cubes along with the following:
2 eggs
¾ c chicken broth
1/3 c. young living dried wolfberries
½ c. black olives, halved
3 tbsp. walnuts
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp dried parsley
½ tsp sage, minced
¼ tsp onion powder

Mix well and stuff tightly into the front and inner cavities of the turkey. Roast according to directions on turkey packaging.

I received this recipe from Debra Raybern.

Great Deals on Organics

2008-10-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

In an effort to feed our families healthy and easy on the budget, I'm going to start sharing great finds. I recently discovered that Amazon carries organics! Here is the current specials.

$10 Instant Savings on Back to NatureSave $10 today when you buy any two eligible Back to Nature products offered by Amazon.com. Use the following promotional code when you check out: BTN08OCT. This offer applies only to products offered by Amazon.com and for purchases made between October 1 and October 31, 2008.

Save 15% today when you buy any eligible Amy's Organic soups offered by Amazon.com. Use the following promotional code when you check out: SOUPAMY4. This offer applies only to products offered by Amazon.com and for purchases made between October 1 and October 31, 2008.

Save 15% today when you buy any eligible Ryvita crackers featured on this page. Use the following promotional code when you check out: RYVITA25. Plus, save an additional 15% when you combine this instant rebate with your Subscribe & Save order--bringing the total savings to 30%. This offer applies only to products offered by Amazon.com and for purchases made between October 1 and November 30, 2008.

Remeber that any orders over $25 recieves free shipping. Make three small orders to take advantage of all specials as they can't be combined.

Slings, wraps, and baby carriers . . .

2008-10-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

Have you tried one or several different baby carriers? What did you like?

When I had my older children I tried those front-pack type carriers from Wal-mart. Yuck! I never could get comfortable in that and defaulted to carrying the baby on my hip. But on baby #4 I have discovered something wonderful! It is called the Sleepy Wrap.

What a wonderful piece of material! The stretchiness of this wrap is what makes it so easy and adjustable. I have had my baby in this wrap since she was 1 week old. It was great for cradling her in there and supporting her head. And now at 3 months old she can hold her head up and look around. She loves her view of the world around her! I am hands free, so I like it too. And it doesn't hurt my back!

Unlike slings, I can bend over and she stays close to me and doesn't swing out away from me. When she is sleeping I can tuck her head under the wrap and no bobble head. My picture on the menu is Sprout peeking out from the wrap.

As part of All Things Granola, I am now offering Sleepy Wraps for sale! What a perfect Christmas gift for the new mom or mom-to-be's! And affordable too!

Order a sleepy wrap for only $35 + tax and free shipping until November 15.

From the Sleepy Wrap website:
Comparison Chart
Why a Sleepy Wrap?
Benefits of Baby Wearing

October Cooking Class

2008-10-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

Our October class is sneaking up on us!

Join us on October 28 and learn how to make homemade fish sticks for lunch, goodie balls for dessert, and a veggie salt mix to take home. All classes are donation only and currently held in my home from 10:00 to 3:00.

And remember . . . you can always schedule a class and I will come to you! Traveling classes available are:

Un-Sweet Tooth - This class is full of ideas creating sweets minus addicting refined sugars.

Snack Time - Frustrated because you have run out of snack ideas? I've got some!

Mix It Up - This class leaves you with mixes you can make yourself to reduce your time in the kitchen. Biscuit Mix to Dressing Mix to Cake Mix!

Bartering

2008-10-14T17:19:00.001-07:00

For those in the Texas hill country area, I have started a barter group. Please join us as we trade and barter for the things we need.

Do you have eggs, but need your yard mowed? Maybe you love to babysit, but need venison. There are many things we can barter with each other. On the menu you can click to join the Texas Hill Country Barter Yahoo Group.

Also on the side bar is a link for the All Things Granola newsletter. I will only send it out once a month, so sign up now to recieve monthly articles, recipes, dates, and more!

Granola Recipe Contest

2008-10-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be brave and host another contest! I am working on an "All Things Granola" cookbook chock full of recipes using a favorite ingredient - my homemade granola. I already have lots of favorite granola recipes, such as granola cheesecake, granola toast, and granola bars, but I am looking for more. Please post a granola recipe or idea to enter my contest for a free cookbook. Do you think granola milkshakes would taste good? What about cranberry granola bars? Just post one recipe or idea using granola and one special winner will recieve a finished cookbook with their recipe or idea included in the book!

