spiced pumpkin pecan granola

The change of seasons, from free-spirited summer months to cozy autumn days, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The change is not only evident in the vivid colored trees that line the streets and the leaves that crunch under foot, but I'm also feeling it on the inside. I'm ready for something new. I'm ready to leave the old behind, pick up everything, and go. I'm ready to run with open arms to the new opportunities that are just around the corner. It's so exciting. 

While I'd surely rather be boarding an airplane and getting on my way to some faraway country, I don't think that will be happening anytime soon (but hey, you never know :)). Since coming home from our time in Africa, I've realized a seed has been planted inside of me that doesn't want to stay in one place for too long. As I go to new places, the seed grows, begins to sprout, and turns into full-on addiction that's begging to be fed. And the only way that will happen is if I go somewhere new, somewhere I'm not used to, and emerge my self in the culture and new surroundings. Mmm, that just sounds glorious. 

While I wait for these opportunities to present themselves, I'll be cuddling in bed with endless cups of tea, fuzzy socks, my knitting project, and bowls of pumpkin granola. YES. Pumpkin granola. This is real life, guys. Typically, I'm a purist when it comes to granola. Give me the basics, and I'm happy. But since I was away from my beloved pumpkin for three years, let's just say we're making up for lost time. I can't even explain this granola except for it tastes like autumn in a bowl. Pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cozy spices, chopped pecans, and sweet raisins make for one glorious breakfast.

You'll never regret adding pumpkin to your granola, I promise. 

Comfort zones are overrated anyways. 

spiced pumpkin pecan granola

2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 tbsp. pure maple syrup (or honey)

1/4 c. pumpkin puree

2 tbsp. brown sugar

3 1/2 c. oats

2/3 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 c. raisins

1/2 c. raw pecans, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 

2. In a large bowl, mix all wet ingredients together until smooth. 

3. Add oats and spices. Stir until evenly combined. 

4. Gently fold in chopped pecans and raisins. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. 

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container, jar, or plastic bag. 

dark chocolate chunk peanut butter granola cookies

I'm quite sure this blog is slowly transitioning to a collection of recipes based around O Glorious Peanut Butter when emergencies strike for fellow fiends like myself. It seems like almost every other recipe I post has "peanut butter" somewhere in the title. Not the worst thing ever, but it might be getting old for some people… I'm definitely not one of those people. 

You'd be surprised to know I actually DO bake without peanut butter on occasion. BUT it just so happens that the recipes that turn out, end up being the ones with peanut butter so that's what you end up seeing. I'm hoping to come up with some different recipes though over the next month when I'm finally freed from the chains of school {two weeks, guys. Two weeks.}

In the meantime, I'm sticking with what I know for weekday study snacks. I KNOW PEANUT BUTTER. Very well. Ever since discovering that you can make really bomb peanut butter cookies with just a few simple ingredients, my mind has turned into a peanut butter cookie idea machine- it's true. Some of my favorite experiments so far have been these chunky peanut butter oatmeal dark chocolate cookies, these honey peanut butter & coconut cookies, and these PB&J crumb bars. What's another PB recipe for the repertoire, amiright?! 

These cookies have been an idea merely floating around in my mind for quite awhile. They're soft, chewy, and crunchy. Not to mention, I'm a total sucker for ooey gooey chocolate puddles. Be still my heart! You could switch out the granola for a different add-in (whatever nuts, seeds, dried fruit) or whatever your heart pleases OR just leave it out all together although you may have to add some extra flour. They're full of everything you could ever want in life- chocolate, granola, and peanut butter. Seriously my three favorite food groups all wrapped up in a cookie! SCORE. 

dark chocolate chunk peanut butter granola cookies (vegan)

1/4 c.  coconut oil, room temperature

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

3 tbsp. nondairy milk

1/4 c. maple syrup/honey

1/4 c. dark brown sugar

3/4 c. granola

1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. wholewheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 c. chopped dark chocolate {I used 85%}

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk coconut oil, peanut butter, vanilla, milk, and sweeteners until smooth and creamy. Add flour, granola, and baking powder. Mix until evenly combined. Gently fold in dark chocolate chunks. Scoop onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown around the edges but still soft in the middle. Let cool before placing in a container to store. Recipe yields about 1 dozen cookies. 

brownie batter granola

Some days just kind of suck. Some days are called "Mondays." Some days you have a bunch of science homework to catch up on and suddenly it's like your science books just grabbed a pair of shoes and waddled right out of your sight. Some days your brothers are so loud and your sister is screaming and you need to get work done, but your brain can't read more than two words before having to start over. Some days your house is filled with loud little hooligans that have really high pitched laughs. Some days it's pouring rain outside so you can't leave your house. Some days your brother finishes the tub of hummus you wanted to stress-eat. Some days you feel like you want to scream in the face of every human. 

