Cinnamon Raisin Granola

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but I love cinnamon. Also, raisins, the original favorite dried fruit. I love mixing the combination into oatmeal and of course adding cinnamon to oatmeal raisin cookies. I’ve never tried making granola before, and couldn’t believe how easy it was. With the honey and brown sugar, this isn’t the healthiest snack, but it is very filling. I love eating it dry for a snack, or with cold milk or yogurt. With a little warm milk, this would make a great cold weather snack.

CINNAMON RAISIN GRANOLA Quick and easy homemade granola Prep time: 10 minutes Bake time:  30 minutes INGREDIENTS: 3 cups old fashion or steel cut oats 1 1/2 cup raisins 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds 1/4 cup ground flax seed 1 tbsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg a pinch of salt 1/2 cup honey 1/4 cup grape seed oil (you could also use coconut or canola) 1/4 cup brown sugar DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 300F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Once again, grind the flax seed. A coffee grinder would be ideal for this, but I used a food processor/blender. It took a little more patience and stirring but still worked well. Combine the oats, raisins, almonds, flax seed, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt in an over-sized bowl. In a small saucepan and over medium-low heat, combine the oil, honey and brown sugar. Stir frequently until the brown sugar starts to dissolve, this should take no more than 5 minutes; do not bring to a boil. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the oat mixture and stir. This isn’t something you would need a mixer for. Just a few quick stirs to make sure everything is coated and you’re good to go. Spread the oat mixture on the parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes. After the initial 15 minutes, stir/flip/turn the granola. Check and turn the granola every 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Mine was done in 30 minutes, but I have a gas oven- which can be a little dryer of a heat. Let cool. I left mine on the cookie sheet for a few hours. NOTES: Deciding when the granola was done was probably the hardest part of this process with all the cinnamon in there. I taste tested each time I pulled the pan out and stopped when the granola started to reach a crunchy consistency.                                                                                                     Hope you Enjoy!

No Bake Energy Cookies

I've made a couple batches of these over the past week and I really like how they've turned out.  It's similar to eating cookie dough, but with a little less refined sugar. I've been enjoying them as mid-morning snacks
and they have been super filling.  Kept refrigerated, the cookies should be good up to a week.

No Bake Energy Cookies
A healthier and energy filled sweet treat

Makes about 24 cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Set Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 cup old fashion or steel cut oats
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup white chocolate chunks (finely chopped)
1/4 cup protein powder
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Directions: 

1. Line a couple of large cookie sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Grind the flax seed.  A coffee grinder would be ideal for this, but I used a food processor/blender.  It took a little more patience and stirring but still worked well. 
3. Combine the oats, peanut butter, honey, flax seed, white chocolate, and protein powder. You could also add dried fruit or nuts. 
4. in a separate bowl, mix together the chopped almonds and chocolate chips
5. Roll the dough into a ball and flatten into a cookie shape. Dip into chocolate-almond mixture and place on parchment paper. 
6. refrigerate 1 hour and enjoy!

Notes: 
If the oat concoction isn't sticking together very well, try adding more peanut butter.

High Five for Friday

1.       I kicked off the week by cleaning every bit of coconut out of my house and I have felt so much better!  No more allergic reactions and I ended up getting rid of a lot of products.  The thing is, most of those products haven’t been used in at least a month. Getting rid of so much stuff inspired me to clean out my bathroom which then led me to start cleaning out my closet and my kitchen… I love feeling a little more minimalistic.  Listening to this week’s TED talk on NPR, specifically this TED Talk by Graham Hill definitely helped with motivation.
2.       Since I have this abundance of stuff to get rid of I decided to try ThredUp.  A friend told me about this a  month or two ago.  I signed up this week and a rather large prepaid bag arrived in about 3-5 days. I love the thought of cleaning stuff out and shipping it off for someone else to figure out the consignment aspect.  The best part is ThredUp will send items they do not accept to charitable partners or textile recycling.  You can also shop the finds; check out how it works here.
3.       I did yoga.  This is a weekly thing for me, but it is always one of the high points of my week.  I’ve been going to the local YMCA, but also started taking another class.  Both of the teachers are just awesome.  I’m a little sad to say, it’s easier for me to go to a class and push myself when people are around.  When it’s just me, it’s harder to slow down and spend more time in the postures I don’t like as much.  In addition to the classes, I’ve been using the Yogify app by EA Sports. The app is free and it comes with a few courses, but you have the option to purchase additional courses specific to your level and you can also buy some really good classes which are based on ability and focus on balance, strength and flexibility.
4.       I made some pretty delicious no bake energy bites.  Recipe coming soon!