I will test each recipe and pick my favorite! There is no deadline on this contest yet as I want as many recipes to try as possible. So tell your friends!!!

WFMW - Kitchen Gadgets

2008-10-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

This my first Works for Me Wednesday (WFMW). Visit Rocks in My Dryer for a complete list of those participating.

I love to cook and love trying new gadgets in the kitchen! So I'm gonna tell you about some of my favorite tools. Since my husband sees cooking as my job/art/hobby he also sees the importance of having the right tools! So he allows me to purchase new "tools" whenever our budget allows.

Cookbooks - I'm listing these first because I wouldn't have a complete kitchen without them! I love books and cooking so that turns into a large collection of cookbooks! My favorites are shown in the window at the top of the page. (Ordering from this page benefits me . . . a little! LOL)

Bosch Universal Machine - The everything machine can be found at The Urban Homemaker. I love this machine! I have the blender, bread bowl with kneading hook and wisk, meat grinder, and food processor attachments! It is a large one-time investment, but well worth it! I have had parts replaced for free on my blender!

Food Chopper - I have tried other brands but prefer the Pampered Chef version. I chop nuts, onions, peppers, cookies, and more with this gadget. This is great for the small jobs when I don't want to dirty my food processor. I literally used this until it broke. I will be buying a new one soon.

Batter Bowl - I'm not trying to have a Pampered Chef advertising thing here, but that is where I bought my batter bowl. We use this for almost everykind of batter we make. We will make a large batch of pancake batter, cook some for breakfast, and then stick the lid on and put the bowl in the fridge until the next morning. Works great!

Stoneware - I also bought all of mine from Pampered Chef. What can I say? I'm a pampered chef junkie! I have two large pizza stones, 1 rectangle cookie sheet, 1 large bar pan, 1 medium bar pan, 1 small bar pan, 2 loaf pans, 1 pie plate, 1 round baker, 1 rectangle baker, and 1 small oval baker. We lived in a 5th wheel trailer for two years and I had to cook in a gas stove. I love gas stoves, but for some reason the rv ones don't cook very evenly. My stoneware was the only way I could cook anything! It absorbs the heat and then distributes it evenly.

Electric Knife - I bought mine for $1 at a yard sale years ago, but would not like to go without it! We mainly use it to slice bread. It cuts so evenly without squishing the bread.

Dough Divider - This is a simple, but useful tool. I use it for dividing dough, obviously, but also works great for scraping dough off the counter or picking up tortillas. Urban Homemaker also sells this.

Sproutmaster - This is a fun and easy way to sprout! I used to use a quart jar, but this is so much easier and more effecient. You can find this little gadget at Urban Homemaker too!

First Cooking Class

2008-09-30T13:08:00.001-07:00

We just had our first cooking class today! What a wonderful time we had!

I didn't think to take pictures, but next month I will! So here is your warning!

We started by making sugar-free jelly. It was easy, but ended up as grape syrup instead. I would have liked it to set better, but have discovered that the sugar-free pectin can be temperamental.

Then we ground soft wheat berries into flour. We made a tortilla mix and added water. We rolled out tortillas and cooked them in a non-stick skillet. Yum! We had green salad, refried beans, taco filling, black bean salad, and pickles to go with our tortillas.

After lunch, we stepped back into the kitchen for chocolate milkshakes! We made one batch with carob powder and one with dark chocolate. We used stevia as our sweetener.

We all seemed to have a great time and learned a lot.

Next class will be October 28 at 10:00. We will be making fish sticks from tuna (these are amazingly good!), goodie balls for desert, and veggie salt mix as a take-home goodie. Stay tuned for the November class.

Contest Results

2008-09-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

Well I am sending both my very good friends granola! Thanks for entering my dear friends. I will get it in the mail as soon as I get a fresh batch made.

Granola Bars

2008-09-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup peanut butter
3 cups granola

optional add-ins:
1/2 cup nuts
1/3 cup dried fruit or choc chips
1/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup flax seed

Bring honey and peanut butter to a boil. Mix remaining ingredients in bowl. Add honey mixture and blend. Press into jelly roll pan and chill. Cut into squares and serve.