Getting Outdoors ~ Crocheted Hand Towel ~ Granola Bars

Hubby and I got to work early yesterday.  He picked up a few truck loads of stone, and filled in holes in the driveway. 

Unfortunately, I found my one hen, had passed away yesterday night.  We didn't do a chicken autopsy, so I don't know what did her in, but she was walking around outside yesterday.  We opted to skip buying new layer chicks this year, but we may next year.

I took some time to take photos of the big barn.  I wanted to get it photographed, before we started tearing it down.  Actually it's already falling down in one corner (photo above). It's kind of sad, but we don't need a barn that big (right now), and to fix it up would cost a fortune.  I'm not saying we won't build a new barn some day, but this one just had it's time.  Nothing lasts forever.  We will recycle what we can from it too.

That's not all we did outdoors.  He was feeling so good, he offered to fire up the grill and grill out for dinner.  All the kids joined us on the porch for dinner.  They too, enjoy it.

We actually had breakfast, lunch and dinner on the front porch.  It was so nice to spend that time with Hubby.  The weather was perfect, despite lack of sunshine.

While he read a book, I crocheted my next hand towel.  I finished it too.  Hubby said, "How'd you do that!?" confused at how in the world I connected them all, ha ha!  He's so funny some times.  I did not have a pattern, I simply used the white to connect them.  Ideally, it would be best to sew the squares together, but since I was using a thinner cotton yarn, I crocheted them together.  I found a cone of mauve in my yarn stash.  The yarn I'm using is no longer made.  I must have purchased when a store closed.

I had a busy day in the kitchen yesterday too.  I made a new granola bar recipe, some triple "C" cashews (will have a photo tomorrow), fixed up some "camper potatoes" for Hubby to grill, and then some much requested whiskey butterscotch sauce.  

Mom emailed me a "no bake" granola recipe to try.  It calls for Rice Krispie cereal.  You know, I won't eat regular cereal, so I went in search for a non-gmo verified cereal.

I found this organic/non-gmo chocolate crisp cereal.  I used it, along with organic ingredients, and homemade vanilla, to make this recipe:

PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA BARS

3 cups oats
1 cup chopped nuts (almonds or walnuts)
1 cup Rice Krispies
1/2 cup dried fruit (cranberries work well)
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Stir together oats, nuts, Rice Krispies and dried fruit and set
aside. In a sauce pan, combine honey and sugar and bring to a boil.
Boil one minute and take off heat.

Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Add to oat mixture.
Stir to coat.

Add chocolate chips and stir. Press into 9x13 dish.

White chocolate chips and macadamia nuts may be substituted, crunchy
peanut butter or any seed such as sunflower.

Now I really do need to restock my honey supply. 

 The sunset last night was gorgeous.  Later there was a deep red at the base of the trees.