Pumpkin Granola

Super easy and surprisingly healthy...  By using unsweetened applesauce and pumpkin puree you cut down on the amount of oil and sugar usually used in making granola.

Here's the link for the original recipe :)

What you'll need:

6 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or any other kind of grain flour)
1/2 cup corn meal (or other grain flour)
1/2 cup coconut
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1-15 oz can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 350˚F and in a large bowl combine the oats, flour, cornmeal, coconut and spices.

In a smaller bowl combine the pumpkin puree, applesauce and brown sugar.

Add the pumpkin mix to the dry ingredients and mix very well.

Place the granola in a non-stick 9x13 pan and cook for 50-60 minutes, stirring every 15-20 minutes, or until it reaches your desired doneness.

Between my 2nd and 3rd 20 minute mark I turned the granola out onto a larger flat pan and placed it in for 20 more minutes (to make baking time 60 minutes).  This helped release some of the moisture and dry out the granola.

Now just enjoy some on your morning cereal or with some yogurt!  Yumm!

Fee Fi Fo Hum-mus

Seriously don't want to toot my own horn, but dammit I made some good hummus!  Of course I got the recipe from Pinterest which then linked me to this site.  I also didn't want to take the time or spend the money to buy tahini paste so I made my own that I found on this site when I googled it.

You won't need much for ingredients


1-14oz can chickpeas (drained, reserving the canning liquid in a small bowl)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 Tbsp tahini

To make your tahini (I just made enough to use in my hummus) I used 1/4 cup hulled sesame seeds and  some olive oil.

Lay your sesame seeds out on a baking sheet in a thin layer and bake at 350˚F moving them around with a spatula periodically until golden, but don't allow them to get too brown!

Move the seeds to a food processor and start to whirl those babies around.  Begin to add the olive oil down the spout thingy of the processor.  Continue to whirl a few minutes and add enough olive oil so that your tahini is smooth, but not runny.

Place your chickpeas, 3 tablespoons of the canning liquid, the lemon juice and garlic into a food processor.  Whirl it around for a few minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides.  Add the tahini and keep whizzing around until everything is nice and smooth.

Taste your hummus and season it with salt and pepper (I didn't use pepper) and more lemon juice if necessary.

I love these pretzel crackers with hummus!  MMM-MMMMM!!!!

Keep refrigerated!