HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE GRANOLA (gluten and sugar free)

I needed to use up some pumpkin, so I went into my kitchen and threw a bunch of stuff into a bowl. I was pleased when it turned out to be my favorite I've made so far. I've found that my granola is a little different each time I make it, based on what I have on hand at the time. So don't be afraid to omit or add your own stuff. I still may tweak the ingredients a bit in the future, such as adding a bit less sweetener. Honey is expensive, yo! And I've made granola before with less honey and it was still delicious. 

Also note, I like to make a LOT of granola at once and then eat it for several weeks. So you may want to half this recipe the first time and see how you like it. We'll eat it with apples and peanut butter (as pictured), or thrown in with fruit and yogurt (try adding canned pumpkin too!), or eat it like cereal with almond milk and blueberries (Andrew's favorite). Last night, I even used it when I ran out of coconut flakes to roll my chicken in...it wasn't bad. :)

PUMPKIN SPICE GRANOLA

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients:

• 5 C gluten free oats 
• 2 C almonds chopped in processor
• 1 1/4 C unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 C whole sunflower seeds
• 1/2 C flax (I used ground, but whole seeds should work)
• 1/4 C chia seeds
• 3/4 tsp of sea salt
• 1.5 T pumpkin pie spice 

In a separate, smaller bowl whisk together:

• 3/4 C honey
• 1/4 C melted coconut oil
• about 1/3 C pumpkin
• 3 T coconut sugar (I don't think I'll do this next time)
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 drop of cinnamon essential oil

Stir in the wet ingredients until the dry ones are well coated. Spread mixture onto a cookie sheet with parchment paper (this recipe filled 3 pans). Bake at 250 for about an hour...but be sure to stir every 10-15 minutes! Store in airtight container after it cools. 

Let me know how yours turns out! :)

AAAAAND...WE'RE BACK!

Hi, there. It's been awhile. Andrew and I decided it was time to start blogging again--for reasons we will explain later. But in the meantime, here is a speedy update on the last four months via cell phone pics. I apologize if you are already an Instagram follower. 

A new school year began. I have fifteen third graders, and I love them. I'm excited to show off my entire camping theme classroom in a future post. 

The kids made class "camp shirts" with tie-dye. 

Andrew and I enjoyed a lovely Idaho autumn. This was our view from our hike up to Cress Creek.

Our garden was a success. 

Sort of. 

We have pumpkins, squash, and zucchini coming out our ears! But honestly, who actually wants very many squash and zucchini? 

The goal next year is to harvest a single onion, carrot, spinach, lettuce, or bean plant from the backyard. Apparently, the soil around is here is super heavy in clay. It takes a few years of rich fertilizer before you can have much of a reward with gardening. 

Andrew now officially runs his own business! It has been fun and a blessing that he's stayed busy. Here, he shows me the progress on a lovely house he's building in town. Andrew's good at what he does.

Moose is still kicking. This is largely due to the fact that he is no longer allowed to sleep with a blanket...regardless of how cold it is. He now gets wood shavings. Otherwise, there is a 99% chance he will chew it to bits, ingest a vast majority of the fiber, requiring a second expensive surgery to save his life. 

Big, crazy lug.

We've been enjoying a gym membership. 

Well, Andrew has been enjoying a gym membership. I still find little joy in formal exercise. As motivation, we shake it up with an occasional racquetball game. This picture is after a close, tiring battle...that didn't seem to wear Andrew out at all. 

Andrew lives and breathes BYU football. For his birthday, we bought a package deal and got tickets for two home games in Provo. Fun memories.

For Halloween, we dressed as a hiker and a bear. It took us approximately 20 minutes to throw it together, yet we ended up winning the award for "Most Original Costume."

We inherited 800 square feet of free sod from a neighbor. This isn't a lot of grass, but we feel blessed to have a patch of green in our backyard. Moose is strangely squeamish of too much mud and dirt, so he has been especially grateful to have it...rolling around on his back for ten solid minutes for no obvious reason except to revel in its soft glory.

The rest of the sod will have to wait until spring. In the meantime, we have been busy making progress with steel banding to create flower beds on three sides of the house, and a handful of twiggy trees planted along the driveway and deck. 

The sprinklers are also installed and ready to go. 

In somewhat related news, Andrew is still studly in plaid. 

My last blog post (back in July!) was asking for input about a rug for the front room. This is the one I chose. 

Unfortunately, it was not the lovely light blue it appeared to be online. It was more of a hunter green! Thus it did not match, and it was shipped off to be returned. I have yet to replace it with another one.

My current project is a painting for over the fireplace. Here it is in its early stages. My inspiration is our view from the kitchen window. It's been fun to get back into art after so long!

Well, I'll be seeing more of you from now on. I'm going to have to dust off my 'ol Canon, so I can have some real pictures for you next time!

FALL DECOR 2012

We built these shelves to put on the dining area wall. I love the shelves. 

This is my first attempt at trying to style them. Arranging a bunch of pointless knickknacks makes me feel foolish somehow...it almost looks to me like clutter.

But this is how it will stay for now. 

I made the garland over the window several years ago. 

I covered a plain, thrift store grapevine wreath with craft moss I already had on hand. 

I filled an old pickle jar with small autumn-y items.

I tried to pull off a dipped paint look on a squash I knew we'd never eat. 

And Leftover metallic leaves from the garland went in the glass bottles.

Those are the shelves.

In the kitchen, I tried for an autumn look with a mini wreath...

And stacked pumpkins...

The great room didn't get much fall decor. 

That was pretty much it, until I felt inspired on a walk with Andrew, Moose, and CC (yes, CC follows us on our walks). 

A few autumn branches in a vase was statement enough. 

Now, this display is not mine. But it was too fun not to share. This blogger was able to create an autumn theme using the Wizard of Oz as inspiration. Seriously, go check out his post for more pictures and explanations. 

That lion kills me. 

I HAD A DREAM

.

It officially feels like autumn in our neck of the woods. I run the heater in my car in the mornings and the a/c in the afternoons, leaves are are turning gold, and I keep passing trucks of freshly harvested potatoes on the highway. 

These are also harbingers of college football, Andrew's sacred hunting season, and the school district's week-long week off for spud harvest. I love spuds. If southeast Idaho was given a week off of school for harvesting bowling balls, I'd love those too.

So anyway, I had a dream the other night that was truly horrifying.

Andrew was trying to kill me. With a knife. I had to protect myself curled up beneath a couch cushion.

What spurred this, I have no clue. You Freudians out there might argue that it was an expression of repressed feelings of anger or hostility toward my man. Or that I feel I am being controlled or victimized by him in real life.



Whatever.  Anyone who knows Andrew Ashmore wouldn't believe it for a second. Just look at that face!   

Then I had to wake up and act normal around him. Ha. It's amazing how real dreams can feel sometimes. Like the time I dreamed he drove our car into the river, and then I spent the next morning angrily lecturing him on the evils of reckless driving. Poor guy.

On top of everything, this haunting images happened on the eve of his 27th birthday. Then I woke up and was all whimpery over what possessed him to attempt slashing me to pieces! I thought he loved me!

My poor husband can't catch a break. 

I guess that's my whole story. Andrew hates me and wants me dead. Have any of you had dreams so realistic they affected your emotions the next day? 

IDAHO IN A NUTSHELL

                                                                   {source}

haha!

Sad, but true. 
Though it does make summer-time all the sweeter.

LITTLE TURKEYS

Our second Thanksgiving  celebration began with a family turkey bowl game at the high school stadium. This was Aurora's first year as a participant, and she sacked our quarterback! Not bad, eh?

We enjoyed our feast back at Grandma's house, before Utah's incredibly warm weather beckoned me outside. 

Colorful Becca and I herded the little ones outside for a snowball fight...with what little snow was left.

Utah still looked appropriately autumn-ish, while the Idaho we left behind looked like it was ready for Christmas. 

 My baby sisters. 
Aurora, look at me. 
Aria, scoot over so your face is in the sunlight. 
Belle, smile pretty, please. 
Aurora, hold still. 
Aria, stop talking for just a second. please. 
Say cheese!
Aurora, look at the camera!
Belle, will you please open your eyes?
Okay, ready?1...2...3!!!


That's basically how it went down. 

We all played with our beautiful, little cousins until the last of the snow had been scraped for Grandma's back lawn. 

I mean really. Aren't they the sweetest?

Little turkey...

WE TOOK A DRIVE.

Andrew and I were feeling a little stir-crazy after a weekend indoors. So we got in the car and drove several hours to the north...just to take a walk.

Everything had that golden autumn glow.

The sun was warm and low in the sky.

And the leaves were shimmering with color. 

We found a quiet dirt road,

That eventually led to a bridge,

Where we watched the water float lazily by...

And took mushy, romantic pictures.

As the setting sun sank even lower in the sky,

we returned to our car huddled together...the final rays leaving behind a chill in the air. 

Fall is fast flyin' by, my friends. 

My favorite pretty pictures from this adventure are found HERE on my photo blog. Check 'em out!