Gaucho Vest

Just in time for Fall 2012 I finally finished and am wearing my new Gaucho Vest knit in La Lana Wools plant dyed yarn.  This despite some major set backs delaying me by years.

I don't even want to tell you how long this project has been on the needles.  But I'll give you a few hints simply by way of reference to changes that have taken place since I first cast on. In America we have a new president in office who has served his term and is running for re-election; the shop where I bought the wool for this project has since closed it's doors (sniff sniff); and Simcha, our German Shepherd dog, wasn't even born yet, just to name a few things.  Any project that languishes that long on the needles tells you something very important and that is this was a nightmare knit.  It wasn't so much that the pattern was complicated to follow.  No, instead it was because I needed to modify the pattern to a more fitted style while maintaining the integrity of a complicated textured design.

I've found that most patterns are not designed to be fitted and you need to be prepared to make the effort to adjust the pattern to your fit.  If you don't do that you most likely will not enjoy wearing the finished project, as most women don't look good wearing a box shaped garment.  I think this is one reason knitting shawls is so popular with knitters because a shawl can be knit simply following the pattern with hardly any attention to gauge or sizing and you will still have a spectacular and wearable result.  But knitting a garment is more fraught with sizing risk and if you follow a pattern exactly as written you might end up with something fit only to wear in the private confines of your own home.

So rather than explain at length how I adjusted this vest pattern to my size (as it is highly unlikely anyone will ever knit this vest now that the yarn shop has closed and this unique yarn is no longer available), I'll instead share with you a knitting tip applicable to any fitted garment.

Knitting Tip to Achieving a Fitted Garment ~  With a long soak and a firm block most wool can be coaxed into a larger size (within reason) but no amount of water (tears) can make it smaller.  My point being that it is best to err on the side of knitting something a bit smaller than you think it should be and then use the finishing stage to achieve the exact fit you want.  Once you have cast off all pieces of knitting give them a long warm water soak (wash according to manufacture's instructions) and then wet block using pins to the exact finished measurement you want before sewing your garment together.  It's best to write out the finished measurements you want and have a tape measure and tons of straight pins handy for the wet block.  Do not remove pins until pieces are completely dry.

Particulars:  Gaucho Vest designed by Linda Romens; 3 skeins La Lana's Streakers and 4 yards La Lana's Lincoln thickspun; US 9 needles.  I had to modify the top half significantly to achieve a more fitted and shaped vest and blocked firmly to specific measurements.  It's a really lovely finished piece and I'm glad I made the effort to complete it. I added some ties inside so I can wear it closed in front if I wish to, but I actually prefer it open.  I really like this designer and have previously knit her Sea Foam Shawl and her "A very Nice Scarf" 

Thank you for the Memories Mr. Puffy ~

You might recognize the trim from this vest being modeled here by Mr. Puffy, who has since passed away.  I was going to write something funny that I'm sure would have made you laugh.  But instead I find myself sitting here staring at his picture and I just can't bring myself to write anything humorous.

Until next time be well and love well ~ and think of those things in your life where you might relish a sense of accomplishment by finishing what you have started.

The Mr. Puffy Tea Cozy

This is The Mr. Puffy Tea Cozy, which is a simple and fun tea cozy that I designed to celebrate the memory of our little beagle, Mr. Puffy, who passed away several months ago. He loved tea time and I think he would approve.



It was several seemingly unrelated events colliding that culminated in my writing The Mr. Puffy Tea Cozy pattern. First, I asked my Mom if she would like me to knit her some bed socks. She replied "No, dear. What I really would like is for you to knit me a tea cozy for my morning pot of tea." Apparently she missed the rhetorical nature of my question.



Next, I received in the mail a lovely "care package" from Tracy of Pink Purl who was concerned about me after I lost Mr. Puffy. In her package she sent some lushes yarn (*pink* of course) that she thought I might use to make an accessory. But this yarn was too special for just an accessory that would lie about rarely used. Instead it needed to be enjoyed and somehow remind me of Mr. Puffy. Let me think. Mr. Puffy and I always enjoyed our tea time together. Maybe it should be a tea cozy? Yes, that's it. A tea cozy.



And so it was. Need met inspiration, and The Mr. Puffy Tea Cozy positively flew off my needles.

I added the contrasting flowers to give the cozy a sense of whimsy and fun. That's really what I remember the most about Mr Puffy. How happy he was and the pleasure he took in the little treats in life such as his daily walks, naps, and our tea times.



