Granola

Home for the week. I always forget how much I love Arkansas this time of year. The honeysuckle is in full bloom and the humidity forces every ounce of fragrance out of the sweet blossoms. The sunsets are an exaggerated explosion of orange and red. Incredible.
Finals week finally surrendered it's fury and I still have a fair amount of sanity left to my name. Looks like it's a four 'A's and one 'B' semester - I'm psyched! It was a lot homework and late nights but it's paid off.
On Sunday (15th) I'm headed back to school to begin my sprint though the summer. I'll be working 13 straight weeks of 40-hours each back at CofO. This fact I've been avoiding and dreading for the entire semester. While it will pay for my entire school year's room and board fees, I'm still wishing for Barakel to somehow magically include itself in these plans. I've worked there every summer since my freshman year of high school. It feels like the end of an important phase of my life that I just don't want to end. Who knows, maybe, and hopefully, God will lead me back there sometime in the future to work at the position I've always wanted - ES Programming. He's orchestrated my acceptance into CofO's summer work program, I'm just praying for a peace contentment that Missouri is where He wants me for Summer 2011. I WILL be working in the Bakery in the lodge though - SO awesome :)

For about an entire month I've been craving 4 specific items. Peanut Butter. Strawberry Jam. Breakfast Casserole. And Barakel's homemade granola. Not sure why, but it's only been these four things. I'm crazy I guess ... no, I know I'm insane. The PB and jam were easily remedied. When I got home on Saturday I was dead set on making Breakfast Casserole for dinner some night. I found a delicious recipe for Strata (casserole with cubed French Bread, eggs, cheese, etc) and modified it to deliciousness. I used about half the called for French Bread and added sauteed green peppers and sweet onions. Eggs, bacon, milk, cheese ... let it all drench the French Bread overnight and the next day it's heaven. YUM.
And the granola ... yes, a minor obsession of mine. Quaker just doesn't compare with the homemade edible gold they make at Camp. So - where better to find the recipe then the Barakel cookbook itself. Basically the only addition I made was about 3/4 tsp of ground cinnamon. My house now smells like honey and cinnamon have taken aromatic form just to delight my sense of smell. I just tried it - ahh .... it's been too long my delicious granola. Crunchy, crispy and sweet. Tasty.

Thanks for reading! Bye friends :)