Did I mention that I like granola?

I have made a few different kinds of granola, but this is the one people! I am so happy with the taste of this one, it's j-u-s-t right. I eat it with yogurt, parfait style. I have it for breakfast with milk. I've seen Mike grab a handful of it and chuck it right in his mouth. It. Is. Good.

Homemade Granola

6 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup walnuts, broken into pieces

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup coconut

2 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup honey

1/2 cup oil

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 cup dried fruit, soaked in water (craisins or raisins)

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix liquid ingredients in a 2 cup measure and warm slightly in the microwave, then pour over dry mixture. Stir until well coated.

Put in two greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350* for 20 minutes; stir and add dried fruit. Bake another 20 minutes or until evenly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Have any Key Lime?

I was watching Paula Deen make a pound cake. She used about a hundred stick of butter in it, and I'll admit it looked good. I went in search of a recipe that would imitate hers, but be a little kinder to those I love. This one was in Southern Living Magazine and it was a winner! Since I could not find any key limes, I was forced to buy a bottle of key lime juice. I always like to use fresh when possible, but I think this was probably a good alternative.

Key Lime Pound Cake

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lime zest (used a regular old lime)

1/4 cup fresh Key lime juice

Preheat oven to 325*. Grease and flour a 10" (12 cup) tube pan.

In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating just until blended after each one.

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Combine at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour batter into tube pan.

Bake at 325* for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10-15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.

Prepare glaze, and immediately brush over top and sides of cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Key Lime Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tablespoons fresh Key lime juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together powdered sugar, fresh key lime juice, and vanilla until smooth. Use immediately.

HURRY UP, AUGUST IS ALMOST OVER!!!!!!!

I guess I'll start at the end of the month, and work my way back. I kept thinking I had time to get some posts in for August, guess what? That leaves today! Let's get crackin'

Speaking of 'crackin'.... here is the latest brownie experiment. I took this to Lincoln yesterday for the fam to review. It received 3 thumbs up! I found this on another blog, give it a try!

Better-Than-Crack Brownies

1 brownie box mix (9x13 size)

1/2 cup salted peanuts

1 cup chopped peanut butter cups (I found minis , they were perfect)

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/2 Tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Mix Brownies according to directions and bake for 20-25 min in a 9x13 baking dish. Remove and top with peanuts and peanut butter cups and bake for 5 minutes more.

While they finish baking, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Stir in cereal. Remove brownies from oven and evenly spoon chocolate mixture over top. Carefully smooth out.

Refrigerate for 2 hrs. before serving.

TuhmAte-o, TuhmOtto.

It's been a pretty good summer for our tomatoes. For some reason the ones thriving are the smaller varieties. I have an heirloom green stripey that is soooo cute and delicious! Lots of cherry or grape size in both yellow and red. One variety is about the size of a tennis ball, they are also very good. Our Roma tomatoes died, so I won't be dehydrated those this summer. I always kept a stash of them in the freezer for salads in the winter.

EVERYONE on the food channel has been cooking tomatoes and putting them on pasta. I was of the opinion that I DO NOT like baked tomatoes. Because of the abundance of our crop, and the lack of other great ideas, I caved in and tried it a few days ago. I'll admit it, I was wrong. This was a delicious dish that I will be making several times this summer.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Pasta

2 lbs of cherry tomatoes, halved (I mixed yellow/red)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp slivered fresh garlic
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (leave this out if you don't want heat)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup chiffonade fresh basil leaves
1 tsp minced fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, fresh please

Preheat oven to 350*. In a large baking dish toss the tomatoes with oil, garlic, vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes & pepper. Roast until the tomatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the fresh herbs and stir well.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Toss with a couple of tsp of EVOO. Add the tomatoes and pan juices and reheat if needed, just a couple of minutes. Stir in the Parmesan and it's ready to serve.

Mike took our leftovers to work today, I can't wait to make it again!