Totally Oatally Awesome

I’ll tell you who’s running a racket: The people selling granola! I don’t know why took me so long to try making my own... maybe it was not enough time, or maybe it was because it didn’t seem worth the effort. But there is no effort. It was insanely easy and is insanely delicious. I have already eaten way too much of it, actually. It’s the best granola I’ve ever had, even better than the $10 kind!

My favorite kind is the $10 kind, which is what prompted me to finally give DIY a shot. That, and the fact that my apartment is freezing because we still have our window AC units in. In the northeast, summer stretched well into fall this year; then abruptly left us with a string of cold, rainy days. (You can tell it's cold from the light in the photo! But I don't have time to fix it.) Anyway, I was looking for a reason to turn the oven on and heat up the place, so I found a recipe for olive oil granola online and used the ingredient list from the bag of my favorite granola. The rest is magic.

Hey Good Lookin', Whatcha Got Cookin'?

I don’t really buy cookbooks anymore because I have copy of the world’s largest cookbook, it’s called THE INTERNET. But one weekend afternoon, my husband and I stopped at Café Pedlar to get a cup of coffee (I got a really gorgeous cappuccino) and while we were waiting I noticed the The Frankies Spuntino cookbook for sale. The last time I ate at Frankies Spuntino I had gnocchi so good I actually got tears in my eyes because it reminded me so much of my grandmom.

I bought the cookbook. Obviously.

Grumble Crumble

Despite my grouch-tastic post yesterday, I really do love autumn, and I’m excited for some cool, bright, fall days. I love fall fashion: the textures, the colors, the layers, the opportunity to wear something different than a sundress and a bun. I love the seasonal fruits and veggies, and I love that they don’t spoil as quickly as the delicate summer stuff does. I love the cozy comfort foods of fall, and I love that it’s not too hot to cook. I love that it’s not “too hot” or “too cold” to do pretty much anything you want to do, aside from swimming or sledding. I love fresh school supplies, even though I don’t have a good reason to buy them. I love the change and the newness of all of it. (But I still HATE THIS RAIN.)

Since those of us in the northeast are stuck in this awful winter preview, but still have access to summer fruits, here is a half-assed recipe that is a fully-awesome way to use up a bunch of fruit before it goes bad. While a chilled bowl of berries was lovely last week, this week, I want something warm. This is a great thing to make when you want something good, but you don’t feel like doing a whole lot, or even looking up a recipe. You can probably just remember this, because it’s basically a formula, and it’s a good thing to know.

Imagine That!

Hey! Did you all have a good time celebrating your independence yesterday? Did you eat, drink, and set stuff on fire? MEEEE TOOOOO!

How to Make A Batch of Awesome

I’m going to close out this week of beach posts the same way I closed out my week of beach: with frozen watermelon margaritas.

Sunshiney Smoothie

This Carrot Pineapple Smoothie is tied with the Apple Kale one for the title of My Favorite. Both recipes are from Real Simple Magazine, and I’ve made both smoothies many, many times since the recipes appeared in the February 2011 issue.

Sweet! DIY Sugar Body Scrub

Winter has been very long, and very cold, to the surprise of no one. Now that we have extra daylight, and are treated to the occasional warm day, it’s time to make some preparations for spring. We need to get ready to break free from our sweater cocoons, and I’d rather emerge a beautiful butterfly than a dusty old moth.

Let’s save our dollars for some spring clothes (and maybe a little makeup), and make our own body scrub to cast off the dry skin of winter. Like a snake! (Not at all like a snake.)

My Blender Can Beat Up Your Blender

Unless, of course, you have a Vitamix. Or this thing.

In January, feeling a desperate need to clean up my act, I started researching juicers. I figured it would be an easy way for my husband and I to sneak more fruits and vegetables into our diets. Did you know when they say “Eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every day” they mean 5 servings of fruit AND 5 servings of vegetables? They do.