Tree-Nut-Free Granola


I am revisiting this "Snowy Day Granola," published in February 2010. Over time I tweaked the recipe and improved and simplified the technique. It's an easy recipe, and you can whip it together quickly. Serve it in a yogurt bowl, as cereal, or as a snack. I snapped this image on my iPhone. I last picked up my Nikon several months ago, and my Lightroom isn't reading my external drives. It's a mess, but I plan to sort it out and pick up the camera soon.

I have barely posted here for several years. I wonder if I shared with you that I am a Junior in college which somewhat explains my absence. :) I am enrolled in the BIS, Bachelor of an Individualized Studies Program, a part of the Integrative School at a local university studying Nutrition and Health Communication and Management. The beauty of the program is that I can take several courses in two or more disciplines and tailor my degree based on my interest. I can also take a couple of graduate school courses within this program and a couple as reserves for grad school. 

I was surprised how much I enjoyed designing the mechanics of an 'Obesity Treatment Program for 4 - 10 Year Old Children' in a 'Nutrition and Weight Management' course I took his past semester (Spring 23'). I now want to dive into the scholastic and pedagogy materials involved in the multidisciplinary therapy approach of this treatment. The multidisciplinary therapy approach involves family, sensory, play, behavioral, and group therapies. 

In an English course (Spring 23') literature review paper, I wrote about "The Effects of the Mediterranean Diet and Fermented Foods on Gut Microbiome Health." I now have yogurt daily for its probiotic effects on gut health, even though yogurt is not one of my favorite foods. :) Keep in mind that not all yogurts are created equal. Choose yogurt with probiotic bacteria strains. 

In the third course, I processed life and grief through writing. It was sort of CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy, for me. The professor was super supportive and, as a fiction writer herself, appreciated and encouraged my creative non-fiction writing. Atomic Habit by James Clear, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, and Detox Your Thoughts by Andrea Bonior were quite helpful in the process. I listened to them on my daily walks on Audible. 

You can find additional academic work I've written on the "Rise of Abuse and Violence Against Women During COVID-19 Lockdown," "February, 2021 Oil Spill in Israel; Environmental Effects, Eco-Terrorism, and Politics," "The Foods and the Foodways of Pompeii," "Sigd, an Ancient Ethiopian Jewish Holiday," among others on this website

I will hit a whopper of a round number this August, so I hope to graduate by the end of 2024 within that year of that round number. Realistically, it will probably be at the beginning of 2025 before I graduate (what's the rush?). I take three courses a semester and two in the summers, but it feels like a full-time schedule, especially since this is my first time in school in decades. :) My brain is so oversaturated with information that it feels like I blew up a fuse. In all seriousness, I wholeheartedly embrace and enjoy the academic learning process, and I am getting so much out of it, enhancing my experience and the knowledge I gained over the years. Many professors don't know what to make of me since I am so inquisitive.  
 
Tree-Nut-Free Granola

Note: I usually double this recipe when I make it. You can customize the ingredients based on your preference. You can make a combination of the seeds you have at home. In the last batch, I didn't have flax seeds. I recently lowered the amount of honey from 1/2 cup to 3/8 cup, but both work. I took out maple as an alternative since honey works better. I do not use a turbo setting. Cooling the granola before storing will create the clusters.

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup of a combination of sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, hemp, and flax seeds
3/8 - 1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup shredded dry unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
Dash of salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup raisins, dried cherries, dried blueberries, or any other fried fruit

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 F/149 C.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Mix all dry ingredients, rolled oats, seeds, coconuts flakes, cinnamon, and salt, in a large bowl (except the raisins or dried fruit), and mix.

Add the oil to the dry ingredients and mix. Add the honey and mix. 

Spread a thin layer loosely on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 300 F/149 C for about 10 minutes; take out of the oven, mix the granola with a heat-resistant spatula (on the cookie sheet), and spread a thin layer. Bake for 10-15 minutes longer or until golden 

Take out of the oven and let cool. Break into desired-size clusters and store in jars mixed in with dried fruit (raisins, dried cherries, or any other dried fruit you like).

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