Best Homemade Granola Ever

So I think my search for an amazing granola recipe is over. This one is not as "healthy" as the banana granola recipe because it has brown sugar in it. But I like it better because this recipe creates a nice crunchy granola that goes great with my daily 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt. Mmmm... it is a must try and so easy to make!

2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider (I juiced half an apple and it turned out great)
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup chopped/sliced roasted almonds or pistachios
2/3 cup cereal nuggets (like grape-nuts but I didn't have any so I used some corn flakes to add more crunch)
2/3 cup dried fruit (I don't like dried fruit but cherries, raisins, apricots are some good ideas)
1/2 cup sunflower seed kernnels
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

In a large non-stick skillet, combine sugar and cider. Cook on medium-high heat about 3 minutes or til sugar dissolves, stirring frequently.

Stir in oats and remaining ingredients. Continue to cook in skillet 5 minutes or until granola is lightly browned, stirring frequently.

If you want extra crunchy granola, bake on 325 for about 15 minutes stirring frequently to keep edges from burning.

Cool completely. Store in air tight container up to a week.

Banana Granola

So a couple Fridays ago I was brain storming ways to eat healthier and cheaper. After much deliberation, I decided that making my own granola would be a good way to start. I went searching for recipes and found some great ideas that I mixed and matched to come up with my own healthy granola.

This is the granola recipe that I came up with.

2. cup rolled oats
1 ripe banana
3/4 cup water
1 Tbs honey/syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup roasted almonds, sliced
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

First,  blend banana, water, syrup/ honey, cinnamon, vanilla and sea salt.

In large bowl, toss wet ingredients with oats, and nuts.

Lay out on baking sheet and bake for about 40 min stirring every 10 minutes.

The Joys of Juicing

Some time last week my husband and I watched the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. It was very interesting and sparked an interest in other food research. We quickly discovered that we, as most Americans, were remarkably deficient with our fruit and vegetable intake.

After doing some further investigating we decided to try a juice fast. Basically, a juice fast is when a person abstains from solid foods for a period of time and only drinks fresh veggie and fruit juice. We would juice lots of veggies and fruits and that is what we ate for two days. (Now, please know that I do not claim to be a professional and do not recommend doing a juice fast without first consulting a dr) Originally, we were going to do a juice fast for about a week but because we are very active and workout a lot we decided that it would be better for us to take in solid foods as well. So we began eating lots of fruits and veggies with the juice and gradually added proteins back in to our diet as well.

It has been almost a week since we got the juicer and I do not regret getting the juicer at all. I see a juice fast as a "recalibration" of my digestive system and taste buds. I have never wanted to eat fruits and veggies like I do right now. If I think about a Mcdonalds Big Mac or any other fast food meal I just about vomit in my mouth. Studies have shown that people benefit from every meal being 51% raw fruits and vegetables and I love knowing that I am getting that in a concentrated juice form.

Now, when I don't get my juice for a while I begin to feel groggy and tired. I try to take in at least a half cup of juice per meal (every three hours) and I am able to go the entire day without feeling tired at all.  It is an amazing feeling to get all the vitamins I need naturally. It's something that I can't really convey in words and so I would encourage all to get a juicer and add natures juice to your diet.

Sweet Lemon Bread

This bread is absolutely amazing. I love baking quick breads like this one because I don't have to wait for it to rise before I can stuff my face with it. It ends up being solid enough to eat by hand making it perfect for a quick breakfast, addition to a lunch, snack or a yummy dessert.

Prep: 15 min

Bake: 55 min



1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 large lemon

1/2 unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Oil a 9x5 in loaf pan.

2. In a bowl, use a fork to stir four with baking powder and salt. Stir in grated half a lemon.

3. In a seperate bowl, use an electric mixer on medium to beat the butter. Gradually beat in 1 cup of the sugar. Beat for 2 min. Beat in eggs, vanilla and milk.

4. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture just until batter is moist. Don't overmix. Pour into the loaf pan and smooth the top.

5. Bake in the center of the oven until golden and a skewer comes out clean, 55-56 min. The top cracking is normal as the top sets before the bread has fully risen.

6. While the loaf is baking take your lemon and squeeze about 3 Tbs juice into a small bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup sugar but don't worry if sugar doesn't fully dissolve.

7. When your loaf is fully baked, remove from oven and place pan on a rack. Immediately use a skewer or fork to poke several holes into the loaf. Drizzle or  brush half of the glaze onto the loaf and let sit 10 min. After running a knife around the sides of the bread, turn out loaf then place top side up on cooling rack. Drizzle or brush remaining glaze over the loaf.

8. Dig in!

As a side note, Cocoa Bean seems to have taken a liking to the smell of lemon.

 

Healthy Pizza

We all love pizza, right? If you are anything like me, cravings for things I should not have inhibit my ability to think rationally and pizza is right up there with Twizzlers and dark chocolate. Unfortunately, the average caloric intake of a slice of Dominos deep dish is not worth it for some of us. So I did some searching and tried a couple of pizza dough recipes. This one is my favorite so far and I wanted to share it because it is just oh so yummy.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Prep time: 20 minutes + 30-60 minutes rest time
Cook time: 425 degrees for 16-20 min

1 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1Tbs active dry yeast
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp
salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (seperated)

1. In large bowl place your water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and let sit about 10 minutes til foamy.
2. Stir in your oil and salt.
3. Add your wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour. Stir til dough comes together.
4. Spread your remaining 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour on a hard surface and pour the dough onto the flour. Knead dough until all of the flour has been picked up and dough is smooth (about 10 minutes).
5. In medium bowl, pour a bit of oil and turn dough til covered in the oil.
6. Cover, lightly with a tea towel and allow to rise in warm room for about and hour or til double in size.
7. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
This makes a thick crust pizza so for thin crust divide your dough into two pieces. Roll out, add your toppings and bake on oiled baking sheet 16-20 minutes.
Enjoy!

For less calories you can use these healthy replacements:

Turky pepperoni
Fat free mozerella cheese
94% fat free ham