Merry Berry Christmas!

I have lived in my condo for a year and last year I didn't do anything for the neighbors at Christmas, because I didn't know anybody. Well, that has changed. I know quite a few neighbors now and you would be surprised what a freak carport accident will do to help you get to know your neighbors. They first wonder how the carport could fall down and smash your car, and then they come and admire the hot new sexy car later! Want to know the rest of the story? E-mail me.

I have always enjoyed treats at Christmas and so I wanted to make treats for my neighbors this year. I didn't want to do the typical cookies and brownies, though. I wanted to do something different. In the December\January 2010 edition of "Everyday With Rachael Ray" there was a recipe for granola -- a nut and fruit granola! So, I decided to make this. They officially call it Berry Christmas Granola. This recipe is very easy to make and tasty to!

My favorite part of this granola is the pistachio nuts! I love pistachios! I could eat a whole bag to myself without even thinking about it! There is also dried blueberries, dried cherries, sliced almonds, sesame seeds, rolled oats, butter and honey in this recipe. The oats, sesame seeds, and almonds are coated with the honey and butter and then gets baked for about a half hour. After it is baked and cooled you mix the oat mixture with the fruit and pistachios! Delicious! If you do buy pistachios still in their shells, do keep in mind you will be shelling for awhile and the salt on the nuts can dry out your hands, so I had to take a couple of breaks while shelling the nuts. Some stores sell shelled pistachios but they are typically more expensive than those in the shell.

I wanted to have a cute presentation for my granola and I wasn't sure what I would do initially. The magazine suggested using cellophane bags and tying them with some ribbon. I was going to do that as I was not getting any inspiration, but then I was perusing around the Dollar Spot at Target and saw them! Target had these cute Chinese take-out boxes with Christmas decor on them, so I bought some those! I put the granola in a sandwich bag and then put that inside the take-out boxes! I am now going to make a cute little tag to go with them and then I will be delivering them.

Neighbor Christmas gifts work well if you need to get to know your neighbors a little better. While I know my neighbors, I don't know know them. This will be the opportunity to formally introduce myself. This recipe also does have multiple people in mind, so it makes quite a bit! Happy munching!

Finished Granola in bag:















Granola in Chinese Take-Out Container:



Finished Gifts:

Please sir, I want some more.

About a week ago I stopped at McDonald's for breakfast. In an effort to eat more healthful I opted to order something different and not order my standard Sausage Egg McMuffin. I ordered the Yogurt Parfait instead. It cost only a dollar, so I thought it was a great deal. On both McDonald's website and their commercials, they make the parfait look like a significant size. HA! When they handed me this parfait, it was little puny thing with substandard frozen fruit and a little bit of granola! Maybe worth a dollar, but not my dollar!

I have found a much healthier and cheaper solution to this. I went to the grocery store and bought some Yoplait yogurts (Yoplait, in my opinion, is by far one of the best brands of yogurt out there). I bought some different flavors and then I went to the cereal isle and bought some granola. Don't ask me what brand I bought, because I don't know. I would suggest buying a brand of granola that has some substance to it. I am not very brand loyal when it comes to products like this. I buy what looks good and is usually the cheapest. So after I bought these, I opened my yogurt and mixed in some of the granola. Tasty! And much better than McDonald's and I got a lot more for a lot less than a dollar. I recommend pairing this homemade parfait with some fruit and maybe some cheese if you are looking for a meal. It makes a great breakfast! There are always coupons in the paper, online, and other places for the yogurt so when you have those, the meal gets cheaper! But I will leave those tips to the coupon experts.

So that is my vent for the day. Watch the blog for my blog on tonight's dinner. It is a Salmon and Leek Chowder. Not to sure about it. I have a hard time eating fish when it is something else, but I am confident it will turn out well.