Scribbles & Munch

      I kind of wish I had something scarier for Breakfast the 13th. It would be very appropriate if I had something horror-themed, or at least unlucky, like a coffee cake in the shape of a broken mirror.* But instead, I have something very practical, nutritious, and (of course) tasty to share with you: granola. I guess there are some people who don't like granola, so...BOO! Ha haaa, scary Breakfast the 13th!
     Ahem. Anyways, now that the weather is warming up, my interest in hot breakfasts has diminished accordingly. I prefer to keep my oven and stove in the "off" position for as long as possible, so bread puddings and cinnamon rolls are out. Instead, I'm going for cold breakfasts--or at the very least things that I can cook quickly and/or over low heat, and then eat cold for several days. Most American grocery stores have an entire aisle dedicated to boxed Breakfast Cereal, which fits these requirements perfectly. But the cost of a box of cereal has gotten absurdly high for what you get, and the carbon footprint is enormous. Not to mention the sugar to whole grain ratio is on the tragic side. It's cheaper and healthier - for you AND the planet - to make your own.

Just add some milk or yogurt, and viola! Breakfast!

      Let me start out by saying that I have not always liked granola. I wasn't a fan of nuts in my cereal as a child, and I was somewhat ambivalent regarding raisins. Then, when I was a kid, my grandfather ate a very popular brand of granola that included hard, metallic-sweet nodules he told me were "dates." The dates killed it for me entirely. Since then, two things have happened: a) this popular brand has stopped putting dates in their granola, and b) I've eaten tender, sweet, delicious whole dates, thereby discovering what this middle eastern staple is actually supposed to taste like. I also started making my own granola. With the ability to tweak the ingredients and flavors came a whole new appreciation for this dish, and since then it's become a favorite in my household (you know you've done something right when your husband tells you he wants you to make granola rather than coffee cake for breakfast).
      There are lots of good granola recipes out there, and I've stolen bits from several as I've refined my own favorite. Here I'll include some tips for tweaking it at the end, and I encourage you to be creative with each new batch you bake!

Z.D.'s Basic Double-Nut Granola

Ingredients:
3.5 Cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 Cup sliced almonds
1/2 Cup chopped pecans
2/3 Cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon (heaping) kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2.5 Tablespoons coconut oil
3 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons maple syrup (the real stuff)

Directions:
 - Pre-heat your oven to 300º F, and line a half-sheet rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.

Trust me, you want a lot of over-hang on the edges to prevent spillage when you stir.

 - In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and sugar. Sprinkle on the salt and spices, and toss well to combine.

Looks healthy!

 - In a small pan over low heat, melt together the oil, honey, and maple syrup, whisking frequently until homogenous. Drizzle into dry ingredients and toss to combine.

This adds sweetness, helps the granola come together in small clumps, and also helps it brown evenly.

 - Spread evenly in lined baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake for 12 minutes, then stir. Return to the oven for another 12 minutes, then remove and stir again, making sure to bring the bits from the edges into the middle of the pan. Return to the oven.

It will still look raw after your first couple stirs.

 - Bake for another 10 minutes, then remove and stir again. By now you're probably wondering if this recipe works, because despite 34 minutes in the oven your mixture has yet to look brown. Well, pop it in for another 10 minutes, and I promise at that point your granola will have a lovely golden hue (assuming your oven isn't broken).

By the time this comes out of the oven, it's going to smell unreasonably good.

*That sounds...difficult to digest.