Yummy Sunny Granola!

A few good reasons to make your own granola...

Homemade kind tastes so yummy.

It's quick & easy to make.

Your kitchen will smell so good. 

My kids love granola with their breakfast or snack. It's easy for them to toss it in some oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, fruit, etc.

Recipe found here.

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup nuts or seeds of your choice (a mix of sliced almonds and sunflower seeds is pictured above)
5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2/3 cup pure maple syrup (or half honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1 cup dried fruit of your choice

*I added a little bit of cinnamon

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut flakes, nuts or seeds, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Stir well until everything is evenly coated. Spread evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir the oat mixture. Return it back to the oven for another 12 minutes. It should be golden brown, but keep an eye on it because it can go from perfect to burnt very quickly.
2. Remove from the oven and press the granola evenly with a spatula. Let cool and then add the dried fruit. Allow the granola to cool completely before storing in airtight containers. It can be stored at room temperature. 

Here is another way I like to make granola...

Roasted and Toasted Kine:

• 3 cups organic rolled oats
• 1 cup nuts (I like almonds and pecans)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup organic maple syrup
• 1/2 cup organic coconut oil
• 3/4 tsp sea salt (if you use table salt use less)
• 1 cup shredded coconut flakes
• 1 cup dried fruit
• 1 tsp cinnamon (even add nutmeg, cloves, &/or ginger :)

Directions:

• Normally you'd set oven at 300 deg., but for roasted and toasted kine set to 350deg.  
• Put everything in a large enough bowl and mix it all together.
• Spread it out on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 30-45mins, stirring around at 15-20mins and checking to see IF IT NEEDS LESS TIME.
• And ENJOY the aroma :)

*I accidentally set the oven for 350deg and baked for 45 mins. It almost started burning and came out quite roasted and toasted, thus the name. (However, my oven I am finding bakes at a lower heat I think.) Family and friends said it was super good and my boys keep asking for more. Thank goodness!

*Most granola recipes use less salt, but the sea salt or kosher salt really helps bring out the flavors. However, like I said if you are using regular table iodized salt use less or else it will come out too salty, unless you like it that salty. You can also add the dried fruit after it's done cooking. I have done it that way too.

***MAKE SURE YOU KNOW HOW YOUR OVEN COOKS BEFORE BAKING IT TOO LONG AND BURNING IT. JUST WATCH IT!

Enjoy :)

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

These Coconut Oatmeal Cookies were so yummy! I love following a health blog called Word of Wisdom Living. He posts some great healthy recipes. He calls these cookies...

Skip's Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 C butter (2 sticks), softened
• 1 C turbinado sugar (or any raw sugar)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 C whole wheat flour (fresh ground is best)
• ¼ C wheat bran (if you have it, otherwise use wheat germ, or just more flour)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 C rolled oats (Old Fashioned, not instant oats)
• 1 C chopped fresh walnuts, chopped
• 2/3 C semisweet chocolate chips (we prefer the mini size and I divide the 12-oz package to get 3 batches)

Directions:

1. Turn oven on to 350 F (after checking that your children haven’t left any toys inside).
2. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar; beat in two eggs and vanilla.
3. In a smaller bowl blend dry ingredients (flours, salt, and baking soda).
4. To the large bowl, stir in the dry ingredients, oats, walnuts, and chips.
5. Place rounded tablespoons of dough on a baking pan and flatten with a fork.  (If you do this a lot, get one of those scoops with the device that pops the dough out.)
6. Bake 12 minutes or so, cool, transfer from pan to wire grill for a few minutes to dry a bit.  We bag them into sandwich bags and freeze them for later, taking a bag out each day.  If there are kids around give them a cookie with an apple, orange or banana.

However, I changed it up a bit. Here is what I did...

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 C Organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil, softened
• 1 C Organic Coconut Palm Sugar
• 2 Organic Eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 C Organic Whole Wheat Flour (stone ground)
• 1/4 C Wheat Germ
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 3 C Organic Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 C Sliced Almonds
• 1/4 C Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
• 2/3 Cacao Chocolate Chips

 Cream softened coconut oil and sugar together. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

 Dry ingredients.

 I also added unsweetened coconut flakes.

 Mixing it all up!

 Mash rolled cookie dough with a fork before putting in the oven.

All done and oh so good, especially with some fruit!