But alas! There is hope. And that hope… Is chocolate. It never disappoints and never fails to lift your emotions a tad. 

Mondays always suck for me so it's no surprise most of my baking (and chocolate consumption.) occurs on Monday afternoons. It's my stress-reliever. When my brothers leave the house and I have a few minutes to gather my thoughts, in to the kitchen I go. Grab a bowl. Grab some jars from the cupboards. Produce something delicious. And then eat way too much of that said something delicious. (Chocolate granola fueled runs are the BEST. Endless energy, no joke.) It's really amazing what a yummy snack and a sweaty workout can do to a person's wellbeing. 

This granola is nothing short of amazing and I'm not just throwing around words when I say that it tastes like brownie batter. The dark brown sugar and touch of molasses aren't all up in your face, but add a really nice, dark sweetness. It's crunchy, crispy, and chunky, sure to satisfy any early morning chocolate cravings. Or chocolate cravings any time of day, really. 

brownie batter granola {GF & Vegan}

1 1/3 c. oats

1/4 c. wheatgerm

1/4 c. ground flax

6 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tbsp. dark brown sugar

1/4 c. canola oil

3 tbsp. molasses

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk oats, wheatgerm, flax, and cocoa powder. Add brown sugar, oil, molasses, and vanilla. Stir until evenly combined. Pour onto prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes stirring once throughout at about the 15 minute mark. Let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container or jar. 

chunky monkey granola

I got sick last week. For the first time in over a year. I guess my green smoothies and excessive workouts failed me. I came down with this nasty cold, complete with a congested chest, a nose that ran like Niagra, a scratchy throat, and what seemed like a little soldier playing drums around in my noggin. What a dream those few days were. My life consisted of hot food, reruns of the Office, and Pinterest for four days straight. Seeing that I workout 5 or 6 times a week, it's become a part of me. And when I CAN'T do it, I honestly feel like a whale. Light yoga and short walks don't do for me what benching and leg presses do.

I have a long {and I mean LONG.} list of recipe ideas lingering about on my desk with only about 5 of them actually crossed out. I had big ol plans to make a dent in it this weekend, so I dragged myself out of bed to make a cake. Yes, after three days in pajamas, a runny nose, and pounding headache, I decided I'd make a cake. 'Cuz I'm sure pretty much everyone does that. I was so excited and it lifted my spirits a little! … Until I pulled it out of the oven. It sank into this gooey disaster and I kid you not, I had tears streaming down my face as I bent over the stove, fork in hand, emotionally eating half the cake straight from the pan. That was quite the sight to behold. *Sniff, snort. Sniff, snort.*

My brother loves when I make granola, so I thought I'd be that super cool sister that I am and make him a batch when my family went to church and I stayed home and watched Friends in my pjs because that dang sickness just wouldn't leave me alone. I wasn't planning on posting it, but ohmahwerrd. You guys it's amazing. It's full of chocolatey, peanut buttery, banana-y goodness, crisp and crunchy and it ranks pretty high on the scale-o-chunkage! OH YAH. I live for granola chunks. I'm not even going to tell you, because I say this every single time I make granola. But… 

It's the best. It's a universal truth that can not be ignored. 

chunky monkey granola

1 1/2 c. oats

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 banana, mashed

1/4 c. creamy peanut butter

3 tbsp. pure maple syrup

2 tbsp. coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. rice cereal

1/2 c. peanuts

1/2 c. banana chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until evenly combined. Pour onto prepared baking sheet, spreading it into a single layer. Bake for 15-25 minutes, stirring once throughout. Let cool before transferring to an airtight container or jar. 

cinnamon spiced cocoa granola with toasted coconut & almonds

Ok, so before we get fly into chocolate and granola and all this greatness, I have a little bit of wisdom to share. Lame, I know. But bear with me… I reward with food. 

