I think you might agree when I say that I just don't have enough time to do all the things I want to do. There's a list floating in my head, but that flow is inevitably interrupted by something else fighting for my time and attention. Or maybe five or six somethings! At the end of the day, I sigh and wonder where all the time went. Why didn't I get to any of the stuff on my list?! Those were the things I really wanted to do. Bummer.
With the continual time-crunch gnawing away at each day, why do I invest time in making food from scratch? This granola recipe is a prime example. You can buy granola that's pre-made. Yep. I know it's out there in stores and I don't have to spend any time in the kitchen making it. I get it. It's fast and easy, and there are endless varieties to choose from. And honestly, I have even purchased granola from the store! (My particular favorite is the pumpkin flax granola from the bulk bin at Whole Foods- yum!) But for me, kitchen time is like therapy time. I tune into the ingredients in front of me and start the preparation I know will make my body healthier and happily satiated. I also experience joy when I share my creations with family and friends because I want them to be healthy and happy too.
And so I found myself carving out some precious time to make granola from scratch. I decided to follow a recipe from Julie Morris' cookbook, Superfood Kitchen, called Banana-Hemp Granola. (The recipe is not mine to share, but drop me a line if you'd like more details about how to make the granola.) The smell of the wet ingredients, particularly the warmth of the vanilla which evokes comforting memories of baking with my Mom, enchanted me right from the start. It was fun to mix the wet ingredients into the dry, mushing the puree through the oats and hemp seeds with my fingers and feeling like a kid. In fact, this would be a great experience to try with your kids. Let them help mix it all together and when it's on the baking sheet and ready to go into the oven, you don't have to feel bad about letting them lick their fingers! As it bakes the aroma will definitely make your mouth water. Once you pull it out of the oven, you must exert some self-control by letting it cool a bit before you devour it. I brought some to work for use as a topping on ice cream during an ice cream social. I ate some with milk just like cereal. I also used some as a topping for yogurt (pear was my favorite choice with this granola). And then I found myself all out of it. It was fun to make, fun to share with my co-workers and fun to eat. Something so good is worth the time.
With the continual time-crunch gnawing away at each day, why do I invest time in making food from scratch? This granola recipe is a prime example. You can buy granola that's pre-made. Yep. I know it's out there in stores and I don't have to spend any time in the kitchen making it. I get it. It's fast and easy, and there are endless varieties to choose from. And honestly, I have even purchased granola from the store! (My particular favorite is the pumpkin flax granola from the bulk bin at Whole Foods- yum!) But for me, kitchen time is like therapy time. I tune into the ingredients in front of me and start the preparation I know will make my body healthier and happily satiated. I also experience joy when I share my creations with family and friends because I want them to be healthy and happy too.
And so I found myself carving out some precious time to make granola from scratch. I decided to follow a recipe from Julie Morris' cookbook, Superfood Kitchen, called Banana-Hemp Granola. (The recipe is not mine to share, but drop me a line if you'd like more details about how to make the granola.) The smell of the wet ingredients, particularly the warmth of the vanilla which evokes comforting memories of baking with my Mom, enchanted me right from the start. It was fun to mix the wet ingredients into the dry, mushing the puree through the oats and hemp seeds with my fingers and feeling like a kid. In fact, this would be a great experience to try with your kids. Let them help mix it all together and when it's on the baking sheet and ready to go into the oven, you don't have to feel bad about letting them lick their fingers! As it bakes the aroma will definitely make your mouth water. Once you pull it out of the oven, you must exert some self-control by letting it cool a bit before you devour it. I brought some to work for use as a topping on ice cream during an ice cream social. I ate some with milk just like cereal. I also used some as a topping for yogurt (pear was my favorite choice with this granola). And then I found myself all out of it. It was fun to make, fun to share with my co-workers and fun to eat. Something so good is worth the time.
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