An ode to granola, and the places I've been

You know what they say.

Time flies when you're having fun.

I have indeed, been having fun and keeping busy. Really busy. I have photographic evidence to prove it!

While taking a break from testing out tasty treats to write about I:

Grew a garden

Visited San Francisco

Went on a picnic and enjoyed time with friends

Turned 21.

And made a really good batch of granola.

Maybe the best I've ever made before.

I've got to fill you in on this, because it was just so good. When I received the June issue of Bon Appetit in the mail, the first thing that caught my eye was a recipe for granola. It was a good issue, filled with all sorts of summer BBQ ideas, fruity desserts, and refreshing cocktails. And yet. Homemade granola caught my eye.

You've got to understand though. I really like granola.

I'm not generally one to brag, but last year I ate a bowl of granola every single day. And I'm not going to lie, on some days, multiple bowls of granola were consumed. To say I love granola is an understatement. I adore it. The stuff is just so addicting. It's good with milk, yogurt, fruit, or plain, right out of the box. You can imagine that such a relationship with granola can get expensive, so I quickly looked into making my own. You can find recipes for homemade granola absolutely everywhere. There are so many to choose from, but few, I've found, that proved to be worth keeping. I found one recipe in which (to be safe) I halved the baking time, and STILL ended up with burnt granola. It is a pretty sad experience to toss five cups worth of could-be-awesome granola into the garbage. But listen everyone, I found a keeper! It's simple, versatile and works out every single time. I made a batch and it was gone in the matter of a couple days. I may, or may not have, eaten it for breakfast, lunch, and after dinner snack. Whatever...

Now that I am 21, I am working on pacing myself when it comes to granola. This recipe is making it pretty difficult, however, because I constantly have a batch on hand in the house. Ready to eat whenever, however.

Oh well. Such is life.

We live and we learn.

Everyday Granola

Adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2010

I highly recommend going with some good-quality dried fruit in this recipe. Try something out of the ordinary. I used dried blueberries, but dried raspberries and cherries would be equally delicious.

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut*

3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup assorted dried fruit

Preheat oven to 300 F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Stir honey and oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture; toss. Spread on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, stirring every 10 minutes, about 40 minutes. Place sheet on rack. Stir granola; cool. Mix in fruit. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight.

* Available at speciality food stores and natural food stores.

Little Things

Hey May, you aren't looking so good these days. You are cold, and rainy, and windy. I've tried to rebel by wearing bare legs and floral skirts, but as soon as I step outside my house I am consumed by your frigid air and instantly regret my choice of outfit. You've got me sleeping with my winter quilt, battling a nasty cold, and curling up on the sofa, instead of outside on the patio. But May, if it weren't for your borderline-rude weather, I might not have ever had the chance to make these scones. And eat them hot out of the oven. Curled up on the couch.

So for that, I thank you wholeheartedly.

I find scones to be tricky little things. As with most products, there is so much variation and so many different kinds that I hardly know what is what. My goal with scones has always been to make them as healthy as possible. I always sub all-purpose with whole wheat, and half-and-half milk with skim. Well, I hope to save you some time by saying that using this gung-ho healthy method can be dangerous. More often than necessary, I have ended up with a tray full of flat, dense, brick-like scones that are dry and completely uninviting. This is really disappointing for all parts involved. You feel like a failure, an unsuspecting subject almost chokes to death upon first bite, and the remaining scones are neglected for all eternity.

Anyway, I stumbled upon a scone recipe a few weeks ago that sounded promising. The recipe was for whole wheat scones done right: healthy and light and puffy, with gorgeous golden tops. I took a risk and made them for my mom on Mother's Day. I am happy to report that we did NOT have a disappointing situation on our hands. Not disappointing in the slightest. They were hearty, light, and just sweet enough to be appropriate for an exceptionally early morning.

It's still raining outside, and the weatherman isn't calling for much else this week. How about a mug of tea, a warm scone, and a good book to keep you company until the sunshine shows up?

Orange and Chocolate Whole Wheat Scones

Slightly adapted from, Orangette

The original recipe was for Whole Wheat Apricot Scones, but lately I've had a slight fixation with the chocolate-orange combo. One of the lovely things about these scones is the fact that they are hugely versatile. Let your imagination run wild- make them with any kind of fruit your heart desires!

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ teaspoon table salt

Grated zest of one orange

4 Tbsp. (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

¼ cup sugar

¾ cup good quality dark chocolate chunks (such as Callebaut)

½ cup milk (I used skim), plus more for glazing

1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt and orange zest. Using your hands, rub the butter into the flour mixture, squeezing and pinching with your fingertips until there are no butter lumps bigger than a large pea. Add the sugar and chocolate chunks, and whisk to incorporate.