I seriously love walking to and from the gym, especially with the cold, rainy weather we've been having. Those short walks give me time to actually hear myself think {two brothers and a baby in the house. NOIZEEE.}. And the other day, I had this divine revelation… Or as my mother called it an epiphany if you wanna get all fancy-wordy-pants. 

On the way home from the gym, I was going over in my head what I had done for my workout that day. It wasn't much; I didn't do a million reps of a trillion sets of a zillion exercises {if you can do that, I applaud you.} But what I did do, I felt like I did really well and felt super good about it. I'm trying to apply that concept to every aspect of my life. 

To my school {my grades. Ugh.} I get so caught up in the amount of school I have to get done rather than focusing on how good I do. Plus the fact that I'm supposed to be done with 10th grade in March… I can slow down if I need to. To my devotions- it doesn't matter how much time I spend in the Word, but that the time I do spend is good and I learn something from it. You can spend hours upon hours with your nose in the Bible and not get anything out of it. But you can also just spent ten minutes or so reading and in prayer and come away from it feeling refreshed and renewed. To my friends- I seriously have no friends. People just suck and people move to other countries. But I'd rather have ZERO friends than a bunch of crappy ones. To my blog- I really need to work on this. But only posting the recipes that were top notch and with good photos. In the blogging world, you get so caught up in what everyone else is doing. "Oh she posts 6 times a week, so I should too." What works for other people doesn't necessarily work for you. 

What I'm trying to say is… Quality over quantity. Do what you gotta do and do it GOOD even if that means doing a little less or working a little slower. Do whatever it is that helps you to put your best work forward. For the record, tons of work does not mean it's good work. In fact, in the long run, if it's really not done well, you only get behind because you have to go back and fix your careless mistakes. I speak from experience.

Time for granola now! You're rejoicing, I just know it. 

Remember what I was saying about putting my best work forward? Well. This granola here truly is divine and I edited the pictures about 5 different times before they turned out how I wanted them to. Truly the worst thing ever is when you have one heckuva recipe and cruddish photos. 

I made some chocolate granola with toasted coconut sometime back in the yesteryears. Three empty bowls and a chocolaty mouth later, I really regretted not writing down the recipe. Of course, I just got to making it for the blog last week, but better late than never. 

I amped up this recipe by adding cinnamon which adds a nice kick and almonds for extra crunch {and fibahhhh and prahhhtein.} It's fantastic on it's own, but what's really insane is sprinkling it on top of smoothies. Or filling a bowl with half smoothie, half granola. You know how it is. 

cinnamon spiced cocoa granola with toasted coconut & almonds

2 1/2 c. oats {I use quick-cooking}

2 tbsp. flax seeds

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 tbsp. oil {coconut oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, etc.}

5 tbsp. pure maple syrup {or liquid sweetener}

1/2 c. raw almonds, roughly chopped

1/2 c. coconut chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except coconut and almonds. Pour onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring through once during the baking time. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Add coconut and almonds to a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes or until just lightly toasted and brown. Stir into granola. Let cool completely before transferring to a container.

coconut almond granola clusters

Oh you guys. This granola took up basically a whole afternoon of my life! Not like I had anything better to do. But I am stubborn and things gotta be what I want it to be. Thats sounds so horrible… Ehhh well. I took pictures in a different spot than I usually do. Those basically sucked, so I wasted forever and a day only to delete them. Then I retook them, edited them, deleted like a 100, uploaded them, and even now I hardly like them. Then I had this post all written up, closed the page because I thought my eyeballs might fall out since I had been sitting in front of the computer, staring at pictures of granola for about two hours. 

It gets even better. When I went back in, HEY LOOK. All my hilarious, witty writing was GONE. Nowhere to be seen! Shoot me in the face and kill all my dreams of unicorns and rainbows, why don't you. I almost cried. Not even kidding. {Hashtag blogger probs.} On top of that, because of all the shooting and reshooting and moving to and fro from different bowls and what not, the granola was so crispy that it kinda lost it's chunkers. UGH. I initially made it for my pre-gym snacks this week, but it didn't even make it to Tuesday.

