coconut oil granola & boxwood update

What gorgeous weather we have been having in the East!  I can't believe it is nearly the end of June. My kids got out of school later than usual this year, and we were preoccupied with end of the school year activities.  Plus, we started summer jobs, hosted company, attended ballet recitals, began summer league basketball, and finished off the baseboards.  Also, we started squishing in all of those doctor appointments to get all the paperwork up to date for summer camps and school sports physicals for next year.  I can't believe it is time to order a cap and gown for Ryan, and get his senior pictures taken.  My mom and my sister came to visit, and we had a wonderful time.  We spent a day in NYC, and I got to play tour guide. We had an adventurous lunch in China town, and hit most of the hot spots in Manhattan all in one day.  (Though I don't think I will ever drive into the city again!)

I was in the mood for granola today, and I found this recipe on pinterest for coconut oil granola. I don't necessarily care that it is made with coconut oil, but I decided to try it out. It seems like coconut oil is the new trend from cooking with it, to moisturizing your face, lips, and hair with it.  In the end, I figure oil is oil, and to use it sparingly.

It turned out great, and even my kids and their friends loved snacking on it this afternoon.  That surprised me, because they would never touch boxed granola cereal!  And, it was a great way to use up some of those oats in my pantry.

What didn't turn out so great was my boxwood cuttings.  In a previous post, I mentioned my attempt to preserve boxwood clippings so that I could make my own wreaths.  I am sorely disappointed they didn't turn out. I followed the directions exactly, and purchased all the right ingredients (even the green dye).  The tips of the boxwood in this first picture don't look so bad, but when I took them out, they were brown and dried out, with the base of the stems beginning to mold.  I'm not sure why it didn't work.  Has anyone else had success with preserving their own boxwood clippings?