Staying Warm on a Cold Day

Good Morning blog friends!!

Are you all managing to stay warm? It seems like much of the country is in the deep freeze right now. Even down here in the south we are experiencing some record breaking cold temps. Yesterday was just such a day. In the morning I had to run several errands. By the time I got home I was quite content to put on another sweater and stay indoors.

Last week when my husband was out of town he came home with one of my favorite food items from my home state.

Recently I came across a recipe in a "healthy" magazine for Cherry Granola. I love granola, but I find the ones from the grocery store to be too sweet for my tastes. So, let's give it a try.

Cherry Granola

4 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ

1/2 cup sliced almonds

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup honey

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups dried cherries (or 1 cup cherries & 1 cup cranberries)

In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice, honey & oil. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Pour over oat mixture & mix well.

Transfer to a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Stir in dried fruits. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 7-1/2 cups

Once you put it in the oven you won't want to stray too far from the kitchen as it is important to stir it every 10 minutes so it won't burn. I think this would be a perfect time to try that hot chocolate recipe I mentioned in my last post.

Oh my. . . rich & creamy. Now, what else should we do as we indulge in this sweet treat? Well, we could watch the birds who have been flocking to the feeders all day. I filled them this morning and it's going fast. I have been seeing a lot of red birds - cardinals, house finches, woodpeckers. Let's see if we can find any of them. We can make a theme for today. Red cherry granola ~ red birds. Maybe we can get in the spirit for Valentine's Day a little early :-)

I spy a female cardinal on top of the shepherd hook and a red house finch on the feeder looking in at us.

Let's step outside to snag a picture of this male cardinal. On second thought, let's not. Too cold!!

Okay, that's better. A male cardinal posing for his picture. We can continue sipping our hot chocolate and snap his picture from the warmth of the kitchen table.

What a sweet birdie ~ he even invited his friend to be part of the photo shoot. One for you and one for me. Ding!! There goes the timer. Time to quit birdwatching and tend to the granola.

Stay warm & healthy.