Probably the Best Granola Recipe...Ever!

Hello There!  I hope that my greeting sounded as friendly to you as it did to me because today, I am happy.  I have been without sweets for 7 days and I'm feeling pretty dang fabulous about it!  I know, I know, 7 days is not that long for most people.  But hey, 7 hours without sweets is a huge accomplishment for me!  I've also refrained from most other junk food/fast food and I'm back to exercising.  Go me!

 

I have been trying to find meals and snacks to eat that will fill me up and keep me satisfied for more than 10 minutes.  Well, ladies and gents, I want to share one of my favorites with you.  My husband found this granola recipe a few months ago and it quickly became a favorite in our home.  This recipe is from Cook's Illustrated with one minor change in it. 



 

Cook's Illustrated Granola

Just look at that picture, doesn't it look delicious?  Is your mouth watering yet?  Yes?  Good.  This granola is so simple to make and it makes ALOT so you won't have to worry about getting enough before your husband or kids get to it ;)

The Best Granola Ever!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup light brown sugar
4 tsps vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups hand chopped raw almonds
2 cups dried fruit (we use dried cranberries or cherries)
1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds

*The original recipe calls for 5 cups rolled oats and no pumpkin seeds, but I find it better by substituting 1 cup oats for 1 cup pumpkin seeds, they are a great source of iron.

Instructions:
Oven at 325, line a full sized rimmed baking sheet w/parchment and adjust the rack to upper middle.

1. Whisk maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in bowl
2. Whisk in oil
3. Fold in oats and almonds until coated
4. Place all ingredients onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet, level it off, make a nice rectangle, pat it down hard to compress (should be about 3/8th of an inch thick).
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotate half way through baking.
6. Once cooled, break granola "bark" into pieces as large as you'd like. 

Servings/Calories:
This recipe makes roughly 11 cups of granola and there are 225 calories/half cup.  I know, that seems like too many calories for such a small serving, but that's about normal for granola.  And trust me, 1/2 cup with some milk or Greek yogurt really fills you up! Plus, it gives you plenty of energy.

Try it out, I bet you will love it too!

xoxo, Whit

New Year, New Beginnings

Me and my mister on New Years Eve
 

Happy New Year everyone!  I don't know about you, but I LOVE the month of January.

 Is it beyond freezing?  Yes. 

Are the holidays over and therefore the holiday blues might arise?  Sure. 

Do I get sick of seeing the beautiful white snow that once sat on the sidewalks get uglier and more grey?  you bet. 

Inversions?  No thank you.

BUT, I love the chance to start over.  A clean slate.  A new beginning.  Almost nothing can beat that!

Because I love the newness of January, it shouldn't be surprising that I also love writing down my goals for the new year.  I have never accomplished all of my goals, but I find that I do better myself, at least a little, If I write down the things that I want to achieve the next year. I also love coming up with a theme for that year, something to live by that makes me a little better.

This year I want to focus on not just my physical health, but also my mental health and spiritual health. 

Here are a few of my New Year goals for 2015:

- Floss everyday
- REALLY cut back my sugar intake (like only have sugar on special occasions).
- Go to the temple once a month.  (Click Here to learn more about temples)
- Read one book/month
- Run 300 miles. 
- Stick to a budget/keep that credit card out of my wallet!

And I've decided that my theme is Control (yo'self).

I have never been good at practicing self-control and so this year I want to try.  I want to prove to myself that I can control how I treat my body, I can control how I spend my time, and I can control how I spend my money.  Wish me luck!