Pour the milk into a small bowl, and add the egg. Beat with a fork to mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the four mixture, and stir (with the fork; it works fine) just to combine. The dough will look shaggy and rough, and there may be some unincorporated flour at the bottom of the bowl. Don't worry about that. Using your hands, gently press and shape the dough, so that it holds together in a messy clump. Turn the dough and any excess flour out onto a board or countertop, and press and gather and knead it until it just comes together. Ideally, do not knead more than 12 times. As soon as the dough holds together, pat it into a rough circle about 1 ½ inches thick. Cut the circle into 8 wedges.

Put the wedges on the prepared baking sheet. Pour a splash of milk into a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones with a thin coat to glaze. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until pale golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm- with butter, if that's your style.

Note: If you plan to eat them within a day or two, store the scones in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, seal them in a heavy plastic bag or container, and freeze them. Before serving, bring them to room temperature. Either way, reheat them briefly in a 300°F oven. They are best served warm.

Yield: 8 small scones

A Promise is a Promise

You are just going to have to trust me on this. My intentions were good, really they were.

I spent an evening scouting out the perfect recipe. I wanted it to be savory, of course, and I wanted to share it with you. I went out and bought special secret ingredients. I came home, tied my apron around my waist and got to work. My goal was to create the most astounding Fried Chickpea Salad that there ever was. I was set, and ready and excited. Alas...

Beautiful, no? Oh yes, I thought so too before I tasted it.

Don't get me wrong, it was good... but it was far from great. You have no idea how sad this made me. I debated about whether or not I should share it with you, but in the end it came down to the fact that it didn't move me. And when it comes to food, I want to be moved!

I'm issuing a formal apology right now, because what came next was quite far from being the least bit savory. What came next was one of my favorite comfort foods of all: French Chocolate Granola. Oh baby, is it ever good.

I didn't take any pictures of it, so this can kind of still count as a savory post! Just a note, my family went through 10 cups of this granola in three days. Bon Appetite!

French Chocolate Granola

Adapted from Orangette

3 cups rolled oats

½ cup almonds, chopped

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

6 tbsp. mild honey

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

½ cup, or more, finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 300.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, coconut, sugar, and salt. Stir well to blend.

In a small saucepan, warm the honey and oil over low heat, whisking occasionally (be careful! the oil may want to splash out!) until honey is loose. Pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to combine

Spread the mixture evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden. Set a timer to go off halfway through the baking time, so that you can give the granola a good stir; this helps it to cook evenly. When it's ready, remove the pan from the oven, stir well (this will keep it from cooling into a hard solid sheet) and cool completely.

When cool, transfer the granola to a large bowl, storage jar, or zip-lock plastic bag. Add the chocolate, and stir (or shake, if using a jar or bag) or mix.

Store in an airtight container.

Yield: Makes about five cups of granola

I've Been Caught!

It's happened. I've been caught by some terrible flu/cold thing that I just can't shake. I don't know about you but when I'm sick, my appetite goes somewhere far away, on vacation or something, and becomes almost non existent. So, as can be expected, my diet this week has been completely uninspiring. It has mostly consisted of packages of Fisherman's Friend and mandarin oranges. I can't seem to muster up the courage to step foot inside the kitchen. I would love to whip up a big batch of vegetable soup, but my arms feel like they weigh 50 lbs each. And I want cookies, but only kind of. I know things are rough when not even baking can spark my interest.

The other day, I decided that it would probably be a good idea to introduce some food with actual substance into my diet. I wracked my brain for and idea. It would have to be something simple and easy, because in my current state, everything seems more difficult then it should. Almost instantly I remembered one of my favorite breakfasts from when I was a kid: A Toad-in-the-Hole. I bet there are nearly a million names for the toast with a whole cut in it and then an egg fried in it's center! Oooh yes! It truly is a match made in heaven. And practicality wise, it just makes sense to put your egg inside your bread!

I found some fresh baked bread on the counter (courtesy of my lovely grandmother) and, as usual in my house, our fridge was loaded with eggs. So that was half the work right there. The rest was equally as easy. I like to vamp up my Toad-in-the-Hole a little bit, and I do so by slicing up some aged cheddar and fresh tomatoes and placing them on top of the whole thing. The cheese gets kind of melty and the tomatoes get warm and the whole thing together is like a flavor explosion, in the simplest, most delicious way possible!

My little breakfast was better then I could have imagined. Healthy, and delicious with nearly no effort required! I almost felt energized after it's consumption! Really, sometimes simple is best.

