Well, this is embarrassing. Has it really been three months since I last said hello? While I feel pickled eggs are a pretty cool culinary creation, I do apologize for leaving you with such an aggressively aubergine placeholder as opposed to something more pleasing to the eye such as a fluffy muffin. Or a jolly scone. Or Captain.

I promise I haven’t been spending my whole summer dilly-dallying, though. Much work has been done with only a pinch of dilly and a dash of dally involved. For starters, my Etsy shop has been doing great, and I’ve been adding some fun new designs and creations. I’m also thrilled to announce that you can find my handmade wares in a handful of more stores across the country! In addition to Tender Loving Empire and Flora in downtown Portland, you can also find some of my constellation towels in Aster & Bee in SouthEast. Let’s head south, shall we, to the lovely state of California where you may stumble across some of my items at The Gardener in the Bay Area or Kitkitdizzi in Nevada City. For anyone making a sojourn to Florida, please be sure to swing by Bon Ami Confections for a handmade macaroon and a set of towels by The Apiarist! If you told me a year ago that I would be selling my housewares in multiple states across the country, I would assume you had enjoyed one too many raspberry cordials, Diana Barry-style.

Last but not least, I am also a new contributor for the very cool website Apartment Therapy! They are a wonderful resource for how to make your home lovely, useful, practical, and personal. I have been a big fan of their content for a long time, so I can’t wait to start posting Portland home tours. I had to submit a sample tour with my application which you can see here!

Whew! Just in case you are still upset with me for being MIA for so long, I offer the following granola recipe as a final apology. There’s nothing overly fancy shmancy about it; it’s just a great recipe I’ve been going back to for years tweaking here and there depending on my tastes at the time. It’s a very low-maintenance recipe, so you can be doing other things while it does its thing. Which is to be tasty and awesome.

I found this recipe in The Foster’s Market Cookbook a handful of years ago. I had just graduated from college and was living at home for the summer with minimal funds, so I went through a phase of checking out cookbooks from the library and trying whatever looked good. I don’t mess with this recipe too much, but I have started adding less maple syrup than it calls for, and I still find it plenty sweet enough. Also, be sure to use real maple syrup. The first time I made this granola all I could find in the cupboard was Log Cabin Reduced-Calorie Pancake Topping. The granola came out…gummy.

Sorry again for the long absence, but it’s good to be back! xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Perfect Granola
Recipe adapted from Foster’s Market Cookbook
Feel free to add whichever nuts or dried fruit you like best. Dried apples and pecans would be a lovely combo with a dash of cinnamon for good measure. This granola keeps well in an airtight container for about two weeks, but I promise it won’t last that long.

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup shredded sweetened or unsweetened coconut (I’ve used both, but prefer unsweetened, if available.)
1 cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (I love the extra flavor coconut oil brings to the table, but you can use all canola oil with great results.)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Spread the oats, coconut, and almonds on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients are lightly toasted but not yet golden. Transfer to a large bowl.

Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Lightly grease the baking sheet with oil or line with parchment paper. Combine the oils, maple syrup, and honey together in a small bowl, pour over the oats mixture, and toss to coat evenly. Spread the granola onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the granola is just crispy and golden brown, stirring several times while baking. Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet, breaking up any large clumps while it is still warm.

When the granola has cooled completely, add the cherries and dried apricots and toss to combine. Makes about 6 cups. Enjoy!