5.       I found a recipe on the Everyday Occasions blog for Lobster Mac and Cheese and Seth and I fixed it for dinner together. Delicious!   

Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies

Over the past few months I have developed some type of aversion to coconut, which is really unfortunate considering how much I love coconut. I typically break out on my face after eating actual coconut or drinking coconut milk (which is delicious by the way). Until this week I hadn't really had much of any issues with coconut oil unless I used mass amounts of it, but using my EOS lip balm one too many times led to another annoying reaction.  Most allergies can progressively get worse with each exposure, and while I have had no other allergy related symptoms, I think its probably best to quit while I'm ahead.  This weekend I've started cleaning coconut out of my house.  I had almost exactly 3/4 cup of coconut oil in the kitchen cabinet, and being the good decision-maker that I am, I decided to use it to make some blueberry oatmeal cookies to take to work. I have made these a few times before and really love them. Not to sound like a chubster, but eating a warm one almost feels like a hug, and it was also really hard to avoid eating this cookie dough. I’m sure this won't be my last time making these, but I may be reverting to butter in future cookie making.



Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
A summer twist on the classic oatmeal raisin cookie

Makes 24 cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
¾ cup coconut oil
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups old fashion oats
1½ cup blueberries fresh or frozen

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a couple cookie sheets with parchment paper. The paper isn’t completely necessary, but it is easier to get the cookies off the pan and to the cooling rack.  If you don’t use parchment paper, just be sure not to butter or grease the pan.
2.  Cream together the coconut oil and sugars on medium speed. I left the mixer going about 4 minutes. It isn’t going to look very creamy, as butter would, just make sure it is well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla; the concoction will look something like brown sugar soup at this point.
3.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, then slowly mix the dry mixture with the sugar mixture. 
4. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to fold in the oats and blueberries. I used frozen blueberries; making It a little easier to fold the berries in without breaking but also a little harder to mix and scoop as your dough will start to freeze if you don't work quickly enough. Don’t worry if you do break blueberries, it’s inevitable, the cookies will still be delicious. 
5. Bake for 16-20 minutes. I made some pretty large cookies, a little smaller than a golf ball when all rolled up. Because of the size and the fact that I used frozen berries, it took a little longer to bake, closer to 20 minutes. Leave the cookies on the pan for a minute or two before moving to cooling racks.  Enjoy!

*disclaimer… coconut oil melts at 76ºF. As it is summer in Alabama and I live in a very old house, it was about 77ºF-80ºF in my kitchen at the time I was baking these; do not try to combine coconut oil with any type of cold ingredients (ie. cold butter or milk). It doesn't go well.

