Pumpkin Pie Granola

You know what sucks about store bought granolas? They're usually pretty expensive and they're usually pretty unhealthy. Oil, sugar, chocolate, etc.. all delicious things, but not when you inadvertently load your breakfast down with them. When I eat dessert, I like to be eating dessert. (And I love to be eating dessert.)

Tasty!

So, the solution? Make your own. It's less expensive (although the cost will be more up front depending on what's hanging around in your pantry, but once you have the basics you can make it on the cheap.). You know what your getting into. It looks more rustic; I think it's prettier. You can control your ingredients. You like walnuts? You like almonds? Add 'em! Can't stand sunflower seeds? Forget 'em! (Although, I think you're nuts if you can't stand sunflower seeds. Add yourself to your granola.)

It will seem awkward at first, but like anything once you get the hang of it you can pretty much play around with the proportions of your add ins. It's easy once you do it a few times.

Not convinced yet? Homemade granola also makes a great holiday or hostess gift. On the cheap. I think putting a little love into something is way more valuable anyway. (Just a side note, booze is also a wonderful holiday/hostess gift. Booze and granola is even better. Hmmm homemade gift basket idea?)

Packaging is everything!

 Try this one below. It's healthiest version I've ever come up with, but it tastes delicious. It's not super sweet, but nothing you're eating in the AM should be. I like a crunchy granola, which this is. I used steel cut oats, because I just bought them and I'm a little obsessed at this very moment, real pumpkin, walnuts and a variety of seeds (pumpkin seeds, of course) and no oil.  Then, try this Ginger Spice Granola.

Soundtrack:

Tycho by Tycho

Pumpkin Pie Granola


1 c steel cut oats
1/2 c quick cook oats
1/2 c walnuts, chopped
1/4 c pumpkin seeds
1/4 c sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 c pureed pumpkin
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 c raisins (optional)


Preheat oven to 300.


In a large bowl, combine steel cut oats, quick cook oats, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and kosher salt. Stir until mixed well. Set aside.


In a small saucepan, heat pumpkin, maple syrup, agave syrup, and vanilla over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and allspice and stir to blend.


Add pumpkin mixture to bowl of oats, nuts and seeds and stir to coat.


Spread out granola mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.


Once granola is toasted, allow to cool. Then add raisins and toss to combine. Store in an airtight container.

Reflect-y bowl

Oh hey, random can of pumpkin... 

Ginger Peach Oatmeal

There are two reasons you are probably about to think I am crazy. And the fact that I just told you that is not one of them.


1) I am giving you an oatmeal recipe in August. Rational: I have AC. Peaches are really good right now. Peaches are really good in oatmeal. (PS who remembers this video from 112. It makes me feel embarrassed just to watch it. Mostly because those are CANNED PEACHES. You can't even spring for fresh peaches? IT'S A MUSIC VIDEO! Never mind all the half naked women making eyes at us and the flashing bad boys sign.)


2) I just spent 20 minutes making oatmeal. Rational: I had to get it perfect! And yea, this oatmeal is a little more effort that you're going to want to put forth on a weekday, but if you've got the time, you should really try it. It probably takes 10 minutes. With clean up. If you hustle. Make it for 2 or 3 or 4. Then it's worth it.

Oatmeal & Hot Coffee. This is how I celebrate August.
Bah Humbug.

I just bought a mortar and pestle. I wasn't sure at first which piece was which. Yea it seems obvious, until you try to convince yourself that a mortar is a bowl. Then you start to think, the mortar could TOTALLY be the stick. Pestal is sorta like pedestal, so don't you rest your herbs and spices ON it?  Quick google search and I learned all about the word's Latin roots. The mortar IS the bowl.


Anyway, I was dying to try it out. I had some ginger and some brown sugar and some delicious peaches and so I whipped up (very slowly) this oatmeal.


There's not a LOT of sugar in my oatmeal recipe. The peaches will add a decent amount of sweetness, but can add more depending on how sweet you'd like it.


And!! AND!! Look what I learned!! Here's your soundtrack. Right on the page. How easy is that? I found this mix here, at The Dance Party Chronicles. If you like dance parties check it out. If you don't, well, I'm sorry.


