Granola Goodness

Something about autumn inspires even the biggest couch potato to take long walks through nature. The cool, crisp air and beautiful fall colors beg us to come out and play. But all that activity can make you hungry, fortunately granola is the perfect take-a-long snack. Homemade granola is an ideal project for a creative person, because the tasty combinations are endless. Okay, enough talk, let's get cooking!

Here's what you'll need to make your own granola:

• 4 1/2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats (NOT the instant kind)
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds (I've used roasted ones when I couldn't find raw ones)
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped hazelnuts, or almonds
• 2 Tablespoons of ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups of maple syrup
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup Ocean Spray Craisins (dried cranberries)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
• Anything else you might like! (ie. M&M's, snipped dried apricots, white chocolate pieces, etc.)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix the oats, sunflower seeds, nuts, and cinnamon in a large bowl and stir to combine. 

Add the maple syrup and oil to the dry ingredients, then stir together until all the dry ingredients are moistened.

Spread the granola on a 17x12x1 inch rimmed cookie sheet and bake about 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and stir with a flat spatula. Continue to bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until the granola is dry, light brown and smells amazing. You may need to stir it again and bake for another 5 minutes or so. You'll know it is dry when it is no longer soft and quiet when you stir it. It becomes hard and noisy when it is dry enough to be crunchy. By all means, scoop some up and taste it (after it cools a little).
*Tip - Watch the granola carefully in the final minutes because it is a fine line between crunchy granola and burned granola!

Let the granola cool. You can put it on a cooling rack, or not. I usually leave it right on top of the stove. Once the granola is cool, stir in the cranberries, and anything else you want to add in like M&M's, white chocolate, toffee pieces etc.

It is best to keep your completely cooled granola in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to one month, or in the freezer for up to three months. 
Granola is great eaten all by itself, with milk as a cereal, mixed in with yogurt, or on top of ice cream! Enjoy : )

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I want to offer many thanks to all my readers in 43 different countries - the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Malaysia, Italy, the Bahamas, the Philippines, Sweden, Egypt, Columbia, the Netherlands, Spain, the Sudan, Turkey, Mexico, Moldova, Denmark, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, South Africa, India, Taiwan, Panama, Serbia, Latvia, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Bosnia and Herzegovina, New Zealand, Japan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Saudi Arabia!

It is both humbling, and exciting to know people are actually reading what I'm writing, and hopefully trying out a few of the projects.

My goal is to take the whole world on a creative journey, one project at a time! Thanks for coming along.

Many Blessings,

Jana : )

Cookie Exchange Accordion Book

The Arnold Grummer 6-Panel Accordion Fold Book is my new favorite paper crafting/book making product! It was easy to make, very sturdy, and it turned out great. I think using an accordion book to house the recipes for a cookie exchange is a perfect match, and it also makes a great gift for family, friends, teachers - just about anyone who likes cookies! 

Here's what you'll need to make your own Cookie Exchange Accordion Book:

• Two 8 1/2 by 11 inch sheets of card stock
• Six cookie recipes (I used index card sized recipes from Taste of Home Holiday Best Loved Cookies & Bars Book)
• 24 inch piece of ribbon
• Decorative pictures, items for cover
• Scissor
• Glue stick

You're going to cut two 5 1/4 by 6 1/2 inch cover pages from the card stock.

Apply glue over the entire surface of one of the cover boards contained in the Arnold Grummer 6-Panel Accordion Fold Book Kit, then center it glue side down on one of the covers you cut from the card stock.

Notch the corners of the cover with a scissor as shown in the picture below.

Apply glue to the long flaps of your cover, crease and fold them over onto the cover board. Now glue, crease, and fold the short flaps. Rub your finger over the flaps a few times to press out any air. Repeat the entire process with the second cover and cover board. When you are finished you can place the glued cover boards between wax paper and under a heavy book for a few hours to dry. I was too excited to wait that long and it turned out fine : )

Now take the white 6-panel accordion paper and mark an "X" on the first and last panels on the same side of the accordion fold. These two panels will not be decorated in any way - they will be glued to the covers, so the "X" avoids any opportunity for confusion.
On the side of the accordion fold without the "X's", apply glue to the back of the first recipe you would like to use and center the recipe glue side down on the first blank panel. Repeat with the other five recipes. 
This is a good time to glue your decorative photos on the front cover, or you can wait till the end, it's up to you. 

On the blank side of the accordion fold where you put the X's, glue the front panel marked with an "X" to the unfinished side of the front cover. 

Now center and glue a 24 inch piece of ribbon across the unfinished side of the back cover before attaching to the accordion fold.

Glue the back panel marked with an "X" from the blank side of your accordion fold to the unfinished side of the back cover, making sure the ribbon is flat and straight first. 

Great work! You just finished a Cookie Exchange Accordion Book! 

Congratulations to Diane Martin, the winner of last week's Angel Heart Beaded Bookmark Giveaway! Please email me your address and I'll be sure to ship it right out!

Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MyCreativeMommy and click the "Like" box to become a fan and receive regular updates!