So yah, this granola has to be a big deal for me to spend hooooooooours relentlessly working on a post. I think I'm becoming a granola expert, not to toot my own horn or anything. But just click on the granola tab on my sidebar and you'll see what I'm talking about. There's pages and pages {and paaaaages} of the stuff.

I am really picky when it comes to the granola I shove in meh face. It has to be crunchy, crispy, super duper sweet, and CLUMPY. I'm a clump-freak. And if you're a fellow clump-freak, this granola is for you. I've made far too many granola recipes that turn out basically like dry oats. That's disgusting and disappointing. So I set out on a journey… A journey to clumpy granola happiness. 

I did my research on granola and I came up with four steps necessary for that chunkage we just love and adore. NUMERO UNO- egg whites. I've never used egg whites in my granola up until now but have seen many recipes using them. The egg whites add crisp and crunch to the granola. We're heading in the right direction, amiright!? Secondly- quick cooking oats. As much as I love the rustic look of those huge rolled oats floating around my cereal bowl, they're not your friend in this situation. Quick cooking oats are smaller and thus will stick together easier than rolled oats would. We want our oats to stick together. Know what I mean?? Neeeeext- low and slow baking. This ensures that the granola gets evenly baked and all golden brown like we love. Last and most importantly- Minimal stirring. We all know I'm the most impatient lady around so this is where I basically have to sit on my hands, eyes glued to the oven, spatula out of reach. We only stir the granola ONCE through the entire baking process because we don't want to break up their happy little friendships that are being built. {Sorry, I'm tired.} Stick to those steps and you, my friend, are on your way to GRANOLA CLUSTER HEAVEEEEEEN. 

coconut almond granola clusters 

2 c. quick cooking oats

1/2 c. coconut flakes

3/4 c. raw almonds, roughly chopped

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 egg white

1/3 c. dark brown sugar

1/2 c. maple syrup or honey

2 tbsp. oil

Preheat oven to 325ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until evenly combined. Pour onto baking sheet, pressing down with a rubber spatula like you would press down granola bars. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and lightly stir around. Press down again and return to oven. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool before breaking into chunks. Store in a jar or airtight container. 

chocolate chip cookie dough energy bites

Yes, I still exist. Honestly, I have no other excuse for not blogging other than the fact that I didn't feel like baking slash making food for a few weeks there. I blame that on this ridic heat. Good lord, you guys, it's so hot. Considering that I'm one of those weird people who have to be like in arctic conditions in order to fall asleep at night, I'm not really loving this whole no AC thing. My solution is showering right before bed, not drying off, and putting the fan on high. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! My baking schedule needed to change, so now when I feel like whipping together a batch of granola or banana bread, I have to do it at night or early in the morning. Otherwise it feels like I'm in the devil's oven by about 10 a.m. 

In other news, since I last wrote, I did this really weird thing. I joined a gym. I KNOWWWWWWRIIIGHTTT. It all happened one day when we were at the doctor's office and I heard the music pumping in the gym next door. That was all I needed. It's just something to do I guess, because most days I don't even leave the house except for going for a run or occasionally going to the grocery store. {Isn't that depressing? No life, I tell you.} So even on my boring days, I will have had gone to the gym. 

My friend and I started last week and I'm pretty sure there's been more laughing going on than actual exercising. We make fools out of ourselves and I'm pretty sure the adults there think we're insane. Seriously, we were laughing so hard the other day when our treadmills seemed to have a mind of their own. It was actually kind of scary… I looked at the panel thing and saw my speed just going up and up and up without me touching anything! If it wasn't for my ninja-like reflexes, I could have been run off the back of the treadmill and against the wall like on a cartoon. 

Every morning before I leave, I like to eat something small and carby to keep my blood sugars and energy level while I'm at the gym. Sure, bananas are all fine and good, but YO. I already eat like 5 throughout the day {I have an addiction. Now you know.}, so I'd prefer something a little different. Last week's pre-gym treat was these raw chocolate truffles. Those things are my favorite and I could shove a whole batch in my face hole in a matter of minutes if I wasn't careful. When I finished those, I wanted to come up with a new energy bite concoction. I have a million ideas in my noggin, but chocolate chip cookie dough was first up. 