Soundtrack:

TRAVELS by Tensnake by Oki-Ni on Mixcloud

Ginger Peach Oatmeal

(serves 1, but can be easily multiplied)

1/2 c quick oats
3/4 c water
1 small peach, peeled and diced
3/4 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
dash of salt
splash of milk


In a tea kettle, heat water over high heat to bring to a boil (You will want to boil more than 3/4 c to allow for some steam).


Meanwhile, place the ginger and brown sugar in a MORTAR. Grind with a PESTLE until the ginger releases its juices and you have a brown sugar-ginger paste.


In a small bowl, place oats. Add the brown sugar- ginger mixture. Pour 3/4 c boiling water over the oats and stir until water has been absorbed into the oats and they begin to soften. Allow oatmeal to sit for 1-2 minutes. Stir in vanilla, a dash of salt and a splash of milk.


Enjoy! 

Tools.

Little pieces of summer

Grind the ginger into the brown sugar.
Interesting sentence if you are fluent in slang.

Action shot!

Matt's Munchies - Ginger Spice Granola

Ugh. Ok guys, I gotta admit I'm really slacking here. After hearing so many wonderful (and much appreciated) compliments on my little blog here last weekend, I feel like I owe you more. But ya know how it goes...work and stuff. Harry Potter happened and Jags wanted to go swimming. Had to get my glasses fixed, had to sleep forever on Saturday, etc, etc. I haven't even been going to the gym lately! GOD, who am I even? I promise I will go this week. I promise I will go this week. I promise.... blah. (I need some new gym tunes! Send me some shit!)


But all that aside, let's get back down to it shall we? Oh. thank. god. Time to talk about food again. Recently a friend of mine approached me to create a recipe for his line of fruit leathers, which I am actually totally obsessed with, so naturally I was pretty excited about all of this.

Serving suggestion!
(For vegan friendly, use almond milk! Vanilla? Yumm)

Fruit leather. Hmm. Because I mean, even I gotta admit it doesn't sound like it's going to taste all that great. Or at least the consistency should be awful. Right? Leather? But honestly I. LOVE. THIS. STUFF. Self described, Matt's Munchies, "are pure and natural Fruit Leathers in 9 palate pleasing flavors, all less then 100 calories per one ounce serving," (Ok, it should read "than", but I'll let that slide. God, I have issues.) and they aren't kidding. Check out their site for specifics, but they are gluten-free, vegan, and organic. They never contain more than like 4 ingredients (most have just 1 or 2) and are all fruit based (either banana or mango are used as a base - even for the apple flavors!). 


But most importantly, do they taste good? Fuck. YEA. they do! Island Mango is my fave (Matt gave me one to consider for a recipe, but I ate it instead. Oops.) then Ginger Spice (who also happened to be my favorite Spice Girl). Plus, how can you not support something that uses as many exclamation marks on it's packaging as Matt's Munchies? (I'm actually serious about that.)


This recipe was made with the Ginger Spice flavor (because, like I said, I ate the Island Mango flavor). I tried my best to stay true to the healthy and all natural snack that is Matt's Munchies. Oooh!! And I learned something! Oats can be totally gluten-free! The gluten-free varieties will be marked on the package, because they are not always grown gluten-free due to cross pollination issues. 


So this granola is gluten-free, vegan and all natural as well. It can be a snack, it can be your breakfast. I don't have to tell you how to eat your granola, now do I? (Ok, I will give you one suggestion and then I promise to stop being bossy. Toss some apple slices in some cinnamon and sugar. Nuke them for a few minutes or so, until they are soft and look a little like pie filling. Top with this granola and a little vanilla yogurt.)


Oh yea, and thanks to Alton Brown for providing the inspiration for this recipe. I love him. That's really all there is to say.


Soundtrack: Aloe Blacc 


Ginger Spice Granola


3 c. gluten-free rolled oats
1 c. almonds, chopped
1 c. walnuts, chopped
3/4 c. sesame seeds
1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp molasses
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt
2-3 packages Matt's Munchies, Ginger Spice Flavor (honestly I used 2 and it was great, but I
could have used another!)


Preheat oven to 250.


Start by measuring the oats, almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, sugar and cinnamon into a large bowl. Stir until totally combined.


