Amazing Coconut Granola

Here's the deal. In my experience, homemade granola recipes just don't tend to be as crunchy and "cluster-y" as store-bought granola.  Am I right? Or is that just me?  I've tried several granola recipes before this one and none of them were up to par with my crunchy granola standards.  Except this one.  Holy wonderful it is the best darn granola I think I've ever eaten. Can't really tell in the picture, sorry I'm definitely no photographer.  But don't let the pic deter you from making this granola.  It's super easy, very healthy and amazingly delicious.


Coconut Granola
from Two Peas and Their Pod

2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped or sliced almonds
1/3 cup pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Slipat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, almonds, pepitas, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and coconut extract. Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients. Stir until dry ingredients are well-coated.
3. Pour the granola mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread granola into an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes or until granola is golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes. Let granola cool completely. Store in an air-tight container for up to 1 month.
The only advice I'll give you is to not turn the oven temperature hotter than the recipe calls for, and don't increase the time it's in the oven because you think it's nowhere near done yet.  This was my case making batch #1.  It turned out black and unedible.  I was very upset because it was smelling INCREDIBLE! Well I made another batch a week or so later (had to re-stock my coconut and pepitas) and actually followed the directions.. it came out perfect! :)

Healthy Whole-Wheat Blueberry Muffins

I am totally on a muffin kick lately.  Yeah of course I love the buttery, streusel-y cinnamon-y muffins such as one would get at Costco or Starbucks or someplace like that... but these are NOT those muffins!  They are healthy with hardly any added sugar and are full of fiber.  Don't be turned away from the saturated fat in the nutrition facts.  It is from the coconut oil, however the saturated fat in coconut oil has been shown in studies to have no adverse effects in the body.  However, these are still pretty dang tasty! Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.  I am loving making muffins lately to freeze and put in my husband's lunch to take to work.
These are 100% whole-wheat.  The recipe calls for only whole-wheat flour, but I used half whole-wheat, and half whole-wheat pastry flour.  The pastry flour adds a lighter texture since the whole-wheat tends to produce a heavier, denser baked good.  The original recipe, from the blog 100 Days of Real Food (all about eating zero processed foods- read it, it's great!), also has zero added sugar.  However I did sprinkle some brown sugar on top of each muffin before baking to add a little added sweetness.  I am glad I did! If you want even more sweetness, you could add maybe 1/4-1/2 cup of additional browns sugar to the batter.


Whole-Wheat Blueberry Muffins
adapted from 100 Days of Real Food
Yield: 12 muffins

3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1/4-1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil (or other oil)
3/4 cup apple juice or orange juice
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries (or other fruit or nuts)

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a large bowl with a fork or whisk, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Make a well (hole) in the center of the flour mixture and pour in eggs, honey, vanilla, oil and juice.  Mix the dry and wet ingredients together- do not overmix.  Add blueberries or other fruit.
Line muffin pan with liners or spray muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and then fill 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full with batter.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Serve warm or at room temperature or freeze some to eat later!

Nutrition Facts: (per muffin) 136 calories, 5.7g fat (4.3 sat. fat), 31mg cholesterol, 208mg sodium, 2.2g fiber, 8.5g sugar, 3.1g protein

Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Wow... I have become quite lazy with posting regularly! It's just been crazy around here with trying to keep up school work and working 3 part-time jobs... man it's just a little hectic to say the least.  But that definitely has not stopped me from cooking/baking at every opportunity that I've had!

 

I thought I would share one last "summer" recipe before the weather starts dropping. It's dropped 10 degrees here already! Oh wait- I live in AZ and it's still in the high 90's.... Anyway there is still an abundance of zucchini out there and this is a great, yummy zucchini bread recipe to try. 

It is a lighter recipe from Gina's Weight Watcher recipes but it is fabulous! Everyone that tried it agreed.  :)

Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
from Skinny Taste

Servings: 16 • Serving Size: 1 slice • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 147.5 • Fat: 4.1 g • Protein: 2.2 g • Carb: 29.9 g • Fiber: 1.7 g  Sugar: 17 g Sodium: 186.5 mg

• 1 cup all purpose flour 
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (regular whole wheat flour would work)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (not packed)
• 1-1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1-1/2 cups shredded zucchini (not packed)

Preheat oven to 325°.
Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.
Add chocolate chips and gently mix to combine.
In a medium bowl, mix egg, vanilla, melted butter, apple sauce and zucchini. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. 
Pour batter into a large 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Bake at 325° for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and let it cool before slicing.

Do the Monster Munch!

Yeah, yeah, I know! I can be a bit of a slacker when it comes to blogging.  Especially when college demands that all your waking hours be effervescently devoted to tests, papers, abstracts, quizzes, research applications, more tests, studying, busy work, study guides, ETC, ETC.  This last week has been probably the busiest, most insane, hectic, crazy, STRESSFUL week yet this year.  But, alas, I am almost through it! Tomorrow is Friday.  And, even better- it is almost Halloween!