If you're wondering why they look so messy, it's because I thought I would try making my own dairy-free chocolate chips using coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup. I've used this combo before and it firms up beautifully, but for some reason this time it didn't. Maybe it's because I was impatient, but they turned out more like little fudge chips. You can use regular chocolate chips, chopped dark chocolate, or other dairy-free chocolate chips. Whatever works! Chocolate mess aside, these energy bites really do taste like cookie dough. I think it was the combo of maple syrup and cashew butter, but these are LEGIT. 

chocolate chip cookie dough energy bites

1 c. oats

1/4 c. flax seeds

1/4 c. coconut flakes

1 c. chopped dates

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. pure maple syrup

1/4 c. cashew butter

3 tbsp. dairy-free milk 

1/2 c. chocolate chips 

Place oats, coconut, and flax in a blender or food processor and pulse until a flour has formed. Add the remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips and pulse until combined. Pour into a bowl and stir in chocolate chips. Roll into balls and store refrigerated in an airtight container. Makes about 9-10 large bites. 

banana bread granola parfait

I'm an absolute freak about breakfast. Like a total, legit fuhhh-reeeeeak. You know those people who couldn't care less about breakfast and are like "OOOOH YERRRRRR, I forgot to eat this morning."?? I'm the absolute farthest from that person that you'll ever meet. I go to bed with breakfast on the mind. I wake up with breakfast on the mind. I workout with breakfast on the mind. It's like some sort of disease I have. OOHHHH WEEEE-AAAALLLL. 

Even though I love it, doesn't mean I get bored though. As we all know, I have the attention span of an ADHD ant, so I need to switch it up quite often. I kind of go through spurts with my breakfasts. One week all I want is oatmeal. The next is smoothies. Sometimes eggs. Toast with peanut butter, banana, honey, and cinnamon. Toast with smashed avocado and fried eggs. I love it all. Espeshhhh granola. My favorite way to eat it is with yogurt, but then I realized that dang dairy is what makes my skin get all wonky-tonk. I didn't totally give up dairy because herrroooo, it's one of my favorite foods ever. But I still eat yogurt about once a week to prevent me from opening the fridge and downing a whole container of it. It could happen. 

Anywho, this parfait is pretty dang simple. Banana bread granola- which totally tastes like banana bread. Ironic, no? It's sweet, chewy, and chunky. Mehhh jam. Layered with plain yogurt and sliced 'nerrnerrs. Now you've got yourself a banana-rama-licious breakfast! Rejoice. DISCLOSURE- Usually when I eat granola and yogurt, I just throw it in a bowl with some fruit. It's never layered and pretty like you see herrrrrr. In fact. After I finished the pictures, I just dumped it in a container to eat for breakfast the next morning. HEHHH. Classy. Oh, P.S. Combining the granola, yogurt, and banana in a bowl and letting it sit in the fridge overnight… NOT a bad idea. Like my beloved overnight oats but with a little more chew to it. Noms. 

banana bread granola 

2 c. oats

1/3 c. granulated sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 c. mashed banana

1/4 c. honey 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. coconut oil

1 c. banana chips

1/2 c. chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease or line a baking sheet; set aside. In a large bowl, stir all ingredients except banana chips and nuts until evenly combined. Pour onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes stirring about 3-4 times until golden brown. Add in banana chips and nuts and transfer to an airtight container or jar. 

Parfait: 

1/2 c. granola

1 large banana, sliced

1/2 c. plain yogurt

In a small bowl or glass, layer half the granola on the bottom of the glass, half the banana, half the yogurt and repeat. 

maple flax cashew butter granola

I am seriously so easily excited, it's kinda odd but a good thing nonetheless. It doesn't take much to perk me up. AT. ALL. Bring me a cup of coffee without asking and we'll be BFFs. Text me in the morning and I'll love you forever. Give me a bar of 70% dark chocolate and I'll dance with endless jubilee. Come over with a tub of ice cream and a chick flick and I'm the happiest camper that ever roamed the lands. I'm not even gonna tell you how excited I got when I was home alone this morning and found Friends was on. Three episodes even! Boomcachowpoooow. Oh and when I found coconut oil at the store? Pretty sure my week was made. Almost two years living in a place where food trends never see the light of day sort of does weird things to a {already weird} person. 

