Vanilla Scented Granola

I am making this right now and it smells awesome!  I have never made homemade granola before and it looks so simple to make so I figured, what the hey, lets make some!  I got this recipe from food.com but of course I can't leave anything alone and changed it up a bit, my changes are in red.

Vanilla Scented Granola

vegetable oil cooking spray
4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds (or 1 cup chopped walnuts, cause that's what I had in the pantry! :) ) 
1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey (realized I was out of honey so I subbed pancake syrup instead)
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract (or "some".  I NEVER measure vanilla unless I'm making a white frosting)
 
Position rack to middle of oven and preheat to 300*.
Lightly spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Mix next 5 ingredients in large bowl.
combine oil, honey and sugar in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat.
Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
Pour hot liquid over oat mixture; stir well.
Using hands, toss mixture until thoroughly mixed.
Spread granola on prepared baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionaly, about 30 minutes (but check after 20).
Transfer sheet to rack; cool granola completely.

If you like it chunky like we do to have cereal or just a good handful, then don't stir during cooking time.

Trying this blogging thing again

Hello people!  I used to blog a long time ago but haven't since, don't ask why.  LOL  But I figured it is about time to start doing it again.....

This blog will be about all sorts of things.  I am an Independent Fundamental Baptist and married to an IFB preacher.  So there will be things posted here about our faith, what we believe and of course all of the wonderful blessings God delivers to us and those we love!

I also LOVE to cook so this will be a place to post some of our favorite recipes.  My family started having me make my own cookbook.  I will make something for dinner (or whatever meal it is) that they just fall in love with and immediately they will say (this goes in the book!) and it goes into a folder to make into a book one day.  So I figure, why not post them here to so all of the interwebs can see them to!?!?!

My other hobby is couponing!!!!  I used to coupon a long time ago and then quit when our kids were born.  I have recently gotten back into it and am loving it all over again!  I have saved so much money and am having a blast doing so.  I am creating a great stockpile and in the future I want to start a food bank for the needy in our community.  We live in Galveston Texas (where the Lord led us to start our church) and well it is on the coast, therefore we do get hurricanes from time to time.  Hurricane Ike in September 2008 was a catastrophic storm to this area and there are still lots of people hurting from it.  I figure if there is anything at all we can do to help people after these storms, then that is exactly what the Lord would have us to do!  So that all falls into the food bank idea.  So I pray that we are able to do that in the near future so we can help even more people.

Okay well I guess that is enough for now.  I have no idea how often I will post, but we shall see!  :-)