Homemade Granola

Granola is expensive for what it is.  My mom and sister-in-law both gave it out as gifts this Christmas.  So I decided to make my own, I must say I am a good cook.  I can follow recipes and if I don't things more often than not turn out fine.  My granola did not turn out okay.  It tastes a little like the burnt insides of an oven.  I used a recipe from Sharing the Table at Garland's Lodge (it was not the cookbook's fault), maybe it was the peanut butter mixture was cooked too long, maybe it was using a new oven, maybe granola is not my thing.  I will try granola again, I will try to get it right.  Now what can I do with 10 cups of slightly burnt tasting granola?

Restaurant: Nuevo Laredo Cantina

New to Atlanta and with a craving for Mexican food, we headed to Nuevo Laredo Cantina for dinner.  It was a weekday night.  We missed our turn and ended up in a very nice area of Atlanta before getting back on track and wondering if we had made another wrong turn this time to a very not nice area of town.  Its dark, there are warehouses everywhere, no one is out, and then we turned the corner and there was Nuevo Laredo surrounded by about 50 cars, the restaurant was packed.  Food was delicious, I had mole vegetable enchiladas, they make it in house.  Some of the best mole I have ever had.  Salsa could use improvement,  the red salsa was too mild and the green salsa was too chunky, but the entrees were just right.  And while I don't drink tequila, those who do will probably only need one margarita at NLC, they are about the size of a fishbowl.  We will be back very soon.


Golden Stars: 4 of 5 

Oh Lordy

I bought a rosewood sofa on craigslist a few weeks ago.  It had been purchased in the early seventies for over $5000, so I was told.  It has no cushions, had been sitting outside for months turning gray.  The veneer is peeling.  The springs, however are in great condition.  The frame is solid, near impossible for two people to move easily.  My plan is this, once it gets warmer, I will glue the veneer down as much as possible.  I will sand the wood as gently as I can.  Put a little Wipe-on Poly to refresh the wood finish.  If this doesn't work, it is getting a good coating of spray paint.  Then I have to work on the reupholstery...  And this is what it is supposed to look like. PS- while I have no proof, I think this might be a Milo Baughman sofa.  

Time to Prune Your Roses

Today, I had my most gracious neighbor and master gardener, come to my house to show me how to prune the over grown roses in the backyard.  We rent, so while the yard is mowed and the leaves are blown, the trees and bushes have not been regularly tended to.  January is the time to prune, when the littlest buds are showing on the branches.  She showed me where to prune (about a third of the way down) and what to look for when branches start (grow out, not in).  Essentially we cut everything off, so the poor thing looks pretty sad, but I have been told that if you mix 10-5-5 fertilizer and some epson salt into the soil for the roses they will love me come spring.  I am excited to see what color the roses turn out to be!

She also told me that I have parasitic vines (like ivy) that I need to take care of and there are several hydrangeas plants.  I am looking forward to getting down to work.  Who knows maybe my gardening dreams will only last a weekend.  I already have scratches all over my hands from the thorns.