Hungry No More

I know I keep saying what will be next on this blog and then fail, fail, fail to write about it.  I now vow to NOT tell you what will be written and photographed next.  I will simply write about it and you will have to love it. This is the metaphorical, "You will eat what we are having for dinner and you will like it," of the blogging world. With that said I have been thinking a lot of when we were younger and the cost of being hungry.

There is much written in this world about the frivolity of man.  There are whole reality shows that surround this and people enjoy them.  One thing you hear little of, unless it is in a commercial, is hunger. We were the kind of poor that hit us all the way down to our stomachs. I, personally, loved the free breakfast and free lunch programs at school.  The food may have been terrible, but at least it was food.  But as I grew older and time marched on I still struggled with being hungry.  

One area I still struggle with is eating breakfast. When you are so used to eating sugar cereal in a cafeteria or the proverbial corn flakes in college, a real breakfast is not often on the list of things to do. I resorted to a cup of coffee and a slice toast for years, but now I am determined to start my days off right.  A full breakfast (the eggs and bacon deal) is a treat that my stomach can barely handle. Eating in the morning still makes me ill at times because I once ate a full breakfast with a stomach the size of a walnut and it did not last long. With a little help, I have decided to not let my past dictate what I eat in the morning.

My new favorite morning treat?

Granola.

I know. After all that you would think that I would want something else, but it's not the case.  I love homemade granola.

Here is the end product.  It is sooooo good.

Now on to the recipe!

Start with these Bob's red mill products.  I have tried Quaker and other products.  Pay the higher price for these and you will not regret it.  Use half the bag of the extra thick rolled oats and the whole bag of the 5 grain cereal.  Place them in a large bowl.  This makes A LOT of granola and you will need room to mix it. 

With what?  

I am glad you asked!!

Add 1 cup of slivered almonds (Trader Joe's has the best and cheapest selection)/ 1 cup of chopped walnuts/ 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (Bob's red mill sells another great product here)/ 1 tablespoon of cinnamon/ 1/2 tsp kosher salt

The last batch I made I traded out the walnuts for toasted pumpkin seeds.  I highly recommend this!

In a measuring cup mix 1 cup of REAL maple syrup (please no fake products here)/ 3/4 cup of canola oil/ 1/2 cup Lyles's golden syrup or simple syrup made from raw sugar/1 TBsp vanilla extract (I make my own but Penzeys spices sell a great product)/ 1 tsp almond extract/ and then whisk it all together.  If you are impatient and cannot wait the five minutes it takes to emulsify this mixture, please feel free to use a blender.

Now add the two together and using a rubber spatula start mixing.

Here is the mixture.  It should look shiny and moist.  There should not be any dry flakes of the mixture.

Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and divide the mixture between the two pans.  Then spread the mixture evenly.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.  Once heated place the pans on the top two racks and bake for 45 minutes.  Then switch the pans once the time is up and bake for another 45 minutes. increase the temp to 275 degrees and switch the pans again for another 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the granola in for 3 hours to dry and crisp.

Now store them in jars with tight lids just like this one...

Sprinkle it over yogurt.

Try it just with some reduced fat milk.

Or eat it as a snack right out of a ziplock bag.

I know you will love it.  Just do me one LITTLE favor... the next time you feel the pangs of hunger consider donating to your local food bank or to No Kid Hungry. Even a $1.00 donation can add up over time. Do it for me....the kid who once went hungry and know you are making a HUGE difference in a little one's life.

See you next time!

Athena