Particulars: The Mr. Puffy Tea Cozy -  free pdf pattern download - designed by yours truly; US 8 needles (main body) US 4 needles (flower embellishment); two contrasting colored aran to worsted weight yarn and scrap yarn for the flower embellishment; blocked finished dimensions 8"(across the base) x 6" (high) and should fit most round three (3) cup (24 ounce) teapots. The pattern is easy to adjust for width and height to fit a larger or smaller round teapot. Pattern link: if you are a Ravelry user click here for free pdf pattern.  If you are not a Ravelry user you can either send me an email and I'll send you the pattern as a pdf attachment; I've explained the "Bramble Stitch" on the Ravelry pattern notes.

Mr. Puffy Tea Cozy Giveaway ~

Would like a Mr. Puffy Tea Cozy? The dark green one goes to my Mom (to match her boudoir) . The light blue/pink one goes to Tracy of Pink Purl along with a big hug and thank you! I'm keeping the dark blue/pink one for myself. That leaves the teal cozy (pictured below) for one of you! It will fit most round three (3) cup (24 ounces) teapots and is knit with a Shetland wool (base) and Malabrigo wool (top) so should keep your teapot warm and happy. If you would like this little tea cozy simply leave a comment on this post telling me what is your favorite tea to drink before I update next (generally I update every two weeks) at which time I'll randomly draw and announce a winner. Please feel free to enter even if you are outside the United States.



Until next time, be well and love well and ~ add a little whimsy to your life ~ with a Mr. Puffy Tea Cozy!

In Loving Memory

(photo: December 2009)

Mr. Puffy

1/17/1993-1/22/2010

It is with great sorrow that I let you know that Mr Puffy passed away last week. Steve has written the following tribute to Mr Puffy's memory that we have shared with family and friends and I am sharing with you.

Dear family and friends,

As you know, Mr. Puffy was on chemotherapy treatment as a result of his bladder cancer. His struggle ended last Thursday.

Puffy had a long and happy life until the very end. He was a source of joy to everyone he met.

There is much about Puffy that many of you don’t know.

Puffy was a rescue dog. He was unhappy in his early life and ran away from his first family in Indiana on a regular basis. He was shot by a farmer and had hundreds of pieces of buckshot in his body. Shortly after that we adopted him. We never knew about his injury until he had an x-ray that lit up with little luminescent areas from his head to his tail. We then called his first family and found out the whole story.

Puffy had an incredibly kind heart. Shortly after we got him he escaped from our housekeeper while we were at work. She chased after him, running through the woods until it became apparent that she couldn’t catch him (Puffy was fast). Out of desperation she lay down on the ground and started crying. Puffy heard her, stopped, came running back to her and licked her face. He was worried that she hurt herself.

Puffy had fans all over the world. As you know, he and Claudia shared a knitting blog and thousands of people enjoyed following his adventures and looking at the knitting. In just the single week from 1/21/2010 – 1/26/2010 he had multiple readers from the following countries visit his blog:

Brazil, Denmark, Poland, Netherlands, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lithuania, Latvia, Switzerland, Bulgaria, New Zealand, Turkey, Australia, Spain, Canada, Ukraine, Taiwan, Estonia, Kazan – Russian Federation, Slovakia, Nizhniy Novgorod – Russian Federation, Portugal, Italy, Finland, France, Norway, Kenya, Germany, Krasnodar – Russian Federation, England, India, Hungary, Romania, Moscow –Russian Federation, Romania, Iceland, Bosnia, Herzegovnia, Switzerland, Ireland, Indonesia, Croatia, Uruguay, and of course the United States.

He was also honored by the Orange County Register with a story and photos about two weeks before he died.

Sample quotes from his fans:

1/24/2010 from Katherine: Mr. Puffy is a hero in our house! We are praying that our Jack Russell Terrier Macy will get along as well for as long as he has! Go Puffy!

1/20/2010 from Michelle (Northernstar28): Hooray for Mr. Puffy! Man about town. Ever so newsworthy and ready to put a bright spot in everyone’s day. Thanks for sharing the story and recipe. Worldwide humanity rules.

1/11/2010 from Amanda: Mr. P. is looking happy and that makes everyone happy.

He got similar comments on a regular basis.