In another bowl, whisk together the molasses, syrup, oil, vanilla and salt until fully combined. 


Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry and stir to coat. Coat 2 sheet pans with parchment paper (or use cooking spray). Spread the granola mixture evenly over the sheet pans. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to get an even toast.


Meanwhile, begin chopping the fruit leathers. Fruit leather can be a sticky product, (I made this on pretty hot day, no AC.) but in this case the freezer will be your friend. Simply stick the fruit leathers in the freezer for a few minutes and then chop into raisin-sized pieces. It might ball up a little, that's fine. Store the chopped pieces in the freezer while you chop. This way they will be easy to separate once you are ready to add them to the granola.


After 1 hour, remove the sheet pans from the oven. Move granola to a large bowl and stir in the pieces of fruit leather, separating as you add them. Do not wait for the granola to cool, do this as 
soon as possible.

Horse food?

Feeling nutty!

The dry stuff

Liquids. It's literally impossible to store molasses
without the container being sticky. Impossible.

Left-handed photography, not bad!

Pre-toast

Little pieces of fruit leather - it's not going to look perfect.

Slainte! (Toasted... c'mon people!)

Chocolate Chunk Sunflower Seed Cookies

I've been meaning to get this up and running for awhile and I know you've all been sitting on the edges of your seats waiting for my first post (actually, my inspiration to get started here was an inquiry at dinner tonight, so there is some truth in that!) and here it is! Live, in living color!

That outta the way, let's get down to the good stuff. Chocolate Chunk Sunflower Seed Cookies. Inspired by some left-over Easter candy and my love for sweet and salty snacks, I adapted the oatmeal cookie recipe from Joy of Cooking adding in some chocolate and sunflower seeds to create these little treats.

Soundtrack: Bibio

First step, behead the bunny! If you're like me (which, not enough people are) you've been eating way too much Easter candy lately. Even if you don't celebrate, you know you picked up some peeps half-price a 6 PM on Easter Sunday and you know who you are.

"Don't let them eat me, let them eat chocolate cake instead" "Off with his head!!"

I hope you all picked up on the French Revolution reference (Jean Jags would be proud!). This is where things get graphic. To create chocolate chunks from the beheaded rabbit, I cut him into a few pieces and put him in a nifty little chopper that came with my immersion blender (which, by the way, is currently my favorite kitchen tool. Thanks Adam and Sharon!!). See the mutilated bunny carnage below, if you dare.

This. is. sick. Yet, delicious!

Next step, prepare the oats. I love oatmeal cookies. Some don't (Adam, here's lookin' at you!). So, to make them more "eater-friendly" (if you will), I chop the oats. Again in my handy-dandy immersion blender attatchment:

Oats, reporting for duty and ready to be chopped!

Oats, you guessed it... chopped!

These preparatory steps are optional, but I do suggest them!

The resulting cookie wasn't exactly as I had planned. Crunchy and a bit granola-esque, the texture is my favorite part. When doing this again, I will definitely use a dark chocolate and throw in a bit more. In baking, one should really use an unsweeted or semi-sweet chocolate; the taste is much more evident.

The recipe that I used is as follows! I cut the Joy of Cooking recipe in half (because I don't really think I need 48 cookies).

Ingredients:

3/4 plus 1/8 c. flour (again, original recipe cut in half, sorry for all the irregular measures!)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1/8 c. sugar

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/4 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. sunflower seeds

1 chocolate easter bunny! (or something more appropriate, like semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks!)

Preheat oven to 350. I like to put the butter on the oven while it warms, to soften. Genius; I know! Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a larger bowl, cream (that means beat them with an electric mixer!) the egg, butter, sugars and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture. Stir in the oats. Add the chocolate and sunflower seeds. Rolls the dough into 1 1/2 in. balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten. Bake for 12-14 min or until lightly browned all over. Place on a rack to cool!

Softening butter. Look at all that white powder!

Egg, sugar, vanilla, and butter!

Prepared dough and parchment!

Check out these cookies, ready to get baked!

Finished product!

P.S. Let's all take a moment to admire that rack (Thanks Jer!!). 

Until next time!! <3