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I want to offer many thanks to all my readers in 38 different countries - the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Malaysia, Italy, the Bahamas, the Philippines, Sweden, Egypt, Columbia, the Netherlands, Spain, the Sudan, Turkey, Mexico, Moldova, Denmark, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, South Africa, India, Taiwan, Panama, Serbia, Latvia, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Bosnia and Herzegovina, New Zealand, and Japan!

It is both humbling, and exciting to know people are actually reading what I'm writing, and hopefully trying out a few of the projects.

My goal is to take the whole world on a creative journey, one project at a time! Thanks for coming along.

Many Blessings,

Jana : )

Angel Heart Beaded Bookmark GIVEAWAY!

My Creative Mommy is really growing, and to show my appreciation I'm going to give away today's absolutely beautiful Angel Heart Beaded Bookmark to one lucky My Creative Mommy follower! Here's how it works...

1. Become a follower of My Creative Mommy's blog by scrolling down the right side of this post until you see where it says "Join this site," then sign up to become a member/follower of my blog.
2. Leave me a comment letting me know you joined and that you're now a member/follower of My Creative Mommy's blog (and anything else you'd like to tell me).
3. If you are already a member/follower, just leave a comment.

It's that easy!

I will pick one winner at random Friday, September 21st 2012 at 9:00pm Eastern Standard Time (USA), and announce the winner in my blog post on Saturday, September 22nd 2012.

Materials for the Angel Heart Beaded Bookmark can be found at Fire Mountain Gems and Beads or eeBeads. Both have great websites and customer service.

Now let's get started making the Angel Heart Beaded Bookmark, here's what you'll need:

• Assorted beads and charms
• Crimp beads (3 by 2 millimeter)
• Basic jewelry tools - round nose pliers, wire nipper, crimping pliers
• Beading wire (I used Accu-flex 49)
• Metal shepherd's hook bookmark (around 5 inches)

Cut three strands of wire twice as long as your desired length. It is better to have too much wire and trim the excess, than to not have enough! The crimp bead is the tiny cylinder shaped bead in the middle of the wire in the picture below.

Next you will run each of the three strands of wire through the crimping bead. Then thread the three strands of wire through the hole in the shepherd's hook. Last, loop them around and back through the crimping bead.   You will now have a total of 6 strands of wire in that little crimping bead. When you're finished it should look something like the picture below. 

Holding the crimping bead and shorter strands of wire, tug on the longer strands, sliding the crimping bead closer to the shepherd's hook. You want it close, but not too snug - this will allow the beaded strands to dangle freely.

Take your crimping pliers and squeeze them closed over the crimping bead to lock the wire in place.

Then snip the ends of the shorter strands of wire with the wire nippers. Do not snip the wire flush with the crimping bead. Instead leave enough to tuck into the first bead or two so no sharp edges are exposed.

Time to let your creativity flow! Starting with your first strand of wire - lay out the beads on a pillow case or towel in an arrangement you like. The towel keeps the beads from rolling around.

Keep at it until you're happy with the way they look, then thread each bead on the wire. 

After your last bead, thread on one crimping bead. Then thread the wire through the loop on your charm and back up through your crimping bead, crimp and snip just like you did when you attached the wires to the shepherd's hook. 

Repeat the entire process of beading, crimping, and snipping with the other two strands of wire. You may want to vary the lengths of the wire for a different look. You can also just use one or two strands of wire for your bookmark.

Great job!
Your finished bookmark will be so beautiful you'll want to ditch that e-reader and pick up a nice leather bound classic!

Special thanks to my Mama for her technical expertise on this project, and for nurturing my creativity long before I even knew it was there : )

Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MyCreativeMommy and get regular updates by clicking the "Like" button while you're there.

Follow us on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/mycreativemommy

I want to offer many thanks to all my readers in 28 different countries - the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Malaysia, Italy, the Bahamas, the Philippines, Sweden, Egypt, Columbia, the Netherlands, Spain, the Sudan, Turkey, Mexico, Moldova, Denmark, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine and South Africa!
It is both humbling, and exciting to know people are actually reading what I'm writing, and hopefully trying out a few of the projects.

My goal is to take the whole world on a creative journey, one project at a time! Thanks for coming along.

Many Blessings,

Jana : )

Autumn Leaves Picture Frame

I love everything about Autumn. 

Autumn is my favorite season and if I could locate the land of eternal Autumn, I'd move there. I find the colors of Autumn beautiful and very comforting, and they show up all over my life. So naturally, I could hardly wait to start Autumn themed projects. 

Today's project uses an Arnold Grummer photo frame kit, and Autumn colored leaves made from handmade paper. Handmade paper has a wonderful texture and welcomes metallics and botanicals in the paper making process. The beauty and usefulness of handmade paper is only limited by your creativity.

Here's what you'll need to make the Autumn Leaves Picture Frame:

• 4 sheets of 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch handmade paper
• Arnold Grummer Photo Frame Kit
• Elmer's glue/glue stick
• Leaf or Autumn themed templates (cookie cutters work too)
• Scissor
• Pencil

Follow the directions on the Arnold Grummer Photo Frame Kit to cover and assemble the picture frame.