Puffy and Claudia enjoyed an English Tea every day from 1-2pm. Puffy waited for his little biscuits, enjoyed them and then lay down next to Claudia and watched BBC programs.

As Puffy’s veterinary office said, Puffy was a sweet, sweet boy who was loved by everyone he met. He is missed very much.

Steve and Claudia

Claudia's Postscript:

This blog was a journey that Mr Puffy and I began together and, at least for a time, I shall continue on in his honor. I think in my heart I'll always know what Mr Puffy would want to say.

Spend an Evening in Chile ~ Pollo Arvejado

Sharing and caring. Personal sacrifice. Kindness. Whether a tragedy on the magnitude of the Haitian earthquake or those smaller ones that take place in our own communities it is these attributes of the human spirit that bring people together.

I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again.

-- Stephen Grellet

Spend an Evening in Chile and enjoy Chilean Pollo Arvejado

January is universally a cold and blustery month and a good time to share recipes for warm and delicious meals that bring comfort to a winter night.

Years ago when Steve and I traveled through Chile we met a young woman who was working as a hospital resident in the port city of Antofagasta located in the remote Atacama Desert. It is an extremely poor city which exists mainly to support mining and industrial work. Those few consumer goods available have their prices displayed in "layaway" terms (i.e. the price broken into monthly payments) even for common items such as shoes and clothing. The purchases we made came without boxes. At least those were the conditions when we were there in the mid 1990s.

Steve, who was a practicing physician at the time, saw this as an opportunity to share how medicine is practiced in the United States with someone just beginning her medical career in a disadvantaged area. So we invited this young woman, Annie, to stay with us so that she could get experience in the US and qualify to take US medical exams, which she did.

This was a busy time in our lives and we all were going in different directions but I did manage to corner Annie and get a few recipes and learn a little about her life during the time she stayed with us!

Annie loved drinking merlot wine and as you might know Chilean wines are excellent. From her stay, to this day, I have a preference for merlot and enjoy it best the way she taught me. Cooking for Chileans is a social time in the kitchen and wine is sipped and enjoyed during the cooking process. The wine bottle is placed on the stove top so that it warms and releases its fragrance to mingle with the food being cooked. I'm not sure what a wine connoisseur would say about this, but for a merlot I find it works really well.


And this is one of Annie's recipes, Pollo Arvejado. In the past 15 years I've made this dish countless times and always enjoy it. I hope you will too.

Chilean Pollo Arvejado

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken cut into pieces (organic or kosher chickens have the best flavor)
1 yellow onion - diced
1 medium potato - diced (I like yukon gold potato in this dish)
small amount of grated carrot
peas

Steps:

1. Remove skin from chicken pieces and dry thoroughly. Rub kosher or sea salt over the chicken pieces and then coat in flour just before cooking.

2 Brown chicken pieces over a high heat in olive oil (Edit: use just a small amount of oil - approx. 2 tablespoons). When nicely browned, lower heat to simmer and add the diced onion, diced potato and grated carrot. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Cover and cook for approximately 1 hour, depending on size of chicken pieces.

3. Place on serving dish and add a few peas and garnish with parsley. Serving remaining peas as a side dish.

Enjoy!


Mr Puffy Update

We are just so tickled, Mr Puffy made the news! You can see Mr Puffy in the Orange County Register here.

Until next time, be well, love well, and share this warm and delicious meal with your loved ones!

He Said ~ She Said

I showed Steve a picture of this sweater pattern and said - see - isn't it beautiful! I'm going to knit it with this fluffy yarn.

He Said: I don't think you should knit that. I don't think it will look good.

She Said: Nothing (she's a smart lady) and knit it anyway. Because it would feel good.



Therein lies the differences between the sexes. Most men are visually oriented and most women are feelings oriented. Even if I ended up looking like I was wearing something that the cat spat up I would be happy lounging about the house in it. Paramount to me is how will it feel. Will I like putting it on? Will I feel like flouncing about the house it in? Yes yes yes!!! I love it. I even think it looks good, but then I'm bias.

Between you and me, Mr Puffy had told me in private that he thought it would both look good and feel good. Mr Puffy has such good instincts.



This is an extremely basic sweater design by Kim Hargreaves but she makes it special with two of what I think are her signature design features. Shaping and finishing detail. This sweater is designed to be form fitting with a relaxed yet elegant appearance. The elegance is achieved with the beautiful filigree neckline.



