Cinnamon and Flowers

Having the day off work, I decided to spend some time in the kitchen making granola, and using up a plentiful supply of bananas that were beginning to look "nicely aged". Starting in on the granola, I added honey, oil, water, and vanilla extract to 6 cups of oats, all usual ingredients in my preferred granola routine. Reaching up to take out the vanilla bottle, I caught sight of a small bottle labeled "Food Grade Essential Oil - Cinnamon."
"I like cinnamon," I thought. "I bet that would be great in granola." Famous last thought. Taking out the small eyedropper from the bottle, I added about half an eyedropper full of cinnamon oil. "That's not a lot of liquid," I said to myself, "better add a little more." Drop, drop, drop....perhaps 10 more. (Bear in mind yours truly had never used the aforementioned cinnamon oil before this fateful day.)

While stirring the granola mixture, I realized it was rather fragrant. Really, really fragrant. Oh dear. I tried some.
I don't like cinnamon as much as I previously thought. Next thought: "Well, maybe it will mellow out once I toast it in the oven, right?" Wrong.
After half an hour subjected to 275 degrees, the net effect was even stronger scented granola, and the pervasive cinnamon aroma seeping into the entire house.

Curious, I questioned Google on what exactly is the ratio of powdered cinnamon to cinnamon oil. Turns out it's about 1 tablespoon of cinnamon to one drop of oil. Huh. That's right folks, I added the equivalent of nearly a cup of cinnamon to my unsuspecting granola.

I am now a little wiser in the ways of the kitchen - today's lesson: essential oil is stronger than the original ground spice. Much stronger.

Let's just say that I won't be eating much of that granola...but it makes excellent potpourri.

Don't let the bottle size fool you. There's a lot of flavor in here.

In other non-essential-oil-related news, my porch garden is blooming! 

 Morning Glories (flanked by garlic and onions)

These are one of the strangest flowers I've ever seen - they're Peruvian Daffodils. I bought them as bulbs on a whim at Winco, and I've been quite pleased with the results.

'Till next time, may your cooking be sweet and your gardens plentiful!