Hydrate in Style!

"I've always thought of accessories as the exclamation point of a woman's outfit." —Michael Kors

Well sisters, let's not overlook accessorizing our water bottles!  I found these cute beaded stretchy rings at a little store in my village called Rusty Bugs and Roosters. They are meant to go around the top of a beer or wine bottle. When I saw them, I knew I needed them for my S'well water bottles. I drink more water than anyone I know, so I have a bottle for toting, and one for the car (which becomes a holy, blazing inferno in a TX summer).  Now I think my bottles look undressed without their necklaces.  If you don't live here, these would be so easy to make with some stretchy cord, and your choice of bling!

I'd Like to Introduce.......

....well, she doesn't really have a name.  But she's pretty hot (sometimes) and amazing! She's my vintage, harvest gold crockpot.  She's 44-years-old..been with me since the beginning of my cooking career.  We've been through a lot of meals together.  She's faithfully cooked up pot roasts, chicken, broths, soups, stews and beans.  She's worked full-days, while I was away working full days.  She's made my tribe happy to come home to a hot meal after a long day (especially me since I didn't have to cook after that long day!)  I appreciate this old friend.  I've brought her to school functions, and the first thing people do is kind of snicker at her "style".  But once I tell them how much experience she has, she gets appropriate respect!

Lately, it seems that she needs a little maintenance--(sisters, don't we all??) Her handle broke-I think an easy fix.  I'm going to make her handle something really special, maybe a little bling.  She's earned it!

My New Beach Hat

This summer I'm taking a beach vacay. My husband says that everything I do begins with an outfit-not entirely untrue!  So, I decided I needed a great beach hat and started looking. I found the perfect hat, but it was $450!  I decided I could make a similar DIY hat and got busy buying what I needed.

First, the hat. I found one that fit right at Academy for about $15. Then, Hobby Lobby had their trim 1/2 price, so I bought a roll of black sequins for 1.50, and a bottle of fabric glue. 

I wanted a great beach "saying" and my friend who does my nails chose this one. 

I just wrote the words in glue on the hat. Then started covering the glue with sequins. If I made a mistake, I quickly cleaned it up with water on a washcloth. Fabric glue dries clear, so you have to be patient. Simple as that - and my beach hat is ready to go. 

I Made Grain-Free Granola

I'm neither gluten-free nor grain-free, but when I'm paying attention I do like to limit grains in my diet.  I also love yogurt parfaits.  The ones that I buy are usually full of sugar, and I'm a fan of plain, unsweetened yogurt.  A few weeks ago, I picked up a small container of coconut, grain-free granola at my local natural market.  It was delicious, but very spendy! So, I decided to make my own, and it's almost perfect! 

Here's what you need:

Heated oven - 350 degrees; cookie sheet and Silpat or parchment

A little less than 1/4 C coconut oil

1/3 C honey

1 C of any mixture of nuts, seeds, dried fruit you like

1 C coconut (shredded)

Vanilla

Cinnamon

Here's how I did it:

Mix a little less than a 1/4 cup of coconut oil with about 1/3 cup of honey.  I buy honey at our local farmer's market, and you can get coconut oil anywhere-it's great for everything from cooking to slathering on your skin! 

Cook these for a bit in a small sauce pan until a little bubbly.

I added about a teaspoon of vanilla after cooking.

Then in a bowl mix a cup of whatever you choose from nuts, seeds, dried fruits, etc. I used raw almonds, and pumpkin seeds (because that's what I had!) that I buy from the bins in our local market.

 Also add a cup of shredded, unsweetened coconut. I also buy this at the local natural market. Once these are mixed, add the liquid, and you can also add some cinnamon at this point. 

Once it's mixed well, pour on to a cookie sheet covered with a Silpat, or parchment paper. 

Cook it until it's browned (maybe 15-20 minutes).  Let it cool, then break into pieces.  I did this process twice, because I wanted it more brown in the middle.  So I pulled off the browned pieces, and back in the oven it went.

It is really toasty, crunchy-chewy, and delicious!  I stored in in the fridge in an airtight glass container.

What I will do differently next time: I'll definitely use pecans as well as almonds and I may try NO oil since I've seen some recipes online with just the honey...maybe a little butter?? 

If you try it, be sure to let me know your results.