While it is a very basic knit, but there are several small things that I did to help the "finished" sweater have a polished look, rather than making me look like a purple polar bear. First, I ignored the advice to do a gentle steam block. Instead, I did a full wet block and while it was still wet I used my hands to press the fabric into a flat smooth surface. I did that several times during the course of the drying. I think this helped the fabric have a nice sheen, open the stitches, and lay flat. Second, once it was sewn together, I did a targeted steam block of the neckline to encourage it to lay flat rather than allowing the fabric to follow the natural roll of the stockinette.



It's a warm material (heavy gauge mohair/silk) however the open stitch work keeps it light and comfortable to wear. Even here in sunny Southern California.



Particulars: Calm; HEARTFELT The Dark House Collection by Kim Hargreaves; 5 skeins Rowan Kidsilk Aura; Needles: US 10; 10.5; & 11.


Mr Puffy Update

Mr Puffy is a miracle of modern medicine! He continues to bring joy and love into our lives. It's amazing how well he has responded to the chemo medication. I wanted to show you him running like the wind on the sand.... but it's hard to capture that.


I do better with still life.



I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday season and may I recommend Calm after the storm of activity. Whether your calm is a soft sweater or a nice cup of hot cocoa ~ enjoy. Until next time be well, love well, and happy knitting.

Twilight Inspired Mittens

Warm and stylish, these are my Twilight inspired mittens!



I know some of you are perplexed why I knit so many warm items when, after all, I live in sunny Southern California. But it does get cold here! Freezing cold (not literally of course) but pretty darn cold. And this Fall it has been particularly cool..... which is why I am so delighted to have my Twilight mittens!



Has anyone else had an unusually cool Fall? Now don't laugh at this. As I get ready for bed, I sometimes listen to Coast to Coast, a radio program that airs during the late hours. It discusses UFO sightings, conspiracy theories, ghost stories, and new scientific discoveries. It is all utter twaddle, of course. And yet. Around about midnight, when I'm very sleepy, it all starts to make sense. For example, could the diminishing solar flares be having a cooling impact on earth's temperature? Maybe. It is cooler this Fall, at least here in Southern California. Not that I don't find pollution plenty worrisome too, because I do. I'm just wondering if maybe there aren't additional and perhaps stronger factors having an impact on earth's temperature.



Whatever the reason, it is a cooler this Fall and I'm happy to have these cozy mittens! The pattern is Bella's Mittens and this pattern was inspired by the mittens worn by Bella in the movie Twilight. I have to confess, I have not read the book or seen the movie. But I am a huge fan of Subliminal Rabbit, the clever knitter who designed these mittens, so I had to have a pair. Plus, some of my favorite on-line knitters have knit these and it's fun when everyone is wearing the same hand knits! Check out Bella's Mittens knit by: The Yarniad; At Home Mommy Knits; SweetP Knits; and a whole collection at Bella's Mittens Flickr Group. For those of you who haven't the time to knit yourself a pair you can buy Bella's Mittens directly from Ruth Cross who sells the original Bella's Mittens (as seen in the movie) as well as a variety of other hand knits.



Particulars: Bella's Mittens ~ free pattern ~ courtesy of Subliminal Rabbit! This is a very easy to follow pattern and I can't say enough good things about it. It's fun to knit, well constructed, and in a snap you will have mittens sure to delight your Twilight fans! My only modification was to reduce the needle size from US 8 to US7 as I prefer mittens knit at a tight gauge. I also knit these on doubled pointed needles rather than magic loop as I tend to achieve a tighter knit on double pointed needles. This pattern is currently featured in a UK craft magazine and has spawned many accessory knits (hats and scarfs) which you can read more about here.



The yarn I used was a gift from DizzyDragonflies.etsy who is better known as Vicky at Knitting Dragonflies. I stranded the yarn with GGH's Soft-Kid to achieve gauge (soft-kid is a yarn similar to Rowan's Kidsilk Haze). Vicky's yarn is lovely and soft as well as beautiful, as she has a talent for color work. She calls this colorway Fall Foliage and she gave it to Mr Puffy and me to remind us of Fall in Indiana (which was our home for ten years). It is a very special gift and I'll treasure these mittens always. Thank you Vicki, and watch your mailbox as a little thank you is heading your way.



