Archive for May 2013

Morning Granola Bread




The mornings tend to be a rough time for me. Except for a few rare occasions, I can't recall a single morning in my life where I awoke before an alarm and was instantly "ready to go!" It's during those waking moments where I always feel rushed and usually the first thing to go is a healthy breakfast. 

When I read Sarah's recipe for her Life-Changing Loaf of Bread, I knew this would be an ideal meal for my busy mornings. 

Morning Granola Bread
adapted from Sarah Bitton of My New Roots

Ingredients: 
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup almonds (chopped)
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup coconut
3 Tbsp psyllium husk powder
1 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp melted coconut oil
2 cups water

Directions:

 In a loaf pan (or bowl) combine all dry ingredients together. Warm coconut oil until liquid. Whisk maple syrup, coconut oil and water together. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until all dry ingredients are coated. More water may be added if needed. Lightly pour more maple syrup over the top and toss a handful of coconut flakes on top. Let the mixture sit for at least 1 to 2 hours so that the psyllium husk powder has started to work it's magic to bind all these ingredients together. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, place bread loaf directly on the rack and bake for another 20-30 minutes. Watch carefully as the top can easily burn. Once the top is brown and the load sounds hollow when tapped, it's done! Set on counter to cool. Store in air tight container. 

What's your go-to breakfast item on those hectic mornings? 

Posted in , | 1 Comment

In the Kitchen with Mom

A long time ago I would have never envisioned one of my happy places to be right in my own kitchen. Looking back, my mother and grandmother were always cooking. It was just what they did, or at least what I thought all moms were supposed to do. Thoughts or desires of cooking myself rarely crossed my mine unless I was incredibly hungry and couldn't find anything worth eating by glancing in the fridge the first five times. Like most lessons in life passed down from ones parent's, I didn't come to appreciate the wonders of cooking until after I was living on my own. Eating vegan became a large contributor; in my discovery of new foods and recipes, one is forced to experiment and cook. This once dreaded chore evolved slowly into a passion. It became a place where I could create, relax, and just have fun. It became a hobby that I can share freely and fervently with one of my best friends, my mom. 


She has a true talent and way about her in the kitchen. It comes with ease, but also years of trial and error. When I go home to Illinois to visit, a typical evening is never finished without food discussion or recipe testing. She is a relentless food critic, much to the annoyment of the rest of our family, but without her unyielding standards I dare say I wouldn't know what good food was. When I'm in the kitchen with mom, problems disappear and the focus is on the creation at hand. We share stories, laugh, and take photos of our work. We use our hands to manipulate dough and to stir sweet batter. We create and then we eat. 


Posted in | Leave a comment

Swedish Greys - a WordPress theme from Nordic Themepark. Converted by LiteThemes.com.