Homemade Granola With a Healthy Twist

I have it on good authority (mine) that you will likely never buy granola again after making your own. Not only is it easier than I'm guessing most of you think, but it's heartening to know exactly what is going into your food - and being able to pronounce it.

Granola has generally been denounced in the health food world due to most companies filling it with truckloads of sugar. The other problem is that it's expensive. Why oats covered in sugary binding agents cost so much is beyond me. But there's a skirt around the issue: Double Coconut Granola.

I made this batch as a gift for my colleague who just announced her pregnancy. Buy some Ball Jars at your local hardware store (totally inexpensive, woot!), some cute wrapping accessories and you'll be on your way to easy gifts. Or eat it yourself. Or shoot, do both and call it a day.

Double Coconut Granola
courtesy of Opera Girl

6 C. rolled oats
1 2/3 C. unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 C. honey
1/3 C. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. kosher salt

1. Heat oven to 300F.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats and shredded coconut.
3. In a small saucepan, cook honey, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt over medium heat until the mixture just begins to simmer.
4. Pour honey/oil mixture over oats and coconut flakes, and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
5. Spread out granola on a baking sheet. Place in oven, bake for 10 minutes, then stir granola. Repeat until granola is well-toasted — this took me four stirs, or 40 minutes total cooking time.
6. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. When cooled, store in airtight containers for up to 2 weeks. Can refrigerate or freeze for longer shelf life.

Letting Oats Have Their Privacy

You know what I need? This. I'm over my point and shoot camera when it comes to taking food pictures. And as my thirtieth birthday is fast approaching (WOOT!), I think I can finagle one - or at least donations via loving family members (hi, Mom!). Until then, we're all just gonna have to deal.

Do you love oatmeal? I bet it loves you back. But what I really bet is that it would sometimes just love to have a little, eh hem...alone time...with all of the other goodies you add to it. I mean, if they're going to have to mix and mingle into your morning meal, why not let them get acquainted first?


Creamy Overnight Oats

1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1/2 banana, microwaved for 20 seconds to get gooey and caramelized
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 packet Stevia

Put these ingredients into a bowl. Stir. Stick in your refrigerator. Wake up. Heat 45 seconds. Eat. I like to add fresh berries in the morning to get some extra antioxidants in.

Popeye Has Nothing on Me: Introducing the Green Monster

Many of you may scoff at my new 3x/week breakfast. Some of you may even get that twingey, my-lunch-is-about-to-make-a-reappearance feeling in your throat. I'm imagining, however, that if you read food blogs, you're open to trying new stuff. And by new stuff, I'm straight up talking about my latest obsession, The Green Monster.

I'm going to make you a quick promise here: YOU WON'T TASTE THE SPINACH IN THIS!

Try it. Just once. Not only do these taste great like whoa, their nutritional value is off the charts. I did the math (doozie. I need to stick to writing from here on out, peeps), and you're looking at 371 calories and 35 grams of fat, which as a breakfast in the morning will easily be burned off throughout your day. Most of the fat grams are obtained from the flax meal, but the benefits far outweigh the fat content - flax is seriously chock FULL of omega-3s and lignans (fight that cancer, baby). It has a nutty flavor that calms down the spinach and leaves your tastebuds happy.

The Original Green Monster

2 cups fresh spinach
1-1.25 cups milk (your choice of cow’s milk, soy, hemp, almond, rice, etc)
1 tablespoon flax (optional)
1 banana
frozen peaches

The order in which you place the ingredients in the blender is important! Putting in the flax and spinach first will ensure that the rest of the ingredients weigh these two superpowers down so they don't fly all over the dang place inside your blender. So stick those in first, then cut up the banana into the machine, add your milk and then your frozen fruit of choice. Blend, baby. Blend.

Side note: I used frozen peaches for my first Green Monster. This morning, I chose blueberries (wicked good.) Feel free to go crazy, as long as you either use a frozen fruit or ice. This thingamabobber tastes far better cold!

With a Name Like Curd...

Why in the world would they name such a wondrous, lemony, smooth gift from God, "CURD"?

Regardless...a coworker's birthday was dawning and the usual gift card was not in my repertoire. (Not that I mind getting gift cards. Just a quick FYI, there). So, I decided to whip up something, package it in a supercute manner and hand it off to the recipient.

Yeah, so. Hand-juicing and meticulously zesting, then straining 19 lemons? Doesn't quite fit into the "whip up" category. I've never cooked something and then had sore wrists and biceps for days thereafter. On a positive note, as readers of I Pray to Gouda, you all now have free, all access tickets to my gun show. :: flex ::

Homemade Lemon Curd

*"What the heck do I do with it, Faith?"

* Top scones, pancakes, stir into plain yogurt and crepes and whipped cream, english muffins...or pull a Faith and eat it off a spoon.

2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, plus 4 large egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup finely grated lemon peel
1 cup fresh lemon juice (approximately 1 hour later - check out your awesome, toned arms in mirror)
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium, heatproof bowl next to stove. In a heavy, medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks and lemon peel. Add butter, cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly (about 5 minutes).

2. Lower heat and simmer. Sitr until mixture thickens (another 5 minutes). Strain mixture into prepared bowl, then press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto surface. Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

A Post-Christmas Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes

Have you made pancake batter from scratch yet? If not, I'd highly recommend trying it. It sure beats Bisquick, if you ask me. And the best way to get it done, and get it done quickly with the least mess is by having a Kitchenaid stand mixer. There aren't too many kitchen tools I declare as absolute necessities. That darned mixer is one of them.

Try these. While they aren't the healthiest option for a breakfast (who out there is being healthy this week, though?!), I bet you'll enjoy them just as much as my niece, Skyler did...

Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes (makes enough for 4)
courtesy of Joy the Baker

2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2- 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips (depending on how chippy you feel)
oil or cooking spray (for cooking)

In a large bowl beat eggs. Add buttermilk, butter and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until mostly smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and let batter set for a few minutes.

Heat griddle or pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spray with cooking spray. You can test to see if the pan is hot enough by adding a few drops of water, if or when the drops start to dance its hot enough.

Pour 2 Tablespoons of batter onto the griddle. Cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop. You can also gently lift up the pancake to make sure the bottom is not overcooking, if it is the pan may be too hot and you will need to adjust the heat. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is gone. Let cooked pancakes rest on a heat proof plate in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.