Mr Puffy Update:
Last week Mr Puffy and I had a nice restorative visit with my parents in Santa Barbara. We took long walks, relaxed in front of the fire, and drank endless cups of tea! Mr Puffy loves it when we visit because he is spoiled and he gets to wander freely in my mother's garden which is enclosed and safe to do so, unlike at home where he is always supervised and on a leash when outside. At times I don't think he wants to leave! I can't blame him, I'm never ready to leave either.



Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone and, until next time, be well, love well, and happy knitting! P.S. Next time I'm going to share a recipe for a traditional English Christmas Fruitcake to kick off the Christmas season and I'm really looking forward to seeing all of the holiday preparations taking place in blog land!

My Colonial Scarf

I love the Colonial period of United State's history. It was a time of great hardship but also a time of extraordinary events for our country. I also related to the puritan philosophy of that time and the simplicity of ideas and values. Or so it seems until you look closely. I suppose every generation faces their own troubles and political difficulties.



In any event, this simple scarf reminds me of Colonial America and I couldn't resist knitting it in time for Thanksgiving.


My interest in the colonial period was recently reinvigorated when I watched a couple of videos about that period. If you are interested in this period, you might also enjoy watching them. One was John Adams (an HBO miniseries) and other was a movie The Crossing about George Washington's surprise attack over the icy Delaware with the future of our country in the balance. Both were very strong men who knew a thing or two about facing opposition and difficult odds.

A blogging friend, Tracy of Pink Purl recently featured this post reviewing the book My Dearest Friend, Abigail and John Adams, which is a closer view of this extraordinary couple.

Particulars: Cinnamon Grace (free scarf pattern courtesy of Knitworks by Katie Harris); 3.5 skeins Blue Sky Alpacas - Melange; US 3 needles - circular 40 inch; modifications: none. The pattern states this should be 72 inches long. Mine is a 46 inch crescent shape. I washed but did not stretch or block this as I think some of the flounce might be lost if you do that. Or, perhaps mine turned out so much shorter than 72 inches cuz I was doing something wrong. Who knows. I am happy with the length, in any event.



Sorry for this short and rather disjunct post. I'm tired and feel as though I have worked a thousand hours these past few weeks. Wanted you to see my home office (in the upper corner of the above picture) where I unravel complex accounting frauds. I'm afraid I'm not very tidy, but I know where everything is. I'm currently in the middle of a large case that is in full swing with pretrial filings and discovery work.

But, since the holidays are coming whether we are ready or not, here's a nice recipe (picture from last year) that is a favorite of mine.

Holiday Salad Recipe ~ Mixed Greens with Oranges, Cranberries and Pecans

Keeping with a colonial theme, this is a rustic but tasty salad that compliments the flavors of the Fall harvest. It's a great dish to take along when meeting knitting friends for lunch or a large gathering of family. I mix the dressing ahead of time along with the pecans and then just pour it over the green salad just before serving. I hope that you will enjoy this salad as much as I do!


Ingredients:

6 Servings:

1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons orange juice
6 Tablespoons dried cranberries
3 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
6 cups mixed baby greens
3 oranges peeled and white pith removed, segmented
3/4 cup pecans, toasted

Directions:

1. Bring 1 cup orange juice to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Mix in dried cranberries. Let stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain well and discard soaking juice.

2. Toast pecans for approximately 10 minutes in a low oven. Set aside to cool.

2. Whisk oil, vinegar, orange peal and remaining 3 Tablespoons orange juice in small bowl to blend. Mix in cranberries. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper (can be prepared 1 day ahead). Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

3. Place greens in large bowl. Toss with 2/3 of dressing. Add the orange and pecans. Serve remaining dressing on the side.

Mr Puffy Update



Busy yes. But not too busy to buy Mr Puffy a pumpkin. He continues to do well and be cheerful, bless his little heart. Until next time, be well love well and celebrate togetherness this holiday season!

High Time to Learn Fair Isle!

I have procrastinated for far too long on learning to knit fair isle. The main reason being that this style of knitting appeared both complicated and the patterns seem largely outdated. Enter Alice Starmore's Hat Trick a trio of hat designs inspired from flowers in her garden. I fell in love with these hats the minute I saw them and knew that the time had finally arrived to learn to knit fair isle!

The beauty of learning a new technique on a hat is, well, because hats are small! That means sizing and shaping issues are minimal and the time commitment to finish is short. Which boils down to less risk of investing in an expensive project that you never finish because you find yourself bogged down with troubling sizing issues or complicated pattern instructions which invariably lead to a project that languishes for want of love and attention.