I just got done saying how easy I am to please, but when I found the coconut oil I was thinking "NOOOOOW I just need to find nut butter other than peanut butter." Sure enough, when we were out of town yesterday, scanning the isles of the grocery store for anything awesome or American that we can't find in our little town, I found cashew butter. I'm not even going to tell you how much it cost. Let's just say my dad told me "Merry Christmas!". Which means I probably shouldn't be eating it out of the jar with a spoon like I dooooooes. ANYWAYS. I got really psyched. Last week, coconut oil, and now cashew butter? Winning at life. *fist bump, yo*  Guys, that stuff is fan-freaking-tastic. I want to cover anything and everything with cashew butter. Including my face. MMMM. 

While I'm thinking of ways to use my precious cashew buttahhh other than eating it with a spoon or smothering it on toast, I figured I'd start with granola. Because granola basically is the best breakfast food eeeeeever. I've started making my granola in smaller batches recently because I basically have no self control and if there's an overabundance of the stuff sitting on the counter, I think it my duty to shove it down my face hole. If only granola-eating was an actual paying job, I'd totally be loaded. And then I'd go back and clear off that shelf of fancy-pantsy cashew butter. 

maple flax cashew butter granola

1 1/2 c. quick cooking oats

1/3 c. puffed brown rice cereal

2 tbsp. coconut oil

3 tbsp. cashew butter

3 tbsp. organic maple syrup

1/4 c. flax seeds

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until evenly combined. Pour onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven occasionally {about ever 5-6 minutes}, stirring the granola around so that it doesn't burn. Let cool before removing to a jar or plastic container to store. Serve with milk or yogurt and fruit or by itself for an afternoon munchie!

nut & seed granola

When we were in Windhoek last week {which is the capital of Namibia- about 3 hours away from our town.}, ya know- the same time I didn't sleep on a hard hotel room floor and nearly died from a horrible cold? Yah, that time.

When we were there, we always make sure to get in some shopping because it seems like pretty much anywhere but in Otji, there's better stores. {The grass is always greener on the other side.} We quickly popped into one of the grocery stores and I was so excited to see the amount of health food they had! Seriously, nothing fancy around here- just sunflower seeds and almonds in the health food aisle at our grocery store in town.

At this one though, there were flax seeds, wheat germ, rolled oats {you can only usually find quick oats.}, puffed brown rice cereal, agave, and I even saw a sticker for quinoa although I couldn't find the actual bag which made me sad since I've heard about all it's ancient powers but never actually gotten to try the stuff.

Anyways, I basically grabbed every bag of healthy greatness in my peripheral vision and was so excited to get home and use it in my baking!

First up, I made granola. Usually when I make granola, I'm the only one who eats it. This time, my family inhaled it and it was gone within 24 hours which I found to be quite shocking since my granola jar is usually full throughout the week. It was definitely some of my favorite granola I've made in awhile so I decided to remake it, measure, take pictures, post, ya da ya da ya da.

And here ya have it, folks! Nut and seed granola. I added in some flax and sunflower seeds, wheat germ {which gives it a nice nutty flavor that I totally dig}, and brown rice cereal because I love the crunch it adds to each bite. I also used some mixed nuts we had on hand, but you can use only almonds, only walnuts, or a mix of whatever. As always, it's super adaptable and you can easily change things up according to your tastes!

nut & seed granola

1 1/4 c. oats

1/3 c. puffed brown rice cereal

2 tbsp. wheat germ

1/2 c. chopped nuts

1/4 c. flax seeds

1/4 c. sunflower seeds

3 tbsp. dark brown sugar

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 c. honey

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until evenly combined. Pour onto lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Once cooled, transfer to a large jar or plastic container.

maple nut granola

Greetings, earthlings! I'm sure you all are wondering where the heyhey I've been… Or maybe you haven't, I don't know. Either way, I'm heeeeyah now! This last week has been quite the whirlwind. And it's only going to keep going. Our 'merrican visitors are leaving tomorrow, and *le sigh* I am sad to see them go. We had a great week doing a VBS with some cute little kiddies. I won't go into the details, but let's just say it's quite hectic and nothing like the organized VBSes in the States with coordinating snacks and decorations. Umm, no. Yesterday we had a Celebrate Jesus Youth Parade that has been 6 months in the making. All the planning, meetings, and hard work paid off. We had probably a thousand people show up, wonderful worship, prayer, and powerful messages. I was the photographer and WHOO! At the end of the day, it felt like I still had my camera strap around my neck. I also got SUPER sunburned in this dang African sun. On the upside, it will turn into a tan which I was really in desperate need of. 

