I know what you’re thinking: pictures of a giant rock? How exciting…
But what if I told you it’s reputed to be the world’s largest free-standing boulder? You may then ask, “and just how large is it?” And I would thus provide a couple pictures to drive the point home: (try to spot the girl in green!)
Giant Rock is located in the Mojave Desert and only a short drive from my home in Joshua Tree. The rock and the surrounding land had been held to be holy ground by the Native Americans and over the years has attracted spiritual seekers, scientists, and UFO enthusiasts. Now it seems to attract regular folks like me and a lot of kids with spray paint and too much time on their hands.
In the early 30’s Frank Critzer dug under the Giant Rock and made his home there. He was suspected by police to be a German spy and killed when the tear gas they used in an attempt to bring him out from under his rock ignited a stash of dynamite (or it was self-ignited – I’ve read different opinions). I searched in vain for any remnants of his home.
Can you spot my wee white Honda Accord in the photo below? It’s done amazingly well traveling the desert terrain and the country twice over. To get to Giant Rock you have to travel down many unmarked dirt roads.
We finished our visit to Giant Rock with another beautiful desert sunset. And that is all I have to say about Giant Rock! How much can you really say about a giant rock anyways? Except it was definitely worth the visit. Go. Now.
I just love the warmth that radiates from this photo. It’s very similar to the warmth I feel when eating a healthy bowl of homemade granola. Mmmm.
Since being here in my desert home I’ve started to become creative with all the extra time on my hands. Now when I find myself craving something, I’ve decided not to simply buy the product but to hand make it with love. It also helps with the pocket book, as I get much more product (and better quality) for less money. And there’s simply nothing like cooking to really draw you into the present moment. It’s one of the rare times I’m not over thinking! And come on, doesn’t everything taste better when you know you’ve put the time, energy, and love in making it yourself? Yes!
I’ve also become so inspired by the unique desert landscape and the variety of beautiful handmade clay dishes at my home. The woman I’m housesitting for has such amazing taste and I’m feeling so lucky to have access to it all. I’m looking forward to taking many more beautiful food photography shots like this one utilizing my new environment. Happy days!
For this recipe I referred to Elizabeth Rider’s recipe on her lovely blog. I’ve re-posted it below, but make sure you take a look at Elizabeth’s site for even more creative suggestions. I’ve been mixing my granola with greek yogurt and today I even added sliced bananas.
*****
Easy Healthy Homemade Granola Recipe
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 20 min
Serves 4-6
Use raw, organic ingredients whenever possible. These measurements are flexible; don’t worry too much about being exact.
Ingredients:
2 cups raw, whole rolled oats (aka old fashion oats)
½ cup raw nuts, chopped
¼ cup raw seeds (sunflower or pumpkin seeds both are great)
½ cup unsweetened dried fruit, chopped (optional)
2-3 tablespoons grade-b maple syrup or raw honey (or a combo of both)
2 tbsp coconut oil (aka coconut butter) or other healthy cooking oil
½ tsp vanilla extract or almond extract
1 large pinch fine sea salt
Recipe: Preheat the oven to 300º. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and use your clean hands to mix well and toss to coat; it will be sticky and messy but that’s the fun part. The coconut oil might be liquid or solid depending on the temperature of the room you are in (it has a melting point of about 75ºF.) Your hands will warm it up and melt it into the mixture if it’s solid, just be sure to mix it all through the other ingredients so there aren’t any chunks of oil left. Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until very lightly toasted. (To make this recipe completely raw-friendly, dehydrate the mixture 5-6 hours at 115ºF in a food dehydrator instead.) Cool before serving or storing. This granola can be kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks. I keep mine in a mason jar in the refrigerator at home and in a BPA-free plastic bag when traveling.