New Recipe: Granola Bars

On Monday, Deb over at Smitten Kitchen posted a granola bar recipe, so what do I do? Immediately go to the kitchen and try it.


The recipe calls for quick oats - I do not have quick oats. I have the more coarse old-fashioned oats. She suggests using a food processor to pulse the oats to make them smaller, but I don't have one. I tried my tiny single-serving blender, which didn't really cut it. So, my granola bars ended up much chunkier than Deb's.



I added dried cranberries, mini-chocolate chips, and walnuts AND they are delicious! I think they're a bit dry, probably because I also didn't have corn syrup on hand. With all of the above in mind, I highly recommend the recipe. The man approves too. ;-)

Happy ValeMtiMes Day!!

Dave and I have this silly thing where Valentine's Day doesn't exist. But Valemmmtimmmes Day is well worth celebrating. This year I made him a corny Valemtime.

Can't wait until Valemtime's Day #3 next year!!

Blizzard 2010: Fort Making and The Meltdown.

Melting a bit in preparation for another 10 inches tomorrow. Is this really the Virginia I grew up in??

Blizzard 2010: Over?

It's all very pretty. I love how this light post looks like a proper lady with a bonnet to me. Anyone else see it?

Blizzard 2010: Watching.

Marina watching me shovel from inside. I've done my fair share of watching too...

Blizzard 2010: Shovelling!

About the 4th time shovelling - trying to stay on top of it.

Blizzard 2010: Still Snowing

21 inches as of 8am this morning and it's still coming down steadily...

Trying a New Fruit: Red Pummelo

My roommates and I tried this fruit recently. It's a beautiful fruit that tastes a lot like a grape fruit. A little tricky to eat because the sections are separated similarly to any other citrus, but we found the dividing membranes to be much tougher to get through.

Decorations: February Hearts

Today my clinical instructor at my pediatric rotation said that I am finding my inner kid more and more each week. Then I come home and spend time cutting hearts out of felt to make February decorations. After December's coloring pages, I think I'm on a roll for having an under age appropriate taste in room decorations.

After a little thought, I've decided that I like the decorations, and I'll consider the comment from my CI high praise.

Reading: Unwinding at the End of the Day

At the end of the day, I often read by candle light. I find that the soft light is a nice transition at the end of the day. I reminisce on times when the flame was the only source of light at night. It tends to slow my pace. Quiet my mind. Lull me to sleep.

Growing Things: Amaryllis Blossom

My roommate gave me an amaryllis for Christmas. I planted it around the first of January, and it has been growing fervently on top of my bookshelf quite unaware of the cold, snowy weather outdoors. Yesterday it sleeted, and my plant blossomed.

Holiday Wrap Up: Advent Coloring

I haven't posted in a long time, but I couldn't let the holiday season slip away without saying thank you to Elsie Marley of http://www.elsiemarley.com/. She posted a coloring page PDF for each day of advent in December. So, with my studies and preparation for my BIG graduate program comprehensive exam, I looked forward to coloring a page each day! Go here to see other pages people colored.




I think the stockings were my favorite to color.



Hopefully, you can look forward to more consistent posting in the future!