On my run yesterday afternoon I had a big craving for something crunchy. While plodding along running to my fav pandora stations a myriad of ideas came to mind. I wanted something quick and easy that I could whip up while cooking dinner at the same time. Looking in the pantry, two ingredients stood out: slivered almonds and dried cranberries. So the granola baking began!
So began the granola baking process….
The prep time only took about 5 mins. I then let the tray of granola bake while preparing dinner.
Crunchy Almond Cranberry Granola
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
In a large bowl combine oats, almonds and cranberries. In a separate bowl mix water, honey
and vanilla extract, stirring well. Pour wet ingredients over dry and thoroughly combine. The mix will appear a little wet compared to other granola recipes, however this extra moisture aids in helping the oats expand and become extra crunchy during the cooking process without burning. Cook for 30 mins at 350F. To ensure an even crunch throughout, move the mixture around the tray approximately every 10 mins during cooking.
I love how easy (and cheap) granola is to make at home. I really think the hardest part is keeping your hands out of the container after making a big batch 
Tags: granola
In: Breakfast |
Hi all!
Last week my Mum sent me this photo displaying the price of bananas in my home town of Townsville in Australia.
![]( "b
<div style=")
cialis online
ananas-au” src=”http://thisaussieeats.com/wp-content/uploads/bananas-au.jpg” alt=”" width=”450″ height=”533″ />
Can you believe they are paying $10/kg for bananas??! The hike in price is due to the hurricane and flooding that occurred earlier this year throughout Queensland. When I was back home in June the price was about $13/kg, so everyone is excited for the (slight) price drop.
I took this photo while grocery shopping last week and emailed it back to my Mum.
Yup, 55c/lb for bananas here in Greeley 
I’m sure my Mum will take full advantage of these prices when she is visiting later this week and have all the ‘nanas she can handle with a price like that!
I’m glad weather hasn’t affected banana crops in the US. I love bananas. And i also love granola. This is how my new granola flavor was created. Usually I enjoy a bowl of oatmeal with sliced banana and a sprinkling of nutty granola on top for breakfast. So, yesterday when I was staring down into my breakfast bowl I decided to experiment with some granola flavors (it also provided the perfect excuse to continue avoid packing whenever possible).
After a little experimenting I came up with a banana coconut combo. It was hands down delicious!
Banana Coconut Granola
- 2.5 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 extra ripe banana
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
In a large bowl combine oats and coconut. In a blender, combine water, banana, honey, cinnamon and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the oats and coconut, stirring well. Spread granola mixture on a cookie sheet and bake at 375F for 35-40 mins. Every 10-12 mins, be sure to move the mixture around the tray so granola does not burn in any one spot while cooking.
And there ya have it! An easy-peasy slightly tropical granola flavor
Question: Have you ever tried making your own granola from scratch? What inspires your granola flavors?
Tags: bananas, granola
In: Breakfast, Recipes |
My low-key 3 day weekend continued today with a hike around Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins with one of my roomies. The weather has dropped by about 10 degrees in the last few days so it was so good to be exercising outside without getting heat
exhaustion in the process!
The views around Horsetooth were really pretty
A lot of people were taking advantage of the weather to get in some end of summer boating. It was fun to hike above and watch everyone on the water below.
After finishing up the hike we headed back towards Fort Collins and stopped at Mad Greens for lunch. I got the ‘Mighty Aphrodite’ salad which consisted of baby greens, strawberries, cucumbers, mozzarella, toasted almonds & citrus grilled chicken tossed with shallot tarragon vinaigrette. This is the first time I had been to Mad Greens, I asked for the regular size salad and didn’t realize it would still be SO big!
I paired the salad with a Pomegranate Blue Honest Ade for a perfectly refreshing lunch.
This afternoon I also made some Chocolate Protein Granola, a recipe that I recently spotted on Julie’s site, Pbfingers
Chocolate Protein Granola
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix the following ingredients:
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
In a large mixing bowl, measure out 2 cups old fashioned oats (not the quick cooking kind).
Simply pour the wet mixture over the oats and combine thoroughly.
After mixing well, spread the oats mixture out onto a greased tray and bake for 15-20 mins.
And there you have some quick, easy homemade granola!
Hope
everyone had a great and safe Labor Day weekend
Tags: granola, hiking, Honest Ade, Labor Day, Mad Greens
In: Internship |
