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You might say I was inspired when I took my mother to the Barnes Museum in Philadelphia last week. At least, the concept for my Granola in Still Life c. 2016 above 🙂 was -partly influenced by the magnificent works of Paul Cezanne, many of which are on display there. Click on Cezanne Glass and Apples for a peak at the beautiful classic that is the concept of this photo.
My granola is a bit of a classic if I do say so myself. (Oh what a segue!) In my early vegetarian exploration circa 2008, I was beginning to understand the relationship between food and life and food as medicine. A good friend introduced me to Forks Over Knives at that time and the proverbial wool was pulled off my eyes. Yup, I am in a punny mood today but if you haven’t already seen this, please do. It is life changing.
Now back to the granola. This was one of the first recipes I created in an attempt to find good food for athletes- particularly in terms of energy and nutrients pre- and post- workouts, meets or games. At that time, all of my children were fully engaged in their sports (Brian, cross-country, Tara, swimming and Jack, basketball). It was summer and I was playing around with a granola bar/granola recipe that wasn’t loaded with a lot of unnecessary stuff like you might find in pre-packaged wares. It had to be organic, light, crunchy, sweet, salty and a little nutty.
After about a dozen attempts, this granola was born. I had Tara’s teammates try it, then their parents. A few friends even called it addictive as crack (lousy simile, but there you have it.)
I thought I was on to something and started making this granola for swim meets, teacher and friend gifts, thank you gifts, you name it. I sent it to my kids in college and brought it to get-togethers as hostess gifts. I was even vain enough to think I might be able to sell this stuff. Suffice it to say, I did not, and the secret recipe is here for you all to share, and hopefully, enjoy. If you aren’t sick of clicking yet, you can check out the history of granola here.
The ingredients…
Mix well and pour onto baking sheet.
In 30 minutes your house will smell amazing. Let this pan cool then break up and jar this stuff. I dare you not to try it immediately.
- 5 cups gluten free rolled oats I used Bob's Red Mill
- 2 cups roasted almonds or other favorite nuts chopped (you can leave a few whole)
- 1/2 cup non-GMO canola oil
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup organic brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp creme de cacao or use vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
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Preheat oven to 325 F.
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Line baking sheet with parchment paper
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In large bowl add oats and nuts.
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In smaller bowl whisk together remaining ingredients.
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Pour contents of smaller bowl into larger bowl and mix thoroughly.
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Pour onto prepared baking sheet and press down firmly with a small square of foil or wax paper.
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Place on middle rack in oven and bake until just browning on edges, about 30 minutes
Oats are loaded with nutrients and have been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease, help fight infection and stabilize blood sugar. They are truly little powerhouses! The definition of oats, put forth in Johnson's Dictionary circa 1775 goes something like this: "Oats: A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland appears to support the people." Johnson may have been criticized at the time for this definition, but as a 50% scot and I find this amusing and rather complimentary!
