Oh Shine On

This deliciously sweet, buttery, batch of granola bits and clusters has nothing to do with what I’m about to say.

1. Style I love: rustic and romantic, shabby and chic, simply rural yet elegant. What on earth does that even mean? Think of an old wooden table with a gorgeous crystal chandelier hanging over it. A worn down, checkered red flannel with white linen ankle boots. A white picket fence lined with self-made mason jar lights. A beautiful lace scarf with a big, turquoise necklace…

You dig? Because I totally do.

2. Holyyyyy S*%!@… I don’t know what it is, but every time I look at one of Jessica’s recipes I want to put down whatever I’m eating and lick my computer screen. Is that weird?

3. I seriously need to embrace Spring cleaning. My sheets need to be washed, I can’t see the floor of my bedroom, and  my bathroom mirror is coated in so much toothpaste that I truly can’t even see myself.

4. This is what my roommate WOULD look like if she ever stepped foot in a gym. It’s okay… She’s artsy.

5. Have you ever blown up a marshmallow peep in the microwave? It’s actually quite fun… Purely for entertainment purposes.

6. I made these brownies again on Sunday and consequently spent the rest of the night sprawled out on my couch with a major food baby. Whoever claimed that self-discipline works clearly has never had one of these. Not the best life choice.

7. I really need to buy some paper towels. See #3.

8. Please help persuade me not to buy these. Because I really, really want to.

9. The mice in my house really seemed to enjoy the sweet potato chips in my pantry. Because they are all scattered throughout my shelf with a little nibble in the side of the bag.

Mice – 1, Katie – 0.

10. I seriously love granola… But you already knew that.

Homemade granola is my life. I’ve been this way for years… To say I couldn’t live without it is definitely a total understatement. When I wake up, I start each day with a big ol’ bowl of this stuff. Granola may be as old as the ages, but it’s adaptability is simply timeless. So is it’s taste. With just a few ingredients, I swear everything in the world seems just right.

The flavor of the browned butter with maple syrup and orange juice is outta this world. It’s light and sweet, but not overladen with sugar. Don’t believe me? Let’s just say I wanted to dive head-first into my hot oven. It’s seriously changed my life. And when I say it changed my life… it changed my life. Oh yeah, I brought out the italics, baby.

I have my baby in the oven. And it smells good. Dang.

Browned Butter Maple Granola with Almonds and Pumpkin Seeds

(yields about 5 1/2 cups)

Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, roasted

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1/2 cup raisins

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

pinch of salt

6 tbsp earth balance butter (can substitute regular)

1/4 cup, plus 1 tbsp brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup orange juice

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, flax seed, raisins, spices, and salt and stir together. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over low-medium heat. Add in brown sugar and stir together. Pour in maple syrup, then orange juice. Bring to scolding (slight boil) and stir occasionally until sugar dissolves.

Pour mixture over oats and stir until all oats are covered. Spread granola evenly onto prepared baking sheet (I usually pack it tightly together and then let it bake so clumps form).

Bake for 10 minutes, take out granola and stir, then continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and your house smells delightful. Break into clusters and chunks and store in an airtight container.

Happy noming.

Nutritional information (1/3 cup): 175 calories, 7g fat (1g sat, 2 mono, 3.8 poly), 24.5g carbs, 3.3g protein, 2.5g fiber

*caloric information based on using brummel and brown butter