Next week, we have lots of other things going on {which I can't even think of. I can't even remember what I'm doing tomorrow.} and our American team members {that actually live here.} are going back to the States a week from tomorrow for 6 months. I honestly can't believe they're actually leaving. They'd been talking about leaving for months and months but due to some complications, had to stay up until now. It's going to take some getting used to, that is for sure. We see each other almost every day and they've been such an encouragement to me since the day we got off the plane in Namibia. We're basically like siblings. Seriously, their mom said no friends one day but I was allowed over there because I count as family. It's going to be really difficult, but I'm spending as much time with those two as I can in the next six days and I'm praying for comfort and strength to get through it. I've thought about serenading them with Stay by Rihanna and bringing them cupcakes in hopes of getting them to not leave me. If you can't tell, I'm really super duper not looking forward to next Sunday when I give them the BIGGESTFREAKINGHUGEVER until they get their buns back here on New Years. I told my other friend I'm going to make him fat when they leave because I'm an emotional baker and/or eater and he'll get the good end of that deal. I'm also thinking he'll have to put up with an innumerable amount of tears and chick flicks. I probably won't be blogging for awhile. Life is so crazy.

I'm coming to realize the fact that I'm in Africa for a reason and I want to take advantage of the time I have here. Taking in all the scenes, sounds, and smells {err nah. BO isn't a smell you want to remember.} Of course, I love my blog, but I'm obviously not in Africa to blog about food when I'm around people on a daily basis who will go days without a bite to eat. It seems kinda weird, doesn't it? Don't worry, I'll still blog, but not as often as I used to. I like to have my blog as an escape when I have some down time or am stressed.

On a positive note… GRANOLA. Granola is the shiiiiiz and one of my ultimate comfort foods of choice {see where i'm going with this? yah.} Since our visitors brought us approximately 2353224553 gallons of homemade maple syrup, I figured I'd throw some in granola. 'Cuz why not. The weather here is so granola-worthy. It's winter now and in the mornings and nights, it gets SO COLD. Like 40 degrees cold. Didn't think that could happen in Africa, didya? That's Namibia- anything but stereotypical Africa. Anyways, I made this for breakfast this week because every morning, my mom would set out some granola from the store. But that stuff has lots of weird and unnecessary things in it {corn syrup? really?} and miiiiiiiiiine tastes way better. I'm just sayin'.

maple nut granola

2 c. quick-cooking oats 

1 1/2 c. puffed brown rice cereal

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 c. dark brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. chopped walnuts

1/2 c. organic maple syrup

2 tbsp. sunflower oil {or another oil}

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until evenly combined. Spread on a lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Once cooled, pour into a large jar or plastic container. 

peanut butter honey granola

Believe it or not, the last couple days here have been cold. For awhile, it was really nice, staying around the 70's all day, but lately? ahhmahhgahh. The mornings and nights are so frigid my toes want to fall off and my lips turn this super weird purplish color that would NOT make a good lipstick. It's horrible. Last night I slept in long pants and a sweatshirt, with two comforters and two blankets wrapped around me, yet I was still SHIVERING. And I'm in Africa, you say? What the what. This is so weird. My little noggin can't take it any longer. There's still a plus side though… I don't have to go running the second I wake up in the morning. During the summer months, it gets hot really early, so I usually go around 6. But I've been chilling in my jammies for the morning, drink my cup of coffee, watch my Food Network, and go running around 8:30. Even when I went this morning, it was still so cold! My toes were going numb and my face burned a little bit. But I guess that's better than sweating my buns off. 

Another reason why I'm totally digging this weather? Food. Figures, right? When it's cold out, all I want is comfort food. Lentil stew and chicken noodle soup for dinner? Check. Oatmeal, eggs, and pancakes for breakfast? Checkcheckcheck. One of my favorite breakfasts is granola. I haven't made it in forever since I figured out dairy was a part of my skin problems, and I preferred my granola with yogurt. Stubborn am I. However, with all this cold weather, I'm in the mood for something hearty in the morning like peanut butter. Seriously, how bad can it be? Not bad at all, my friend. Not bad at all. 