Even so, I didn't embark upon this venture lightly, or without advance preparation. I've had the book The Art of Fair Isle Knitting, History, Technique, Color & Patterns by Ann Feitelson for years, which I pulled out and reread in earnest. The best piece of advice I gleaned from this book was that if I did nothing else I needed to master carrying two colors of yarn simultaneously if I was ever going to enjoy knitting fair isle. While it's possible to knit with just one color yarn at a time and then drop and switch colors as needed, this will never allow you to develop a rhythm or uniform tension.

Several methods of carrying the yarn are described in the book, along with the strong advice to try them all before settling on one. I followed that advice and found that carrying both yarn strands in my right hand afforded me the most uniform tension. This also happens to be the most common Shetland method where, after all, they developed this style of knitting and should know a thing or two about how best to go about it.



Something to remember about fair isle knitting is that you only have two colors of yarn in any single row. That means you only carry two strands of yarn at any one time, which, with a little practice isn't all that hard to do. I know it looks complicated but the richness and complexity of the designs is achieved through the genius of mixing both graduating and contrasting colors all the while using just two colors at a time.

I'm running a little long in this post, but when I'm knitting my next hat from this kit (they are all different in both pattern and shape) I'll take pictures showing my hand position to give you an idea of what yarn position worked for me. Unfortunately I did not find any great videos out there to make this any clearer than the pictures I found in Ann Feitelson's book, or I would have linked to them for you.



In summary, I think we can all agree that this is a beautiful design. But it is supposedly inspired by the Hebe flower (picture of a Hebe flower is shown below). Do you see it? I don't know. It's a tough call. I think if you consider how well I captured the plant life in my brooch (immediately prior post) this is a real stretch. But, who am I to say. Alice Starmore is a legend.



Particulars: Hat Trick (Hebe) by Alice Starmore; available as a kit from Virtual Yarns; US 2 double pointed needles; my only modification was not to increase to US 3 needles after knitting the brim sticking with the US 2 needles. I did this because I thought some of the pictures of the hat looked on the large size. As it is, it's a snug fit on my 21" head but I suspect with a few wearings it will relax some.




Mr Puffy Update

I explained to Mr Puffy that now he's doing so well there's been enough lolling about. It was time for him to be productive and useful again. I told him "all your fans have missed seeing you model." When he heard this, he was then only too happy to oblige.



Something to Try this Fall: Homemade Granola

I love homemade granola and this time of year it's particularly nice to have some on hand. My current favorite is Coconut and Macadamia Granola recipe courtesy of Andon-Rein Inn. I generally find that Bed and Breakfast recipes are tried and true and this is no exception.

The only modification (really a substitution) is that I use plain whole wheat flour instead of "pastry" whole wheat flour. I also skip the coconut extract, simply because I don't have any on hand and never seem to remember to buy any. I'm pretty generous with the quantity of unsweetened coconut, which I love. It's hard to find unsweetened coconut flakes but you might find it in the organic food section.

There are a number of ways to enjoy granola. It's nice sprinkled over a dish of fresh fruit. It is also great mixed in with a box cereal (which is what my parents like to do) or you can crush it into small bits and mix it with cream cheese for a fancy bagel spread. Mostly, I just snack on it by the handful.

For a quick and easy alternative recipe, here's Mr Puffy's own recipe for homemade granola:

1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
3 cups slow cooking oats
Dried cranberries - roughly 1/2 cup (or to taste)
Chopped fresh pecans or almonds - roughly 2/3 cup (or to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Mix together maple syrup, canola oil and vanilla extract. Pour wet mix over oats and stir until oats are well covered.
3. Spread mixture evenly in a shallow roasting pan. Roast 15 minutes.
4. Remove mixture from oven and add chopped nuts. Continue roasting for another 30 minutes - turning once more after 15 minutes. Watch oats and nuts closely and reduce oven temperature if they are cooking too quickly. They should be a nice golden color - not brown - which means they have over cooked. All ovens are different and some are hotter than others.
5. Total cooking time is roughly 45 minutes. Final step is to add dried cranberries after fully cooked and mixture is removed from oven. Cool completely in pan and store in air-tight container.

Until next time, be well, love well, and try making your own homemade granola ~ I think you'll enjoy it!