We’re on day three of daylight savings and these longer afternoons are TOTALLY THROWING OFF my life! I'm a morning bird through and through, and I'd rather have my daylight in the AM (at least until it's warm enough to sit outside and drink wine in the evening...) so it’s been hard for me to adjust. The whole concept of eating dinner while it’s light out just makes me feel really uncomfortable and it’s been a struggle to get dinner ready at a decent hour because I mentally just can’t start cooking until it’s dark, but I did get my food prep in for breakfast this week!
Do you have "trigger foods" that you can't stop eating? Mine are pasta, baked goods, granola, cookie dough, and roasted veggies. I try to avoid them but sometimes you just have to live a little! Or find healthy alternatives like veggies. I’ve been craving granola every time we go to the grocery store but I keep telling myself that it’s cheaper and healthier to make my own. The process of actually making it is easier said than done, but I finally threw together a batch on Sunday and it turned out delicious! Granola is always a fun experiment.
Nutty Apricot Crunch Granola
Serves….I have no idea. Tons.
Dry ingredients
-3 c old fashioned oats
-1 c raw buckwheat groats (Bob’s Red Mill brand, they add a really fun crunch!)
-½ c walnuts
-½ c pecans
-1 c sunflower seeds
-2 tsp cinnamon
-¼ tsp salt
-1 c chopped dried apricots
-½ c unsweetened coconut flakes
Liquid ingredients
-½ c coconut oil (melt in the microwave if solid)
-½ c pure maple syrup
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-½ tsp almond extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 275*. In the biggest bowl you own, combine the dry ingredients EXCEPT apricots and coconut. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave or stove top, add remaining liquid ingredients to oil, and then pour over dry ingredients and combine. Taste for quality control ;)
Spread the granola on a large foil lined rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 45 minutes, stirring once after about 20 minutes.
Add the coconut and apricots and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the granola is brown and the coconut is toasted!
Allow the granola to cool completely before storing in jars or Tupperware containers.
Enjoy with yogurt and fruit, straight out of the jar, with almond milk, over oatmeal, over ice cream, or choose your own adventure!
(Serving size is probably about ⅓ cup granola….but proceed at your own risk!)
Find my basic homemade granola recipe HERE!
xo Anna