Save money by making your own granola

Does your family love granola? Do you find it to be on the pricey side? Would you serve it more often if you could make your own? Well now you can! Here is a great recipe my sister Theresa gave me. You will love it.

• 1 box of oatmeal
• 1 C. nuts, use your favorite, pecans, almonds, or walnuts
• 1/2 C. sunflower seeds(raw)
• 1/2 C. piñon seeds(raw)
• 1/2 C. pumpkin seeds (raw)
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 2 Tsp. salt
• 1 C. good oil (olive, canola, or sunflower)
• 1 1/2-2 C. good raw honey

Mix together all dry ingredients, add oil and honey, mix together again. Oil a large cake pan or jelly roll pan. Put a shallow layer of granola into a well oiled pan. Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes or only until it turns golden in color. Let it cool and put it into a large bowl. Put some more into the pan and bake it again for about 20 minutes, keep doing this until it is all baked and cooled. Let it cool for at least an hour. Put it back into the oatmeal box, you will also need another container, and store in refrigerator. Make sure it has cooled to room temperature so it doesn't get sweaty in the container. To change the flavor, add your favorite dried fruit after it has cooled and before you store it (adding the dried fruit to the baking process does nothing for the fruit except dry it out more). Or simply add the fruit when served.

What to make with Rice

When you are raising a family, you try to make food that will go far. Many mouths to feed mean using foods that will make a meal, like rice, beans, pasta, etc. I have a few ideas on what you can do with rice.

My mother raised us on Spanish rice and sweet rice. I have already given you the recipe for Spanish rice.

Here is a recipe for sweet rice. Sweet rice is so easy to make. You just steam your rice.

• 2 Cups of rice to 4/12 C. water. Put the rice and water into a large pot. Bring it to a boil, as soon as it boils you turn the heat down to medium low and put a lid on it. Do not open the lid or check the rice for twenty minutes. It will be done then. When done add:

• 1 quart of milk and
• 1/2-1 C. sugar, or honey, or agave nectar
• 1/2 C. raisins
• sprinkle with cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla

My kids also grew up on sweet rice. They loved it. I still make it for myself once in awhile. It is also great to make if you have rice for dinner and have left overs. You can just add all of the above ingredients to taste. Make it the way you want to. I like to add walnuts to mine.

Rice can make any dish go farther. Just make plain rice and put butter on top and serve with fish, chicken, beef, oriental dishes, etc.

Chicken Adobo is a favorite of mine. It is made with Chicken, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and soy sauce, served with rice. Check back later for the recipe.

How to make refried beans

Clean and cook dry pinto beans according to directions on package. That means, put the beans on the kitchen table and sort the good ones into a large bowl, pot, or colander. The ones that look rotten and the thorns will all be separated, and thrown into the trash. Rinse the good ones in a colander and put to soak for at least one hour, preferably overnight, in warm to hot water. Dump the water out and rinse. Put them on the stove to cook for about 3-4 hours. Make sure they have plenty of water. Do not salt them until they are completely cooked. Which means soft to the teeth. To refry them you simply put 1/2 stick of butter in a frying pan and add some beans which have been removed from the pot with a large slotted spoon. (in other words less the liquid). Mash them with a potato masher. That's it. Easy huh? Serve with the green chile and rice, or make smothered burritos. You will need some flour tortillas. I get mine from "Tortilleria La Autentica" in Loveland, Colorado. Or I make my own. More about that later. Look for a "Tortilleria" in your neighborhood. It is a place tortillas are made, they are fresh and yummy!

How to make salsa

This is absolutely, hands down, one of the easiest and most tasty salsa recipes you'll ever make. It is made with:

• 2 cans Ro-Tel Original tomatoes
• 1 small onion
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro (rinsed, roots cut off)
• 1 fresh jalapeño pepper
• salt (to taste)
• garlic powder
• cumin

Put 1 can Ro-Tel in food processor with the onion, cut into quarters, and the jalapeño pepper, seeds removed. Pulse only until desired consistency is achieved. Empty into bowl. Put other can of Ro-Tel into food processor with bunch of cilantro, pulse only until desired consistency is achieved. Pour into bowl with previous mixture and stir them together. Season lightly with garlic powder, and cumin, and salt to taste. Get some yummy tortilla chips, or better yet fry up your own, made with corn tortillas cut into quarter sections, and fried with vegetable oil. That's it. Easy huh? This is considered hot! For a more mild version, try omitting the jalapeño pepper.

How to make Spanish rice

promised more recipes. So today you get Spanish rice. Here is your list of ingredients:

• 2 C. rice (I use Basmati for its nutritious value)
• 1/2 C. olive oil
• 1 small onion diced
• 4 C. water or broth
• 1 can tomato sauce
• salt to taste

Put olive oil in large pot turn on medium high heat. As soon as it has warmed add uncooked rice and diced onion. Stir the rice till it turns golden in color. Not brown just golden. Add water or broth and tomato sauce. Put the lid on and turn the heat down to low. Let cook for approximately 25 minutes or until rice is cooked and liquid has been absorbed. Season to taste. That is it. Goes great with the green chile recipe. This makes enough for a family, about eight servings or four and have left overs. Spanish rice warms very nicely in the microwave. If it is too much, cut the recipe in half.

How to make green chile

Do you love Mexican food? Have you ever wanted an easy recipe for green chile? Well now you have it. Tried and true over and over again, eaten by many, an easy recipe you can make! I will add Spanish rice, refried beans, and salsa over the next few days. So you will have a complete meal. First, ingredients:

• 1 pound pork.,diced
• 1 medium onion sliced fine
• 2 cans Ro-Tel tomatoes (Original Flavor, has green chilies already in it)
• 1 can of chicken broth (I use organic, or make my own)
• 1/3 C. flour
• 1 small can jalapeño peppers (only if you like it hot)
• garlic powder, cumin, sea salt (to taste)
• 2 or3 fresh roasted green chilies skinned and sliced when in season (usually in August) otherwise just omit.

Fry the pork in oil till done(about 1/4 C.oil). Add the sliced onions cook till translucent in color. Push the meat and onion to the side of the pan and add the flour and stir till golden in color. Add the broth, continue stirring with a spatula until it is gravy like in consistency. Add the Ro-Tel tomatoes continue stirring. If you like it hot then add the jalapeño peppers. Add the garlic powder and cumin and salt to taste, about a 1/2 tsp. of each, maybe a little more salt. Turn the temperature down and simmer for about 10 minutes. You can use this for smothered burritos, juevos rancheros, or on the side with rice and beans and tortillas.

Try it tonight! Let me know what you think. (This works well in a crock pot too, just fry the pork first and then dump all the ingredients in after.)

Online coupons

Most of the major chain stores offer online coupons that you can either upload to your card or print. This is a great way to get the coupons for the products you actually use. If you register with your favorite supermarket you can receive offers right to your email. This can save time and money. I shop at several different stores and can go to any of their websites to look for sales. For example Kingsoopers and Safeway both offer really great deals. You can view the weekly ads and or print out coupons. You can also be directed to other sources for coupons. But please search your favorite store online and see what they have to offer.

I love the fact that the stores I shop at all offer recipes. So if you need to you can even download and print the grocery list as in the case of Vitamin Cottage. How easy is that? If you are into health food both Vitamin Cottage and Wholefoods have great recipes you can access online. Below are a few of the webpages you can check out.

http://www.kingsoopers.com/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.safeway.com/IFL/Grocery/Print-Coupons#iframetop

http://www.coolsavings.com/foodgrocery.aspx?SessionID=f869e8cf-f6b9-49c5-83d5-d1241ef74be4-3