Meet Pants and Pomely

This is Pants

and this is Pomely.

Both are from New England.  Pants is from Maine, and Pomely is from Massachusetts.  They used to be and are sometimes still my “purse cats,” and they’ve been on every family vacation since June 2002.  My name derives from “da cat family,” my collection of plush cats, but I don’t bring them up often.  I keep pictures of them in my phone (since, you know, phones are the twenty-first century equivalents of wallets).  Ever since the earthquake in D.C. last summer, I keep pictures on the SD card of my phone of that about which I care.  In case of a disaster, in my last moments, were I to have my phone with me, I’d be able to look at my favourite things and go out with good thoughts (and hopefully have a positive rebirth).  Planning for the soteriological future, that is what a religion major does.

Back to the cats.  Pomely, since 2000, has had a “Fruit Juice Bar and Grillery.”  Jamz and I invented Pomely’s backstory.  As I acquire cats, I fit them into my collection, which is organised by family of cats with similar traits.  Minapoo and Buddy, both black-and-white cats, have black-and-white kittens.  

Mina Tina Tuna Moona Bob Accident Accident Waiting to Happen James R M. the IV M.

Saxey Alley and Salley Alley are grey and have grey kittens.  I invented this scheme when I was seven.  Da Cat Family has always been involved in some sort of restaurant (how else do you feed 200+ cats?), and Pomely, whose age is unknown, has had his fruit juice bar.  Pants, who eschews his given name Catnip, is Pomely’s life- and business-partner.

Pants and Pomely would not approve of two juices I made in the last two weeks: kale-carrot-ginger, and kale-bok choy-prune-ginger.  I thought kale and carrots was gross, and I’m pretty sure kale-prune would taste the same coming up as it did going down.

Anyway…granola.

Hempseed Peanut Butter Granola

See here for inspiration.

3 cups GF rolled oats

~1 cup VGF cornflakes, lightly crushed

1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup hempseeds

1/4 cup brown rice syrup

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons coconut oil, solid

1 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl (preferably a deep one with tall sides rather than a wide one), stir together the dry ingredients minus the raisins.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the agave, brown rice syrup, and peanut butter, and heat until the peanut butter is melted.  Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut oil until melted.  Pour the wet mixture on top of the dry mixture and stir until coated.  Spread on the baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, removing and stirring every 10-15 minutes.  Bake until golden.  Remove from the oven and let the granola cool on the sheet on a rack.  Stir in the raisins and let cool completely before serving.

Pants and Pomely will have more to say in the future.

Q