Then take the leaf templates and trace them on the wrong side of your sheets of handmade paper, then carefully cut the leaves out.

Now arrange the leaves attractively around the picture frame. This may take a few tries to get the look you want.

Once you are happy with the look of your frame you can glue the leaves to the picture frame. Leave it to dry over night. It wouldn't hurt to lay a piece of wax paper over the whole thing and then put a heavy book on top to add some pressure while the glue dries.

I have intentionally left the stand off the picture frame, and left the inside of the frame neutral, so you can see the face of the finished picture frame without distraction. 

Another great idea for an Autumn look would be apples, or pumpkins. I hope you liked this fun, and easy project and will try it out for yourself!

*Stay tuned for September 15th's blog post. One lucky reader will be able to win the project I make next Saturday in a special giveaway drawing! 

I enjoy interacting with my readers so feel free to leave comments or questions on my blog.
Be sure and share My Creative Mommy's blog posts with all your friends to help us grow, and please sign up as a member to follow my blog.

Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MyCreativeMommy and get regular updates by clicking the "Like" button while you're there.

Follow us on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/mycreativemommy

I want to offer many thanks to all my readers in 22 different countries - the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Malaysia, Italy, the Bahamas, the Philippines, Sweden, Egypt, Columbia, the Netherlands, Spain, the Sudan, Turkey, Mexico, Moldova, Denmark, and China!
It is both humbling, and exciting to know people are actually reading what I'm writing, and hopefully trying out a few of the projects.

My goal is to take the whole world on a creative journey, one project at a time! Thanks for coming along.

Many Blessings,

Jana : )

Homemade Dog Biscuits! What A Treat!

I have been following the pet industry market for years, and I continue to be amazed by its consistent, explosive growth. According to the American Pet Products Association, in 2012 it is estimated that $52.87 billion (yes, BILLION) will be spent on our pets in the United States. So if you just love your pet, or if you are looking for a great market to start selling handmade goods, today's project on how to make dog biscuits will be a good resource for you. 

This is our dog, and he is my inspiration for this blog post. He is such a good dog, he deserves tasty homemade treats. We adopted him from Garden State German Shepherd Rescue when he was just a puppy. If he didn't shed, he'd be downright perfect. This one's for you boy : )

 

Here's what you'll need to make homemade dog biscuits:

• A mixer. You could do it by hand though, if you don't have a mixer.
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup oatmeal, uncooked
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup chunky or creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (NOT baking soda)
• 1/2 cup water
• Dog-bone shaped cookie cutter, or other fun shapes your pup might like.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of flour with remaining ingredients until well blended. Then add in the last 1/2 cup of flour and mix together.

*Tip, when measuring the peanut butter, oil and honey, measure the oil first. Then after you pour the oil out, measure the peanut butter in the same measuring cup as the oil. Repeat with the honey. By measuring the oil first, the measuring cup is slippery and makes it easier to get the peanut butter and the honey out of the measuring cup.

 

 

Now that all the ingredients are blended together, with floured hands and a floured surface, knead the dough until the dough holds together well.

 



Roll out dough till it is about 1/4 inch thick. I use a rolling pin by Wilton, but in a pinch I've used a wine bottle to roll out dough!

Take your bone-shaped cookie cutter and cut out as many bones as possible. Reroll your scraps and cut out more bones till you're out of dough.

 

Carefully pick up the bone-shaped cutouts and place them on a large ungreased cookie sheet. You don't have to leave much space between them, they don't really spread out during baking. Bake for 20 minutes, turn off the oven and leave the cookie sheet in the oven for an hour or so - this will make them crunchier.

 

Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and remove the dog biscuits. Place on a wire rack till completely cool. Sometimes I just leave them on the cookie sheet for a few hours  - makes less dishes to clean up. When cool you can store your awesome dog biscuits in an airtight container, or freeze any you're not using right away.

This recipe was adapted from Good Housekeeping magazine and has been used by our family for over 15 years. It makes about 2 1/2 dozen dog biscuits. I usually double or even triple the recipe.

The oatmeal and the peanut butter give these dog biscuits a wonderful texture, and they smell so good while they're baking that your family will be asking to try them - and they can because they contain healthy, all natural ingredients suitable for people or pets!

 

 

I enjoy interacting with my readers so feel free to leave comments or questions on my blog.
Be sure and share My Creative Mommy's blog posts with all your friends to help us grow, and please sign up as a member to follow my blog.

Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MyCreativeMommy and get regular updates by clicking the "Like" button while you're there.

We're also on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/mycreativemommy

In the short time since I started My Creative Mommy, we have had over 1200 pageviews from 17 different countries. I want to offer many thanks to all my readers in the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Malaysia, Italy, the Bahamas, the Philippines, Sweden, Egypt, Columbia, the Netherlands, Spain and the Sudan! It is both humbling, and exciting to know people are actually reading what I'm writing, and hopefully trying out a few of the projects.

My goal is to take the whole world on a creative journey, one project at a time! Thanks for coming along.

Many Blessings,

Jana : )