Hearty Granola + A Sweet Reminder To Eat Breakfast

You know, I do have a confession to make. Lately I have skipping breakfast on pure forgetfulness. Or maybe I think I don't have time? I'm lazy? My sister in law told me over the holidays that she always makes time for breakfast and I confessed I don't. I sometimes make it to one in the afternoon with just coffee in my stomach. My sister in law gave me a hard time in a nice and caring way ... and I thought duh. Sometimes it takes a talking to, to understand that something as simple as eating breakfast will make a world of difference. I have all the means to have a really great breakfast. Maybe that will help battle my tender emotions come the afternoon. It will curb my 'hangry' attitude and I'll all around be better for it. 

The holidays came to a close and our families went back to our small corners of the universe. Routines began over again and the holidays sort of rose above like steam and vanished. My sister in law texted me on Monday morning "Have you had breakfast today?!" I quickly shoved two hard boil eggs down my throat and text back "yup!" :) Thank you Julie, I love you. 

I'm getting the hang of it and my granola has been my saving grace really. I truly think making your own granola is the easiest way to achieve a great start to your day. Homemade granola also tastes way better than any store bought brand and if you have little ones, it is pretty darn fun to make together. I made this combination with chia seeds since that seems to help keep you full for longer. I also sweetened it with natural and raw ingredients so I can feel good about eating a bunch of it at one time or multiple mornings through out the week. This combination though fairly simple is one of my best! I hope you all enjoy it. The recipe makes a big batch and I use mason jars to store it. Sometimes open the mason jar and eat the granola as if I am taking a large swig of coffee. I do this while feeding Mila breakfast, answering emails or starting a load of laundry. 

Eat breakfast friends! And have the best morning! 

SIMPLE GRANOLA

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Servings: 1 hour + cooling time

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup of coconut oil

3/4 cup raw honey

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup whole almonds

1 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 flax seeds

1 cup dried cranberries

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup maple sryup

You'll need parchment paper for baking & air tight containers to store granola.

STEPS

1

Start by pre-heating your oven to 300 degrees. Pull out two mixing bowls, one large and one small.

2

In the large mixing bowl mix together all your dry ingredients (except the dried cranberries).

3

In the small mixing bowl whisk together the raw honey, coconut oil and maple syrup. Whisk together until smooth. You can warm in the microwave for a few seconds to get a smooth and well-mixed consistency.

4

Prep a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

5

Mix together your wet and dry ingredients. Use a spatula to evenly coat the dry ingredients with the coconut oil mixture. Once everything is coated, spread out evenly on to the baking sheet.

6

Bake your granola for about 25 minutes. Then stir with the spatula and add the dried cranberries. Place bake into the oven for about 25 more minutes.

7

Once the oats and pine nuts are golden brown put out your granola and just let it sit for 15 minutes to cool. Sprinkle on your salt as it cools. Don't stir it before it cools, this way once it is cool it will break into chunks.

8

Once cooled, break it up and store in an air tight container for up to two weeks.