Honey Granola

Honey Granola

More honey! I really do love that golden stuff. In fact, check out my last post for a great dinner idea using honey. In the meantime, this one is awesome. Honey Granola combines many flavors and textures and is a great as a snack or even a cereal on its own or a topping for yogurt. Use any nut or dried fruit you like to change up the flavors.

Have your kids help in the kitchen with mixing and they'll be even more likely to want to eat this healthier-than-most snack. Serve it up in something cute (see photo) and it will be a big hit!


Honey Granola
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 45 minutes plus 30 minutes cooling time
Serves: Makes 7 cups

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats (not instant or quick cooking)
1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds
1 cup whole raw almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup dried apricots - chopped
2 Tablespoons flax seed oil
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup honey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Stir together oats, seeds, nuts, cinnamon and fruit in a large bowl.
3. Blend honey and oil and pour over oat mixture.
4. Stir together until everything is well coated and spread evenly on baking sheet.
5. Bake for 20 minutes and stir well. Bake for another 15 minutes or until golden and beginning to dry.
6. Cool for half an hour before storing in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Veggie Wednesday: Zōe's Granola

Zōe Foods may be small, but they're packing some serious flavor and goodness. Take their granola's for example; We taste-tested all three flavors - Cranberries Currants, Honey Almond and Cinnamon Raisin.

Unlike other granolas, which are mostly made up of oats, nuts and dried fruit, Zōe's has these great little soy crisps and rice crisps that make the crunch a whole different experience. Not only is the flavor and crunch awesome, these granolas are chock-full of protein, fiber and Omega-3's, low in sodium and wheat and dairy free.

Here's a tiny excerpt from a conversation I had with my 7 year-old daughter over breakfast one morning:

Katie: Why does the box say, "All Day Energy"?

Me: Because it has a lot of stuff in it that's good for you.

Katie: But, it tastes good!

Exactly.

Try out Zōe's for yourself at www.zoefoods.com , online at Amazon.com or at the retailers listed HERE.

Veggie Wednesday: Earthbound Farms Cookbook

I recently received a copy of The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook, Food to Live By, by Myra Goodman with Linda Holland and Pamela McKinstry, from Lillian Margolin, an intern at Earthbound Farms. As soon as I had pulled the book from it's box, I started reading and couldn't stop. I even found myself reading it by candlelight that evening so I wouldn't disturb my infant daughter sleeping nearby.

I was captivated by the story of the young couple, Drew and Myra Goodman, living on a farm in exchange for property improvements, and selling raspberries to help pay the bills. Captivated because it's exactly the sort of thing I would do myself.

It's hard to believe that Earthbound Farms came from such meager beginnings considering just how large they are now. I think one of the most fun facts about them is that they were the first to introduce and sell pre-washed bagged salads. I don't know of anyone who hasn't purchased bagged salad, and it was neat to read that Earthbound Farms is where that idea was born.

This cookbook has quickly become one of my favorites, and I can see myself turning to it often. The recipes are fabulous--there is no ingredient so foreign that it can't be found--or at least a suitable replacement--nearby. The instructions are very clear and easy to follow and each recipe has a little history or fact written about it. That's something I truly appreciate, since the recipes in my own family cookbook all have a little something written about them. That extra makes the book very personal and also tells the reader that each recipe has actually been made, and loved, by the author, Myra Goodman.

The photos are beautiful and story-telling. This book is not just packed with over 260 delicious recipes, it's full of helpful tips and interesting facts; Myra's 'Four Food Choices I Live By' is something everyone should read, and heed. I also love that it's not just a cookbook, the story it begins with could easily stand on it's own.

A short time ago an acquaintance suggested I use 'X-Product' on my tomatoes, and I just nodded politely, all the while thinking, "WHY would I put a chemical on, in or near my food and then feed it to my family?" No thanks--garlic and marigolds planted near my tomatoes have provided all the protection I need. Reading this book has made me feel completely vindicated in my own gardening practices, which I didn't really see as organic until now.

This is one of the many, many wonderful recipes from Foods to Live By. I made this granola (which can also be purchased at the Earthbound Farms website) just before my oldest daughter took off on a camping trip. She and her friends loved it, as did the rest of my family. So we've eaten it straight up, as a cereal with cold milk, and as a hot cereal one morning. The only thing I did differently was to use chopped, dried apricots in place of the raisins; I love raisins, but I have a few 'raisin-haters' here.

Earthbound Farm's Famous Maple Almond Granola
Makes about 8 cups

4 1/2 cups (18 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
3/4 cup (3 oz) shelled, raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cups slivered or coarsely chopped raw almonds
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups pure maple syrup, preferably Grade A Dark Amber
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup raisins

1. position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325° F.
2. Place the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds and cinnamon in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the maple syrup and oil and stir until all the dry ingredients are moistened.
3. Spread the granola on a roughly 12 by 17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Bake the granola until it begins to brown, about 25 minutes, then stir it with a flat spatula. Let the granola continue to bake until it is light golden brown, dry and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Stir the granola at least once more as it bakes and watch it carefully during the final minutes because it can burn quickly.
4. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack, add the raisins, and stir to combine. Let the granola cool completely. Transfer the granola to an airtight container. It can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 month or frozen for up to 6 months. You can serve the granola straight from the freezer. It doesn't get hard and it thaws almost instantly--just pour on some milk.

You can purchase your own copy of Foods to Live By from the Earthbound Farms website or at Amazon.com. If you love vegetables, if you're striving for a healthier body and earth, please pick up a copy of this cookbook, you'll come to appreciate and love it as much as I do!