Another Reason I Love Breakfast.

So I have been on a yogurt kick. I guess it is nothing new because I have always enjoyed yogurt, but more recently it has become a staple in my fridge. If someone is running to the store, yogurt status is always checked before we leave.

I used to hate plain yogurt. I loved raspberry, vanilla, lemon, blueberry...anything but plain. I remember the first time I ever ate it. I was probably six or seven and my sister, our cousin Sara and I were in the living room watching a movie (probably drinking sugar water because that was our sneaky way of getting jacked up as children) and I decided I wanted a snack. The kitchen only had the over-the-sink light on, so it was dimly lit. I grabbed the carton of yogurt from the fridge, scooped myself a seemingly enjoyable bowl, and took one bite. One. No more, maybe less. It wasn't sweet (but coming down from sugar water, nothing is), it tasted almost sour, and it wasn't the sweet vanilla I had my heart set on. I probably even just left it on the counter without a second thought (sorry about that, mom). Years later, plain yogurt is my choice. Mmm. 

I eat it for breakfast with raw oats, dried fruit, nuts, and chia seeds (with a drizzle of honey if I am needing a little more sweet in my life), I eat it with my lunch (throw some frozen berries in it when I am packing my lunch in the morning and by lunchtime, they are thawed and delicious), I bake with it (I have found a yogurt banana bread recipe that I really like and am working on). I just gol' durn like it.

And I love my granola.  

It is fun to make! I first made it at the coffee shop where I baked for years, and through that I learned just how flexible it is! Have a flavor dream? You can turn it into granola somehow. I have a recipe that is my standard go-to with flax, honey, nuts, vanilla, fresh or candied ginger and dried fruit, but I was craving something else when I pulled by antique Ball jar filled with oats out of the cupboard. I love brown sugar and maple on my oatmeal as a sweet treat, so I decided to make it into granola. This way I can have my granola AND yogurt. One happy lady, right here.

Maple Brown Sugar Granola

3c Rolled Oats

3/4c Raw Slivered Almonds (or raw chopped)

3/4c Raw Walnuts, chopped

3TB Sesame Seeds

3TB Flax Seeds

1/4c Dark Brown Sugar

3/8c Pure Maple Syrup

1/4c Canola, Sunflower, or other neutral flavored oil

3/4tsp Salt

1tsp Vanilla (paste or extract will work)

1/2c Dried Cranberries, chopped

1/2c Dried Apricots, chopped

Preheat oven to 250〫F. In a large bowl, combine oats, seeds, and nuts.  In another bowl, combine oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla until combined. Pour over dry ingredients and toss until evenly coated. Spread out evenly on 2 sheet pans. Bake for an hour and fifteen minutes, stirring and rotating pans every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and combine in a large bowl. Allow to cool slightly before adding the cranberries and apricots. Toss until cool. Store in an airtight container or zipper baggie. 

I have been spoiled with maple syrup in my life. I know that a lot of people grow up with the plastic jug of maple-flavored syrup (most of it doesn't even contain a drop of real maple...only corn syrup), but in my family, we grew up on Hakes Brudders Syrup. My grandpa and his brothers live in the most idyllic small-town Minnesota there is, and they tap trees every spring. They camp out in the "sugar shack" drinking coffee (and probably a few brew-skis), chatting and boiling down the sap to make syrup. They don't sell it, only give it to family for their yearly ration (and believe me, we treat it that way!) It is so unbelievably delicious that I can't dream of having a maple-syrup-wanna-be touch my pancakes (I have been known to go with fruit compotes or preserves on my pancakes if I don't have H.B. syrup on hand.)

That could be why I am so fond of maple. It reminds me of the days where I hoped spring break would fall on "syruping weekend" and going Up North meant the replenishment of the family fridge's supply. Over the years I have learned where my Grandpa stores the waiting jugs in the basement (in the back corner, kind of like an aging bottle of wine that you bring out on special occasions).

Here is to the coming spring and the (hopefully) coming jugs of maple syrup for more granola, pancakes, and yogurt.

Cheers!