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Scallop & Calamari Salad with Pistachio Gremolata

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I’m home, back to blogging after a really relaxing week at a cabin with friends.  We sat around a roaring fire, played games, read, took walks, and ate.  Oh boy, did we eat.

There was Bo Ssam, Pot-au-Feu, Raclette, lamb shanks, duck legs…

…waffles with bacon, french toast with sausage, nutella-filled crepes.

Also, that little holiday known as Thanksgiving fell smack in the middle.  Pies, turkey with gravy, maple-glazed yams, sage stuffing, potato casserole.

It was a week of delicious eating in a beautiful setting with good company.

There’s only one problem.  Matt’s birthday happened to be on our first day back home and the only way I know to celebrate and show people I care is with food.  Normally, we’d go out or I’d cook an elaborate meal and spring for something manly like a big steak or rack of lamb.

Not an option this year.

So what was I to make, coming off this week of gluttonous eating?

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Strawberryplum Celebrates + Top 10 Lessons Learned in my 1st Month of Blogging

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Thanks for stopping by to help celebrate strawberryplum’s 1 month anniversary!  I know a month is not long in the world of food blogging but in just a month I’ve learned an awful lot and I am anxious to continue sharing my cooking adventures and recipes.  That’s worthy of a little celebration, wouldn’t you say?

Here’s a run-down of the top 10 most valuable lessons I’ve learned while blogging.

+ How to upload pictures without breaking the computer (Sorry, sweetie, I swear those days are behind us)

+ How to spell carAmelize (So tempting to leave out that second a)

+ What on earth a widget is (They’re these handy little apps you download to help organize the blog and hopefully make it easier for you to navigate)

+ That you really shouldn’t try to take pictures of food if you don’t have much time (Sorry again, sweetheart.  Have I told you how nice you look today?)

+ Blogging about cooking and eating takes waaaaaay more time than the actual cooking and eating

+ “Just Enough” is not a real measurement and people will never bother with my recipes if I continuously call for pinches, bits, glugs, and splashes

+ How to turn certain phrases into links to lead readers around my blog and beyond

+ Writing can be really fun when you aren’t doing it for a professor or boss

+ Writing can be really difficult sometimes (Like when you’re a career server and haven’t written more than a casual email in the five years since you’ve been out of school…)

+ Family, friends, and Internet acquaintances are more encouraging and supportive than I ever thought possible (Thanks for the comments- I love reading them and knowing you’re out there!)

That’s enough to celebrate.  I’ll grab the bubbly.  Thanks for being here, for your advice, your encouragement.  Here’s to 1 month and to many more.  See you soon!

 

Spiced Maple Molasses Granola

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I was so excited to tell you about my latest take on homemade granola that I did something stupid.

Really, really stupid.  Still feeling bad days later kind of stupid.

I dropped the camera.  And not just any camera.  The really nice dslr camera Matt and I bought together that I was afraid to touch for the first month.  The camera that has safely been up and down mountains, on sea-faring boats, and through crowds of thieves.

The camera could get through all that but couldn’t make it through my first week as a food blogger.  See there probably isn’t a camera in the world that is a perfect match for a girl who is flailing about the kitchen, five minutes before she needs to run out the door, trying to get the perfect shot of a bowl of granola so she can write another post when she gets home from work at midnight.

So the camera fell.  And the lens is hurtin’.  And I feel dumb, but my tragic story should not stop you from making this tasty granola.  It’s actually super easy and as long as you aren’t trying to take a perfectly “pin”-able photo while sprinting out the door, nothing bad will happen.  And should something bad happen, at least your house will smell of warm baking spices for days and you’ll have an abundance of yummy spiced granola to help comfort you.

Okay…gather your goods.

Oatmeal, coconut, almonds.  You could use pecans but almonds have more crunch.  Golden raisins, candied ginger, dried apricots.  Molasses, maple syrup, butter, oil.  Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, clove.  Anything else you might put in your favorite spiced molasses cookies.

Melt the butter, oil, syrup, and molasses.

Add your spices, nuts, coconut, and oats.  Admire the many shades of brown as you stir to combine.

Now it’s time to get toasty.

Golden and toasty, take it out of the oven and let it cool on a rack.  Get your dog out of the kitchen.  Get yourself out of the kitchen.  Go for a walk- it’ll make you feel better about all the granola you’re about to consume.

Welcome back.  Add your dried fruit, candied ginger, and…

…that’s it.  You’re done. Wasn’t that easy?  You never have to spend $6 on 4 ounces of artisanal granola again!  Put it in some mason jars.  Keep the big one for yourself.  Give the pint jars to friends.  Bake some apples and sprinkle granola on top.  Add a dollop of yogurt, call it breakfast; add a scoop of cinnamon ice cream and call it dessert.

And don’t worry too much about me and my camera issues.  Thankfully I have a boyfriend who accepts me for the clumsy, spastic klutz that I am and insisted we spring for the diamond warranty.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Spiced Maple Molasses Granola
 
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This granola is easily customized with whatever dried fruits and nuts you like and makes a very nice home-made gift.
Author:
Serves: yields 7 cups
Ingredients
  • 4 c. Old-Fashioned Oats
  • 1 c. Whole Almonds
  • ½ c. Coconut
  • ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. Ground Ginger
  • ½ tsp. Cardamom
  • ½ tsp. Ground Cloves
  • ½ tsp. Nutmeg
  • ¼ c. Maple Syrup
  • ¼ c. Molasses
  • ¼ c. Olive Oil (or Vegetable Oil)
  • 2 T. Butter
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • ½ c. Golden Raisins
  • ½ c. Dried Apricots, chopped
  • ½ c. Candied Ginger, slivered
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Combine oats, coconut, almonds, salt, and spices.
  3. Melt butter with oil, maple syrup, and molasses. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
  4. Add dry ingredients to butter and syrup mixture. Stir until oats and nuts are well-coated.
  5. Spread mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until golden and toasty, about 30 minutes. Watch carefully and stir several times while baking to prevent burning.
  6. Allow granola to cool on baking rack.
  7. When granola has cooled completely, add dried fruit and candied ginger. Store in airtight container.