I’m not a great cook, but all my friends rave about my Common Ground Granola recipe.  It’s gone through a series of modifications over the years until it’s reached the height of perfection.  I recently ran out of usual stash, so I took a quick trip to the grocery store for the freshest ingredients.  If you’re not allergic to nuts and are interested in trying a healthy breakfast alternative, try this recipe.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Mix the following dry ingredients in a bowl:

6 cups of rolled old fashioned oats (not quick oats)

1 cup slivered or sliced almonds

1 cut walnuts

1 cup pecans

2/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

5 teaspoons or more of cinnamon

Heat in a saucepan until mixed to an even consistency:

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

Once the oil, honey and syrup are mixed, add:

1 teaspoon vanilla

Slowly pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until all the oats are coated.

Spread the mixture on cookie sheets or shallow pans and cook in the oven at 275 degrees for about an hour, stirring and changing the placement of the pans on oven shelves every 20 minutes to prevent burning until granola turns a golden brown. 

Turn off oven, leave door cracked until crispy.  Cool completely, and the store granola in an airtight container or Ziplocs.

I like my granola sprinkled over vanilla yogurt and fresh fruit (blueberries and strawberries).  YUM!

Posted: February 23rd, 2008 under healthy eating, recipes.
Comments: 2

Many people with heart disease do. You don’t need a major illness to have a sleeping problem. The drug companies know this and are making millions on American’s these days.Why?Because we live in a society that prides itself on accomplishments. We tend to live in a constant state of stress. We strive to work harder and fit more into our days. Women, especially tend to get less sleep. We’ve taken on multiple roles in the family: wife, mother, bread winner, and more. We chauffeur our children around to their over scheduled activities, rush home to make dinner, wash the dishes, do the laundry, clean the bathrooms, tidy the house – all before going to bed.Whew. I felt the adrenaline blast through my system just writing that sentence.If you are one of these people and you find yourself wide awake, tossing and turning in bed for an hour or more, what do you do? You roll over for the umpteenth time. The clock reminds you the alarm will ring at six a.m., so you drag yourself to the medicine cabinet and swallow one of the dozens of over-the-counter or prescription medications for sleep. You do this day after day until you’re walking around like a zombie, sleep deprived, cranky, and dangerous behind the wheel of a car.After my heart attack, I tossed and turned a lot. In addition to my everyday stress, my mind would filled with worry. Would I have more artery spasms in the middle of the night? Would I end up in Urgent Care strapped to a heart monitor with medical professionals hovering around me, drawing blood, and ordering EKGs.I’m always been very cautious when it comes to taking medication. I like to look around for alternative, more natural solutions – especially when it comes to my sleep. So, here’s a recipe I received during a workshop on Ayurveda. (For those unfamiliar with the term, Ayurveda is a science of healing that was used in India thousands of years ago and is still used today. There is a lot of overlap between Ayurveda and yoga, but that is a topic for another day.) Before I give you the recipe, I have to say that Indian food and spices were never high on my list of nourishment in the past, but after being coaxed by my husband to try a few dishes, I’ve become quite an enthusiast.Ojas Rasayana (my translation: warm milk with spices to calm the mind and sleep.)Ingredients:1 – 1 1/2 cups milkghee (clarified butter) to taste1 Tbs. crushed almonds2 whole dates (mashed-remove pits first)Shake in the following spices to taste:cardamomcrushed black peppercornscumintumericI’ve modified the recipe slightly for myself: I use vanilla soy milk (It doesn’t upset my stomach) instead of cow’s milk and skip the ghee (I’ve cut all butter from my diet).Pour milk into a small pot. Put in the rest of the ingredients and heat milk until it starts to boil. Transfer the milk mixture to a blender and mix thoroughly before drinking. The milk is warm and foamy, just like the lattes at Starbucks. Yum.Happy sleeping everyone.

Posted: June 23rd, 2007 under healthy eating, recipes.
Comments: none