Hello all! Phillip and I got back from Dallas late last night. It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but a lot of fun; however, I must say, I don’t care to see one more person in costume until next year! J I’ll post details about our weekend later (along with some photos), but I am waiting for my friend, Kelly, to upload her pictures first.
[Note: I brought my camera, but it wasn’t charged, because someone (ahem my sweet husband, Phillip) is notorious for leaving them in the walls of our hotel rooms J]
Moving on…
I woke up this morning refreshed after a long night’s sleep and itching for something out of the ordinary for breakfast. I am usually pretty routine when it comes to breakfast (unless it’s the weekend), but today I didn’t feel like eating cereal.
I am a cereal mixer, are you? Every time I go home to visit my parents, my dad laughs at me when he walks into the kitchen and sees 5 cereal boxes out on the counter (I’m not exaggerating). Monday through Friday, my breakfast consists of Kashi Go Lean, Cinnamon Oatmeal Squares, and Multi Grain Cheerios. At first, this was a fun combination. It is low in fat, high in protein, and has just the perfect amount of sweetness. But after at least a year of eating the same ole’ combination for breakfast, I am down right sick of it.
Sooo…here’s what I did instead…I made homemade GRANOLA!
Granola is usually packed with fat and sugar (which makes it taste yummy, but isn’t so good for my backside). I came up with an alternative that is low in both calories and added sugars. It doesn’t have the same buttery goodness as the fat/sugar-laden ones, but it’s perfectly sweet, crunchy, and chewy all at the same time.
It’s as simple as this…
You'll need old fashioned oats, maple syrup, cinnamon, dried apricots, and dried cherries.
(You can substitute any fruit/nut combination you want. This just happens to be what I'm in the mood for this morning).
...and sliced almonds.
First, preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Then...
Measure out your oats
1/2 cup of maple syrup
1 cup of sliced almonds
and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Pour them all into a large bowl.
Sprinkle in a pinch of salt.
(Salt helps balance out all of the flavors and makes the cinnamon taste cinnamony and the maple syrup taste mapley)
Mix all the ingredients together until they are well-combined.
Line a rusty/deformed baking sheet (if you're me J) with a Silpat or aluminum foil.
If you use aluminum foil, be sure to coat it with nonstick spray.
Pour the mixture onto your lined baking sheet and spread into an even layer.
Like this.
Bake in 325 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
While that's happening...
Open up your dried apricots.
And eat one (or six)...'cause they are sooo good and good for you!
Give 'em a rough chop.
Then put them away so you don't eat every last one of them.
Measure out about 3/4 cup of dried cherries.
These are my absolute favorite!! Every time I go to Monroe, Mom has them out on the counter mixed with roasted almonds and chocolate chips...and I can't resist them.
Halfway through the cooking time, remove the granola from the oven.
Use a spatula to flip it over so it is golden and crunchy all over.
Flip it like this.
Try to avoid spilling the granola all over your newly-Swiffered floors, because then you'd have to tell yourself, "You are neither lazy nor a slob. Get down on your knees and clean up your mess!"
...so it's best to be careful to begin with J
Put it back in the oven for another 15 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, begin assembling your "not so ordinary" breakfast...
Introducing, nonfat Greek yogurt.
Have you had any??
This is one of my go-to snacks. It is everything a snack should be: high in protein (so you are not starving 3o minutes later), low in both sugar and fat, and tasty.
I bought plain this time only because they were out of everything else at the grocery store. My favorites are vanilla and blueberry.
Plain was a little too...well, plain.
Plop some yogurt into a bowl.
Get some strawberries out of your fridge.
And give 'em a quick rinse.
Chop off the tips.
Then cut them into slices.
Place them on top of your yogurt.
I SMELL THE GRANOLA!!!
When it is golden brown and your house smells like toasted almonds and sweet maple syrup, it is ready to be removed from the oven.
Set it on a rack and let it cool down.
After it cools, mix it together with the dried fruit and place it in an air tight container or ziplock bag. It will keep in the refrigerator for weeks!!
I put it on top of my yogurt and strawberries.
It was so good!!! I will be enjoying this for many days to come...
Have fun switching it up to your liking! I am going to make one soon with pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and different spices to celebrate the month of NOVEMBER!
Let me know what you come up with!
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Staying true to my goal has been the best medicine my soul could ever ask for. The desires of my heart are pulling me in all kinds of different directions these days, but my quiet time has helped put my yearnings and me at peace.
Beth Moore stated, “Christ, the very One who called us to abundant, effective life and commanded us to splash in the cool springs of joy while living it, announced the following secrets to the great life without a hint of contradiction.”
and she reminded me of these two dynamic verses:
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” – Matthew 16:24-26
and I’ll leave you with one of my favorites…
“…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as ransom for many.” – Mark 10:43-44
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I’m off to bed to rest up for the days ahead. I’m working Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night this week and am praying for the strength to get through this stretch. I have Thursday night off (PTL) and then Phillip and I are off to our old stomping grounds, Baton Rouge, for the weekend to see the TIGERS play Alabama!! Hopefully we’ll bring our A game J This is our first game to go to this season, and I am so excited to get to see and catch up with all of our friends!!
I’ll be back soon with an update! Have a wonderful first week of November!
...Fall is in the air and the holidays are near…this is my favorite time of year…
God bless.
Homemade Granola:
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup maple syrup
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
¾ cup dried cherries
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or aluminum foil. If using aluminum foil, be sure to coat with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, mix together oats, almonds, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Place mixture on lined baking sheet. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Halfway through the cooking process, flip the granola around with a spatula to ensure even cooking.
Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool. Once cooled, mix in dried fruit and place in an airtight container or zip lock bag. Serve over yogurt and fresh fruit or eat plain as a snack. Enjoy!!
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