Things to look forward to

• To actually churn out some blog posts.  I have happily spent more time outside and with friends and family over the past month and not much time on the computer.  Don't get me wrong, I'm completely okay with giving up a little computer time, but finding recipes and DIY projects to share keeps my diet and my free time moving in a positive direction.  Over the past month, I've been eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat. For the most part, I have stuck to a vegetarian diet throughout the week, and given in on the weekend when I’m generally eating with friends and family.  I feel so much better when I reduce the amount of meat and processed food I consume.  I'll be sharing a few recipes for smoothies and hopefully a few vegetarian friendly meals.   
• To get a little more organized.  I’m slightly concerned I am turning into a work-hoarder.  My desk is constantly covered in papers and I have way too many post-it notes scattered about to serve any type of productive purpose.  I’ve also been using a desk calendar this year, and while it is a beautiful Sugar Paper calendar, I hate that I can’t slip it into my purse and that everyone who comes into my office can see everything I have planned (granted it is only visible if I have moved around some of the mass amounts of paper).  In addition to finding a planner (I’m leaning toward this Kate Spade) and thinking about organizing my office, I will be looking for a few new ways to get organized around my house. 
• To going kayaking.  Seth got me a kayak for my birthday, which I love.  We've already gone down the Coosa River (Coosa River Adventures was fun and so easy to work with) and are working on plans for more adventures around both of our towns.

How Not To Pack

     

1. Don't make a plan. Generally, I pack everything because I'm unsure of what the weekend will have in store, because I just don't know what exactly I'll be doing, because there is always a chance the weather will change course from what the pros have predicted, or because I may just be having a fat day come Saturday.  This game play often ends in me packing a weeks worth of clothes for a weekend with the accompanied 6 pairs of shoes and jewelry options.  Learn from my mistakes people, this is not the best way to do it.  Make a plan, check the weather, verify your itinerary.  At the very least, pack multifunctional clothing.  Knowing or at least having any idea of what's in the works is a great start, from there, you know you don't need a ball gown, and can start to take a more realistic approach to packing your bags. 

2. Pack a variety of colors. I'm not saying you should pack all black, but sticking to a mostly neutrals, which can be easily interchanged (ie. all of those "pack a year in a carry-on" Pinterest posts), will minimize the need for extra shoes and accessories. 

3. Just throw it in there. Even though I always pull out the luggage a day or so before, I rarely actually pack any earlier than I absolutely have to. "Oh I'll just stop by the house after work to grab my bags and the dog" means I have packed less than 5 things the night before and will throw about 25 more items in my suitcase in a 10 minute period.  If I do pack the night before, I either start packing about 10:00pm (aka bed time) or I'm getting on a plane and have to fit a weeks worth in a carry-on (side note, I have managed to pack over a weeks worth or business and fun clothes on a carry-on; proper rolling and folding was the only way I managed to do so).  Believe it or not, this is not the most efficient form of packing.  Taking time to roll your shirts and undergarments, stuff your socks inside your boots, and actually refill your tiny shampoo bottles saves so much space!

Brunch in Denver

I think it's safe to say brunch was my favorite part about Denver. On Saturday morning, Ray and I had brunch at Trattoria Stella, a charming little place on East Colfax (note the stained glass panels in the windows). I had eggs Benedict over fried green tomatoes, topped with steamed asparagus and greens and potatoes and all other types of goodness.  The meal was also accompanied by mimosas. Everything was so fresh and delicious. 

                    

Sunday morning we mozied over to Snooze, because you should have brunch everyday when you are on vacation. There was a bit of a wait but we were able to give a cell number and go for a downtown stroll.  The restaurant is located on the corner of Park and Larimer and is only a couple blocks from Coors Field.  It was worth the wait!  I had a snooze in the city and the green eggs and hamwich (and also a mmm mmm mimosa).  The sandwich was basically a spinach omelette topped with some delicious cheese on chibatta bread.

If you are in the denver area, you should definitely check out one or both of these great restaurants. 

Denver bound...

I'm currently wheels up heading to Denver for a much needed vacation. A couple friends of mine have a conference in the city and Ray and I decided to tag along. I will completely admit that I am a tourist.  I love exploring a new city and all of the adventures and food that go along with it.  I was hoping to share some great packing ideas with you, but I think I'm a better example of how not to pack. Either way, my 10 outfits and I are on our way and I can't wait to share what we get into with you!