So, I'm passing on this little gem, just in case you are sick, or get sick (but lets hope to goodness you all stay healthy!), so that you can eat something yummy, even when you don't feel much like doing anything at all.

Toad-in-the-Hole

1 piece of whole wheat or multigrain bread

1 egg

3-4 slices of aged cheddar cheese (I use a lactose free kind, and it's fabulous!)

2 slices of tomato

Heat a small fry pan on medium-high heat with a bit of oil or butter on the bottom , just enough so that the egg doesn't stick to the pan.

Cut a hole in the center of a piece of bread. I use a small cup to do this.

Place bread in pan and crack an egg into the hole. Cook on one side and then flip (about 2-3 minutes). On top of cooked side, place cheese and tomato. Let cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan, season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Most Important

We've all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but for the first 16 years of my life I refused to have anything to do with it. There was something so unappealing about food first thing in the morning. After all, I hardly had enough time to get myself ready, let alone make an effort to find something to eat at 7:30 a.m. My first year of high school was the worst and my eating habits were horrendous. I would skip breakfast every single day. And as if that's not bad enough, I never brought a lunch. For some reason at that age I never wanted to be seen eating. (Strange? Yes. But would you expect anything differently from a hormone crazed teenager?) Somehow I managed to pull myself through the day running on little to no energy, unless you count a bag of Miss Vickies chips and a root beer slushie a means of sustainable energy.

This goes to say that when I finally made it home at 3pm, I was weak and weary. I was also positively starving. I would rampantly dig through the cupboards and the fridge and consume whatever crossed my path. After that I was always left with one of those horrible way-too-full stomach aches that made me want to curl up in a little ball for a whole afternoon. This is all in part because of my loathe for breakfast. Goodness gracious.

Then one day something changed. Somewhere within the last few years of high school I began to notice a correlation between how I felt when I ate breakfast and when I didn't. The difference was remarkable! Breakfast=ENERGY. It was a miracle! It was like a light switched on in my head and I had finally solved the puzzle. My conversion wasn't immediate. It took some time and started off small. I forced myself to eat a few bits of an apple or a small bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats, and somehow this effort grew into something much, much larger. Sure, it only took me most of my teenage years to learn what my mother had constantly nagged me about ("Jacqueline! You NEED to eat breakfast! It's the most important meal of the day!") and what most people consider common sense, but finally I got it! I felt like a new woman.

Breakfast is now my favorite meal of the day. I love it. In fact, I look forward to it. Most mornings you will find me in the kitchen happily mixing eggs with fresh herbs and green grape tomatoes, creating the most astounding scrambled eggs (I'm telling you people, the secret is black truffle oil, but I'll save that for another day...)! I'm not even fancy-shmacey ALL the time. I've also been known to grab a bowl homemade granola, yogurt and fresh fruit. Sometimes I even reach for a piece of toast with almond butter and jam.

However, one of my favorite things to eat as of lately is baked oatmeal, and baked oatmeal is what I long to share with you! Okay, okay, I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, "Gee, that sound gross." Or, "How incredibly dull!" or something along those lines. But I am here to tell you that, on the contrary, this baked oatmeal is really something else. It will have quite an effect on you, even you who claim to never need breakfast. That is quite the claim but I'm standing by it. I think the secret to this recipe is the eggs. They give the oatmeal an enchantingly light texture with a deep, rich flavor. It is chewy, in a pleasant way, and stick-to-your-bones hearty. The flavor is subtly sweet and slightly spicy. And when topped with a little bit of fruit and yogurt, it positively weak-in-the-knees delicious. Did you hear that? I am willing to bet that this recipe will make you weak in the knees. Yes, even you breakfast haters. Consider yourself warned, you are going to be hooked.

Baked Oatmeal

Typically, oatmeal makes me cringe. If I could describe it in one word it would be gloopy. Or soggy. Or gross. However, with a few slight alterations, and the addition of an oven, traditional oatmeal becomes something else. Something wonderful. Something with a delicate flavour and alluring texture. I am quite positive that even if you don't like oatmeal, you will like this. Feel free to play around with the flavours. If you want a little more spice, you could up the cinnamon or add some nutmeg. I prefer this recipe as is, but don't hesitate to experiment!

6 eggs

2/3 cup oil

1 cup sugar

3 2/3 cups oatmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk (almond, soy, or regular!)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 and bake in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan for 30 minutes.

There are many ways in which you can enjoy baked oatmeal. My personal favorite is when served slightly warm with fresh fruit, chopped walnuts, and So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt! However, feel free to play around with your toppings! Here are just a few other ideas: dried fruit, brown sugar, chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.), a sprinkle of cinnamon, yogurt, fresh fruit...