Winter Wonders

December - I love it just as much as the rest of the seasons here, though I didn't think that I would when I first arrived from sunny Southern California. Rain and cold!? Scarves and gloves!? Ick.

However, the rains bring those magical fungi out of the ground - in many colors and shapes - and a few tasty ones as well. This morning we had a fresh golden chantrelle omelet and homemade biscuits. Yum! After that I went for a walk in the misty rain and came back with a handful of unusual mushroom specimens to gander at. (don't worry, we don't experiment with the myriad of samples I see popping up around the trees.)

The garden is mostly turning to compost with the exception of the beets, kale and celery. A few hearty herb plants are hanging on valiantly to be featured in my winter soups. The artichoke plants that do their late fall dramatic die-back are shining with big serrated green leaves - always a surprise when they bounce back every year.

The house is awash in the aromas of baking granola. If you are a relative of mine, chances are this is what you are getting for Christmas. My hubby says I've perfected the recipe and he LOVES it - and so do I. So, I figured that I would share the love. I'll include the recipe in this post. Enjoy.

Amber’s Granola

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

½ cup sliced almonds

½ cup raw sunflower seeds

½ cup raw pumpkin seeds

½ cup pecans

1/3-cup coconut oil

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ cup honey

1/8 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Grated peel of ½ an orange

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pecans and grated orange peel in a large bowl.

In small saucepan, gently heat coconut oil, maple syrup, honey, cinnamon and salt. Whisk together until warm. Pour mixture over dry ingredients. Use a wooden spatula to fold mixture until evenly coated.

Spread mixture into even layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  (Or divide onto two baking sheets)

Bake, stirring every 6 minutes until granola is light golden brown – about 15 – 20 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before transferring to airtight container.

Can be stored at room temperature for one week.