Great granola

I made a huge batch of granola last week, after my youngest son saw a similar recipe on television and was intrigued. I loved the idea because you can control sugar and fat in homemade granola, a product that is notoriously high in both in store-bought versions. And it made the house smell like childhood! The aroma was a cross between oatmeal cookies and pecan pie -- yum!

What you'll need:

3 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup of nuts (I used a combination of pecans and sliced almonds)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2-3 tablespoons of honey
1/2 cup of raisins

I had my best helper on hand for mixing and stirring.

Blend all the ingredients in a large bowl, except for the raisins.

Use two sheet pans and spray them lightly with non-stick spray. Divide the granola between the pans and bake for an hour to 75 minutes at 300 degrees. Stir every 15 minutes. (Yes, like making Chex Mix!)

Here's what it looks like after baking...

Let the granola cool completely, then add the raisins.

This recipe makes about 5 cups of granola, or about 10 half-cup servings. Miles enjoyed this with milk, but it could also be added to fruit or yogurt. Adjust the ingredients to your liking -- you could add dates, currants, white raisins or other ingredients. Enjoy!

I want 'everything' on my bagel

Bagels make me happy, but everything bagels make me exceptionally happy. When I worked as the opinion page editor at the Bristol Herald Courier, I wrote a Thanksgiving editorial (2009) listing some of the great things in Bristol. Mentioned then was the Manna Bagel Co., in Bristol Tenn., and its everything bagel.

I stopped in the shop this morning and bought a baker's dozen -- strawberry swirl, blueberry, plain and my favorite, the everything bagel. Sesame seed, poppy seed, onion, garlic, salt -- they all make me happy. And I still have two more to enjoy. If you live in the region and can visit Manna Bagel, be sure to stop in. But leave me an everything bagel or two. I hate running in on Friday afternoons and finding "my" bin empty.

Smoky, salty glory

Most days, in our household, breakfast is cold cereal and coffee or juice. But I truly love breakfast, especially when I have the time and inclination to get cooking. I recently fixed some country ham slices – in all their smoky, salty glory – along with biscuits, eggs, grits and red-eye gravy. It had been years since I’d made this breakfast. For all the reasons I love it, it is not health food or something you should eat regularly. But I have to admit that red-eye gravy (made from the ham, water and a bit of coffee) is one of my absolute favorites, especially when it is poured over creamy grits and sprinkled with black pepper.

My father was raised on a farm in North Carolina. Our family spent nearly every Easter and Thanksgiving of my growing up exploring the woods, raking leaves, gathering pecans and eating wonderful meals with my grandmother, aunts and their families. Salt-cured ham was a special offering on rare occasions. More often we ate scrapple, breaded in corn meal and fried, or blood sausage, a pork product that is formed in a casing and turns black when cooked. I know some people turn up their noses at both foods, but they are part of the fabric of the rural South; and two of my childhood favorites.

My youngest son could not remember me ever making salt-cured ham (I told you it has been years) and I wondered if the saltiness would turn him off. He loved the ham and biscuits and eggs. Less so on grits and red-eye gravy. I am a grit fanatic, as are my older son and daughter. I will keep trying with my youngest; it seems a crime for any southern child to refuse to eat grits.

Here’s how I cooked my ham and rendered the fat for red-eye gravy:

Heat a teaspoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ham slices. You can purchase these in most grocery stores. Last week, regional food authority Fred Sauceman profiled a local provider in a segment on WJHL 11 Connects with Josh Smith. For this meal, I bought a small package from a local grocery store that included about 6 slices.

Cook over medium heat until the slices brown slightly; turn over.

After about 8-10 minutes of cooking (4-5 minutes per side), I added about ½ cup of water to the pan.

Cook for 2-3 minutes, then remove the ham from the skillet with a slotted spoon. To the skillet add ½ cup strong coffee and mix completely.

I add black pepper to my red-eye gravy, but no additional salt.

We had quite a spread for breakfast: scrambled eggs, red-eye gravy, biscuits, grits and the country ham.