So I made granola! And I ate granola! A lot of granola! Way too much granola! Seriously, you guys I went into a peanut butter and brown rice cereal induced coma. Yes, I over did it, but I'll just eat a carrot for dinner and the guilt will be no more. Not that there's much to feel guilty about though… This granola is relatively healthy, full of good carbs, protein, fiber, and healthy fats from the peanut butter. It's super chewy and peanut buttery, and not too sweet. As I was mixing the granola, I couldn't keep my fingers out of there and took a bite or two. The granola tastes a little like peanut butter cookie dough! Then as I was baking it, I'd take it from the oven to stir it around and I think every time I did that, I took a chunk or too of granola. And then I took pictures which lead to more munching. I guess what I'm trying to say is… This stuff is madly addicting. No matter how much self control you have, I can almost guarantee you'll go weak at the knees and eat extremely large quantities. For breakfast, you could add it to your cereal with some yogurt and fruit. You could also throw this on top of ice cream or just munch on a handful for an afternoon snack. Either way, if you love peanut butter like I do, I think you will absotootly adore this granola. 

peanut butter honey granola

2 1/2 c. oats

1 1/2 c. brown rice cereal

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. honey

1/2 c. peanuts

In a large bowl, stir all of the ingredients until combined. Pour onto a lined cookie sheet and bake for 15-25 minutes. 

apple cinnamon baked muesli

So can we like, be real for a sec? The thing about being a blogger, is people only get to see the things that you choose to put out there- the pretty things, the good days, the yummy recipes, and the beautiful pictures. What you don't see are the REAL things that go on behind the scenes, the crappy days, the recipes that end up being thrown away, and the pictures that, even though you took 120 pictures, the lighting just wasn't right. I feel like I only write the funny cute things, but none of the stuff that's actually… going on in my life. So let's be real. I wanna talk. I don't know why, but it hit me this weekend that… I really don't have many friends. And it's getting old. Sure, I have three close friends and they're OHMYGOSHTHEFREAKINGBESTEST. But over the last year and a half since moving to Namibia, I haven't really clicked with anyone. And I think for the well being of a person, they NEED that person that they click with- they can cry with, laugh with, dance with, and be crazy with. I have a weird thing where I don't cry often, but when I do, it just comes in a random flood of emotions and the gates break open and the tears come pouring. Sunday night at youth group, during worship, I all of a sudden couldn't sing the lyrics. My eyes started feeling like they were about to pop out of my head from holding back all the tears that were threatening to spill. After worship, my nose was running and one of the leaders came up to me and asked me if I was feeling sick. And at that question, I just let go. I burst into tears. I sat down and just… couldn't stop. Then one of my best friends came up, asked if I was okay, and asked if I needed to talk. I nodded my head and we headed outside. I told him what was going on. I feel excluded. and lonely. Things have gotten mixed up and I've been hurt. I was sitting there thinking I have no friends when I had a wonderful one sitting right there, letting me cry my eyeballs out, and encouraging me to the best of his ability. Sure, I could sit here feeling sorry for myself, OR I could be thankful for the gosh dang awesome people God HAS put in my life and do my best to meet new people. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm struggling, yes, and have been feeling like I'm on the verge of tears all weekend. My eyes burn from crying so much, and my mind is confused by a million and five things. But I'll get through it and at the end, I'll be a better person because of the trials I've gone through and the courage I've taken to step out of my comfort zone. So what the heck does this have to do with breakfast? Well not much. Other than the fact that when I'm stressed and feeling like a pile of dog crap, I go into the kitchen and whip up something yummy, and for those few minutes, everything's ok. Be cool. Eat food. 

apple cinnamon baked muesli

2 c. muesli

1/2 c. sunflower seeds

1/2 c. flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

3/4 c. milk

1/4 c. honey

1 c. applesauce

2 small apples

In a small bowl, combine the muesli, seeds, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add eggs, honey, milk, and applesauce. Pour batter into a greased 9x7 pan. Bake at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes.