Best Laid Plans

I haven't posted in quite a while, and here is possibly why...

In December, we had a new baby, which means I was pregnant for at least 9 mos. prior to that, which means I was very tired.  I was also in school for most of that time.  Well, actually that is a new development also.

I was working full-time, but I quit that job right around the time I came down with mono for the third time in my life... and then found out I was also pregnant again.  I decided for my health that I needed a change.  I applied for a grad assistantship and now I am seriously pursuing a Ph.D. program in Education (as opposed to halfheartedly pursuing it). Still, that did not leave time for blogging.

Also, when I quit my job, I stopped getting pay checks.  Weird.  But right around that time, I decided that I should apply for WIC since our income would be significantly decreased.  At the same time, I felt I could not justify taking help from the government while we also spent $225 a month for about the equivalent of 8 very fresh and locally grown meals from Fair Shares.  So we dropped our share.  I was sad, to be honest, but realized how much of a luxury that type of food is... It is sustainable in the way it is produced, but not in its accessibility to the masses.

We finally have recycling bins close to us.  First, they appeared on side streets close to us, and lo and behold, one day a recycling bin appeared in the alley behind our house, which means we can empty the bins any time we want!  And contrary to my former sarcastic remark that recycling is only for rich people, I now know that recycling is also a luxury that is not always accessible to the masses.  But it should be available to everyone.  So should fresh, good food.  But it has to be at a good price, as well.

Our garden was a constant learning experience this past year.  Actually, the weather was against everyone.  It was so hot that even professional farmers had trouble... and then stayed warm so we had lettuce in November and a few tomatoes to boot. 

It's probably about time to start seedlings in the basement for next year already... my husband will probably be the one to do it, though.  He is the executioner around here.  I think up the schemes and he executes them.  It works for us.  I have more hopes set on our garden this year, though, since that will possibly be a major source of fresh veggies for us without our Fair Shares share.  I might have to get my hands dirty...

The chickens lost one of their companions last year.  She was fine in the morning, and by evening she was dead.  I cried.  I don't know if I can really put them in a soup now.  They are still laying, but not as much as the first year.  We may get a few more older chickens in the spring from an uncle who is getting a whole new flock.  Then we will have more eggs than we know what to do with since we also get eggs with WIC.

And finally, I have not made granola for a few months, even though I had stocked up on oats and coconut.  First, we get cereal with WIC.  The price of commercial cereal was part of the reason I made granola.  Secondly, I have been pregnant and now just tired.  So that's what happened.  Maybe I will start up again.

God is good.  There is provision for our family in various ways.  And I feel more in touch with my neighbors than before.  Well, my neighborhood, I should say, since we don't have proper neighbors--the houses next to us are abandoned and empty, and the closest inhabited house has a transitory population.  The children that live there haven't been by since it has been cold, but maybe they will be back when the weather is warmer to ask for eggs and pick peppers and tomatoes that aren't quite ripe.  ;o)

Baby #2

A Granola Story

At this point, I have to give props to my mother who made granola while I was still in diapers.  Thanks, Mom. 

The granola story goes like this.  Last Christmas, we were brainstorming about what to get our family as presents.  One day, I was looking through "More with Less" and saw a note above a granola recipe about how the author gave granola as a Christmas present, and voila--we were off.  The next step was to see how to make this an economical choice, because besides the obvious reasons of adding a little personal TLC to our Christmas presents, we were also trying to not break the bank.  I looked on many websites, and found that the only way to make granola at a lower price than what you buy at the store was to buy grains, seeds and nuts in bulk (with a few exceptions).  Also, the choice of sweetener is key--honey is the most expensive, of course.  Fortunately, "More with Less" is all about making do with what you have, saving money and being healthy.

The other motive behind the Christmas granola caper was that we were going to make massive amounts of granola for our family, and while we were at it, make a bunch for ourselves.  This was good motivation for me, actually, since I was slightly intimidated by the whole thing.  I mean, was I really going to keep this up, month after month?

I should also add at this point that I continued reading in the "More with Less" cookbook about commercial cereal.  There are obviously some that are healthier than others, but the bottom line--most commercial cereal is more expensive than meat per pound.  Stop and meditate on that for a minute.

I was committed.  I researched prices on-line for weeks and decided that oats are oats just about anywhere, walnuts are cheap at Aldi, local honey is preferred anyway, brown sugar is about the same most places, but other than those items, we would save big $$ if we bought bulk.  I bought 5 lbs. of flaked coconut (a family favorite), 5 lbs. of whole millet, buckwheat groats, 5 lbs. of wheat germ (which is quite a lot, actually), sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and steel-cut oats.  We have been cycling through a variety of these for a few months now, even after making granola for our whole family (6 cups each for about 15 people).

Buckwheat groats

Our biggest discovery was molasses.  It's cheaper than honey, less processed than white or brown sugar, and in moderation, adds a nice flavor to the cereal or granola.

For me, making cereal is about saving money, not being wasteful with excess packaging, learning to do something ourselves that might come in handy, and being healthy.   I'm not completely opposed to commercial cereal, and I don't judge people for buying it.  We still buy toasted O's for the baby.

Today's adventure is about gathering up the fragments.  I didn't have quite enough oats left to make the normal recipe, so I just grabbed all the whole grains in the house (you can even use rice).  I used about a cup of each of these: wheat germ, whole millet, whole buckwheat groats, steel-cut oats, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, coconut and 3-4 c. of rolled oats.  I might have forgotten something... yes, I forgot to put in flax seed.  Next time.

Dry mix

I heated up a cup of oil with 1/2 c. molasses and brown sugar (w/ a little water) and then mixed in the dry ingredients.  The two cardinal rules of granola or cereal are 1) don't burn the sugar and 2) don't burn the granola.   There is no going back or salvaging it if you do.  Make sure to stir the cereal frequently.  I like to use this oven-safe pot so I do fewer dishes and I don't spill in the oven when I stir, but you can use cookie sheets, also.  The only thing to watch with molasses is that the color is already dark brown, so color will not be a good indicator if the cereal is done. 

Plus molasses, sugar and oil

In the end, I have been making cereal for a few months now, and I have it down to a couple hours during which I am also doing other things.  So it's like my Saturday activity.  My husband is in charge of making bread. :o)

The basic recipe