Granola Recipe

I have been super busy since we returned from the family reunion. Monday will be m 12th day of work at my new job. I LOVE my new job, but I am still at that stressful stage. I am still trying to learn everything and figure out all my responsibilities; but I love that I am back in the classroom again. In my classroom I have two other teachers. They have been extremely helpful and I look forward to working with them throughout the year. I have five students and they are all so different from each other, almost polar opposites; but each one is fun and challenging. I have learned so much during my first few weeks on the job. I have studied Autism and Asperger's for several years, but I have learned more in the last few days then all my years combine in school. There are so many student's I have already bonded and feel in love with. I hope I can figure out all of my paperwork responsibilities and other duties quickly so I can focus more on the kids and less on the paperwork.

As I have been so wrapped up in my new job, I have forgotten about posting the homemade granola I made at the Calley Family Reunion. My family loved it and wanted the recipe so I told them I would post in on our blog. So family it is so late! This is an AWESOME healthy granola recipe, but I can't take full credit for it. This is a recipe that I have adopted from a dear friend of mine. She is an amazing woman and I look up to her in so many ways. I still watch her kids from time to time when her and her husband go on long trips out of town. She just had her 5th child this month! If you love to eat granola or make parfaits for breakfast you should give this recipe a try.

In an extremely large bowl, combine together:

10 cups whole oats (not quick)

6 cups nuts, seeds (almonds, pecans, sunflower, pumpkin, flax, millet, bran flakes, wheat germ, etc.) Whatever of each- equaling 6 cups.

3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

In big microwave safe bowl mix together:

2 c. brown sugar

1 c. honey- or agave nectar

1/2 c. water

Microwave on high for five minutes. It will become liquid Carmel. Watch- cause it will bubble. Remove from microwave

add:

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons vanilla

stir together and poor over oat mixture . Stir to coat. Spread granola evenly in a single layer in 3 cookie sheets. I line it with tinfoil- (a lot less mess.)

Bake 275 for 20 minutes (on all 3 racks) then rotate, and bake another 20min.

When cooled store in ziplock bags. I will also sometimes sprinkle it with cinnamon.

The recipe calls for am extremely large bowl. If you are like me and do not own an 'extremely large' bowl you can use what I use. I used a big saucer snow sled for my bowl. Don't worry I washed the sled before I used it. It worked great. (I didn't tell my family that I used a sled to mix everything together until after they had eaten it. That didn't stop them, most of them went back for seconds).

Calley Reunion Family Photos

The Calley Family
(Minus Dave's Family and Jordan)

Calley Family Reunion in Minnesota

This was the 3rd Calley family reunion I attended and I enjoyed it just as much as the others. We drove the 14 hours to Prior Lake where we met up with almost all the family (Dave and his family were unable to attend and were truly missed. Jordan who is serving a full time mission in Mexico was also missed). Then we all drove to Two Harbors where we enjoyed three days near Lake Superior. I couldn't believe how big Lake Superior was; it looked more like an ocean than a lake. The water was freezing, but that didn't keep most of the boys (old and young) from running into it. When you get the Calley brothers together there is never a dull moment. All they need is a ball, a rock, or a freezing lake and WA-LAH, they will be entertained for hours.


During our three days near Lake Superior we swam, canoed, roasted marshmallows over a fire, crashed a wedding, raced down an alpine slide, took a short detour to see a 'huge' lighthouse (Jon called it a light bulb), played the Calley annual softball game, ate tons of food, played games, hardly slept, and laughed.

After three days of nonstop fun we continued our adventure to downtown Minneapolis where we stayed at the Marriott and caught up on some much needed sleep. Several of us got up early and ran the Firecracker (some did 2 miles while others did a 10K). Steve and I got a private tour of Target Headquarters. I was amazed at how big it was. Target takes over three skyscrapers. It was fun to get to see the ins and outs of it. Thanks Alvin for the 10 cent tour!!! Then we all went to Target Field where we cheered on the Twins who conquered the Rays. We finished the day enjoying fireworks and getting our last minute Minnesota souvenirs (bug bites).


Here are a few highlights from our trip:

• Grandma getting hit by the ball during the Softball game

• Everyone's new and totally 'workable' inventions

• Steve clogging the toilet at the hotel...no surprise there.

• The surprise that Steve was the ONLY ONE who did clog the toilet.

• Being the only ones in Mall of America (we didn't know it would close early... it made it the cheapest trip to the mall ever!)
  

• Danny using a gallon ice cream container as a softball mitt

• Walking through a wedding in our casual camp clothes. Everyone was dressed up and enjoying the beautiful reception and we just waltzed right on through. Don't we have class?

• Eating watermelon for every meal and Josh's spaghetti dinner that kept on giving.
  

• Searching for hitchhiker leeches that might have attached during our hike and swimming up the waterfall.


• Grandma and Grandpa going down the alpine slide

• Jon's unique sense of 'fashion'

• Passing little miss Ellie around. I don't think she was ever not being held; no one can say she isn't loved.

• 16 of us going golfing with only 4 sets of golf clubs

• The dramatic temperature change. Only driving 4 miles and the temperature would drop or rise 20 degrees. It was crazy.

• Bug bites...need I say more?

• Getting slap happy during our late night card games.
  

• Darren's ability to get the family organized and motivated!

• Heather's unchallenged Perpetual Commotion victory title
  

• Stacey and Alvin's dead car battery (can't be a complete trip without at least one car problem)

• The boys and brothers running into freezing Lake Superior and screaming (did I mention they were right next to an outdoor wedding)

• Jon falling into the lake and ruining his iPhone while trying to save a baby fish. (I don't even know what happened to the fish?)