My Gluten Free Granola Recipe

Finding a clean, gf granola was harder a few years ago than it is now, so I came up with my own recipe a while back. I normally make a big batch and it lasts about a month for me (unless my Man gets into it...then...), stored in an airtight container.


This a modified version of a Cook's Illustrated (love them!) recipe.













Pre-heat oven to 325.

1/3 c. veg oil, or preferred alternative, room temp. coconut works nicely
1/3 c. maple syrup
1/3 c. raw honey, or brown sugar packed

Whisk together in a large bowl.

Add:

pinch salt
4 t. vanilla extract

Mix.

Add to large bowl:

5 c. old-fashioned rolled oats, preferably organic and gf

Chop:

2 large handfuls (~ 2 c.) of raw almonds
1 large handful (~ 1 c.) walnuts

Add to bowl along with:

1 handful of unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 handful raisins (I like to bake some in because I like when the raisins get chewy and slightly crispy-stuck-in-your-teeth, don't like? Reserve for end)
1 handful pepitas
1/2 c. raw sunflower seeds
1/2 c. flax seeds




+ 2 handfuls unsweetened, dried cranberries (to add at the end, when cooled)

Mix all ingredients, except cranberries, in the large bowl until everything looks wet.


Sprinkle cinnamon generously across the entire bowl, stir in slightly.

Pour contents of large bowl onto a baking sheet.

Press wet granola into baking sheet with your hands, trying to pack it in.

Bake for 15 mins., then rotate pan and bake for additional 15-20 mins. Bake until the edges start to brown approx. 30-40 mins.

Let cool completely.

Break into large chunks, add dried cranberries. Store in an airtight container.


Eat over plain yogurt with fresh fruit. Or with soy/almond/milk. Or just a handful as a quick snack. Yum, yum.

"Why Aren't You Ever Tired?"

A coworker asked me this question to other day, after both her and another coworker yawned and sighed, more like ughed.

I answered, "Because I eat well and exercise often."

They both laughed and said well they don't and don't, so there you go, and by the way, "Look at her," simultaneously looking at me, sighing and taking a sip of coffee.

So this whole concept got me thinking....

Of course I have my groggy/tired days, like we all do, but they are few and far between, often because of a fitful night of sleep irritated by seasonal allergies or a full moon effecting our dog's sleep, so she spends most of the night walking around, nails clicking on the wood floors. These tired days are unusual for me and easy to identify the culprit.

Subsequently, I thought about most of my coworkers who are often tired, yawning, lethargic caffeine junkies. Most complain about always being tired, not feeling up for work or doing much for that matter, and most all want to take a nap right after lunch.

While the simple answer is eat well and exercise, it really is true and I don't think we realize the value of these two simple things until we start doing them and can identify the difference of doing or not doing. The value of these two things make a world of difference for your day to day functioning and lethargy.

My tips for not dragging ass on a daily basis:

• Drink lots of water and less caffeine. It seems counter-intuitive, because most of us reach for caffeine to help us wake up or help get over that 3 p.m. afternoon slump. You are better off getting up and walking around, stretching and drinking a glass of water. These three things combined will give you more of that afternoon boost than any cup of joe will.

• Get proper, restorative, deep sleep. Sleep can be effected in many ways by the environment, but also by what you eat, how you move or don't move in your day and your overall health. So this one is the hardest to immediately solve, but having a quiet, relaxing bedroom is at least the first step to aiding in restorative sleep, that and decreasing your caffeine intake to no more than 2 cups a day.

• Make a majority of your diet plant based, limit your intake of dairy and meat proteins, both of which ask much more of your body to digest, which if you don't have extra energy to give, asking your body to work hard to digest complex proteins is asking too much of your already energy deprived self.

 Subsequently, dark, leafy greens, of which most of us don't get enough, have gobs of chlorophyll in them, hence the green, but that chlorophyll gives you oxygen among many other great nutrients. So eat plenty of greens. If right now a basic salad counts as your greens, that is better than none, but try to eat any or all of: chard, kale, collard greens, spinach, dandelion greens, beet greens, mustard greens, etc. at least 3 times a week (more is always better, but you gotta start somewhere, right?). My favorite and easiest way to get your greens in, is throw them in a breakfast smoothie, seriously, you never know they are there, well minus the green color, but don't pay attention to that, juice 'em or sauté them up in a little bit of EVOO in a hot deep pan with fresh chopped garlic. Wash and chop your greens and throw them on top of your slightly cooked garlic, excess water on your greens is OK, and toss until just barely wilted, finish with a squeeze of lemon juice or a dash of Braggs Liquid Aminos. A great easy side to any meal. Like I always say to my Honey, "where's your greens?"

• Breathe. Duh, right, we have to or we die, but what I mean is breathe consciously and with focus and intent to cleanse. Think about it, how often in a day you you consciously breathe? And when you do, don't you feel brighter, more awake, energized? It is amazing the power of breath.

Which leads into:

• Exercise. Often, try to move daily for a minimum of 30-45 mins., whatever works for you, but I think focused exercise at least 3 days a week will make all the difference in helping you feel more energized. Exercise makes you take deep breaths, asking your lungs to expand and intake more oxygen. Stretching lengthens your muscles and opens your body and lungs aiding in the movement of more oxygen running through your body. I especially like yoga to help me focus on breathing. Yoga asks you to breathe through a stretch, which I know sometimes we hold our breath through a stretch. Breathing through it allows the stretch to go deeper and simultaneously makes you conscious of the importance of breathing and aware of the energy-packed importance of deep, cleansing, awakening breath.

While these little tips are helpful and starting point, the best way to avoid lethargy and general all-over tiredness, it to be aware of self. Nourish your mind, body with clean eating, focused exercise, restorative rest and an intent on wellness.

So instead of reaching for that next cup of caffeine to get your jolt of energy think of the other things you can change in your daily routine that will aid in your all over alertness.

My Journey Part Deux - "The Burrito Stuck in My Throat" Feeling

The Wonderious Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is the wonder grass, providing exponential amounts of nutrients such as chlorophyll, amino acids, minerals, vitamins and enzymes. While I am by no means an expert on the health benefits of wheatgrass, you can Google that, or read a phenomenal book, The Wheatgrass Book by Ann Wigmore, to learn more about it's health benefits. I knew at a young age that the nasty green shot you got at the health food store or juice bar, that was followed with an orange squad (yes, an orange wedge, but I called them squads) was good for me, but I had no idea why, the same kinda follows now, except I know a few more details about it's real health benefits, because I am genuinely interested in what it provides to my overall well-being.

So I have been growing and juicing my own wheatgrass. I very causally read the growing section of Ann Wigmores's book on growing wheatgrass and that, with my general knowledge of sprouting seeds, I figured out the relatively simple process.


So first you soak your Red Wheat Berries, for 8-24 hours. You can buy Red Wheat Berries at your local health food store, often in the bulk section. And yes wheatgrass is gluten free. I too, was concerned, but after searching around and asking a licensed dietitian friend in the area, the grass itself does not contain any gluten, only the kernel, and in juicing wheatgrass you only juice the grass, so yay!

You fill your growing container with soil and moisten lightly. I have used old fish totes. (I used to work in a gourmet market with a fish department I managed, so theses were a dime a dozen and have many uses). Sprinkle your soaked seeds evenly across the moist soil.

Then cover the moist soil/seed tray and keep in a not directly sunlit area with a mild overall temperature. I keep mine on top of the fridge.

Keep your eye on the sprouting wheatgrass, which should start sprouting within a few days. Once little sprouts start to appear, like below, remove the cover. You should not need to water at any point during this time. If you do, your wheatgrass may be in too much direct light/heat. Also don't over water, because the wheat berries will mold.

Within 3-5 days your sprouting wheatgrass above, should look like the fully grown wheatgrass below. And now it is time to juice. Cut at base and juice away.

Super easy, super healthy. You can either juice wheatgrass by itself as a shot, which is typical, in which case you will want a tray per shot per day you plan to consume. I would say roughly 1 tray = 1 shot. I always have a minimum of 3 trays going, but I don't tend to do a shot a day. I add some to a smoothie, do a shot every other day, add some to a salad, etc. You can consume the second growth of your wheatgrass, but I have heard it is lacking in some nutrients, so I normally compost it after it is all cut.


Happy wheatgrassing!

I Heart My Juicer

So I have been juicing for about 4 months, pretty consistently now. I try to juice a minimum of 3 times per week, alternating days with a nutritiously-loaded fruit smoothies with lots of extras, like bee pollen, spirulina, liquid minerals and flax seeds.

I also on a monthly, more as-it-feels-necessary basis, have been doing a 3-day juice cleanse. It really makes all the difference for me, refocuses my body and mind, cleaning out the junk that accumulates over a month and I start again fresh.

I was apprehensive at first to purchase a juicer, unsure how much use it would really get. I did a significant amount of research online, pricing options in different price ranges. I knew I wanted a masticating juicer, as it extracts more nutrients than a cylindrical juicer. There is tons of information out there. I would highly recommend doing a Google search, reading all reviews and checking out Amazon.com if you are considering purchasing a juicer. KitchenChatters.com was very helpful in my search.

So there are three general price ranges for juicers: less than $150, $200-$500 and $500 plus. I knew the $500 plus was out of my range. I figured I would start with a cheaper model, since I was unsure at the time how much juicing I was actually going to be doing, figured there was no sense in purchasing an expensive piece of equipment that was just going to take up space on my kitchen counter.

I really was hoping to spend somewhere around $150-$200, but I felt after significant reading online, that it wasn't the best bang for my buck. I really was looking for the best nutrient extraction and a more durable model.

I ended up purchasing an Omega J8006 Nutrition Center Commercial Masticating Juicer. It is a great juicier, holds up well, juices nicely and the pulp is relatively dry. I was willing to bite it and spend the $300 to get this jucier. I am very pleased and feel that it has already paid for itself.

I would highly recommend adding juicing to your life, even on a small scale, the nutrients you get are so beneficial and you couldn't actually consume the number of veggies you need without juicing. If you are anything like me, you have thought to yourself, oh I am eating the "recommended" daily intake of veggies, but you'll be surprised to learn your are not. While I am not measuring my veggie intake, per say, I can feel it, the more I juice, the better I feel, I feel more vibrant, more energetic, my skin is clearer, so clearly I am getting far more veggie-goodness now that I am juicing than when I was just eating veggies.