Do you like Halloween? I'll be honest... I love it!  I'm not the biggest fan of all the crazy dance parties where everyone in sight is dressed... scantily (to say the least).  BUT, I love the feel of the fall, with the cool air, and yummy treats, and the fact that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner.  Plus, who doesn't love candy.  Don't even try to say you don't.

 This "Monster Munch" is courtesy of the blog, Our Best Bites- they've got a lot of really yummy-looking stuff!  It is super Halloween-y, YUMMY, and easy, easy, easy.

 

The reason some of it is white, and the some is brown-ish is because I tried to get creative and add chocolate chips to half of the batch while mixing (I doubled it).  I wasn't really thinking... the melted white almond bark definitely caused the chocolate chips to partly melt.  But taste-wise... both kinds are equally delicious and I kind of liked the addition of the caramel color!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Monster Munch

1 lb. almond bark

12 cups popped popcorn (I used natural, with no butter flavor)

1 cup candy corn

1 cup dry roasted, salted peanuts

1/2 cup Reese's Pieces

Pop popcorn (discard kernels) and place in a large bowl- the largest you have to make mixing easier.  Pour peanuts, candy corn, and Reese's Pieces on top.  Take a large knife and break up almond bark.  Melt according to package directions.  (Best to just chop up and microwave in intervals, stirring as it goes)  Pour over popcorn mixture.  Stir until everything is well coated and then spread out onto waxed paper, parchment, or foil.  Let sit until completely dry, and then break into clumps.   

Healthy Meal/Snack Ideas

Well, it has been a while since I last posted.  My time was well-spent, however, in beautiful Utah, sunny Las Vegas, and then rainy Flagstaff, Arizona over the past week and a half.

I met my cheer team in Utah on the 23rd for practice, and then we left that next Monday to leave for cheer camp in Vegas.  Practices were very long and camp was pretty strenuous, but we came out alright; we won a gold bid to the NCA cheerleading Nationals competition next April- basically they will PAY US ($25,000) to go to Nationals and compete!

After I got back, I left the very next day to go to the cinders by Sunset Crater, just outside of Flagstaff, Arizona to camp out and ride quads/motor vehicles with the family.  It was a blast!

But, back to more serious matters; my new goal is to eat REALLY well these next couple of weeks before I go back to Utah for yet more cheer practice.  I have to.  I will.  This blog could even possibly become my food journal, just to keep me on track.  Just saying.

I ate pretty well today; here are the things I ate that I would recommend as healthy meals/snacks.

BREAKFAST:

I had a bowl of the new Banana Walnut "Hearty Medleys" oatmeal from Quaker with a packet of Splenda sweetener and half of a banana's worth of slices.  

It was really delicious, but my only complaint is that these oatmeal packets are extremely small!  You only use 1/3 cup of water to make it, as opposed to 2/3 cup for most Quaker oatmeal packets, yet both have about the same calories.  Hence, I was a little disappointed.

LUNCH:

I love eating eggs for lunch!  This was an Egg Beaters scramble I came up with that was super easy and really good.

Turkey & Tomato Egg-Beaters Scramble 

1/2 c. liquid egg substitute, such as Egg-Beaters

1/2 medium tomato, chopped

4-5 slices turkey breast, chopped

1/4 c. fat-free cheddar cheese, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

Spray a medium skillet with nonstick cooking spray.  Heat to medium heat.  Add egg substitute and let set for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add tomato and turkey, and scramble until mostly cooked.  Add cheese, salt, and pepper, and continue to scramble until fully cooked.

Makes 1 serving

Nutrition:  approx. 165 calories 

SNACK:

PRETZELS & PEANUT BUTTER!

This is so delicious, and healthy too, if portions are kept under control.

STRAWBERRIES & VANILLA ALMOND BREEZE

I love this brand of Almond milk; it's really tasty and only 40 calories per cup! It makes a great substitution for milk for those who are lactose-intolerant.  It is not soy milk, either, although the taste is similar.  I prefer Almond Breeze to soy milk though!

This was the first time I tried strawberries & "milk" (I had heard it done before!) and I really loved it!!

Blueberry-Coconut Macadamia Muffins

I personally really like this picture.  I think it is very pretty, and I'm kinda, semi-proud of myself, considering my lack of photography experience/skills.  I've still got a ways to go, but I'll get there one way or another.  Eventually.

I also personally really liked these muffins.  They are healthy-for-you muffins that don't sacrifice any of the dense, cake-y, blueberry muffin goodness!  

The ingredients are wholesome- whole wheat flour, blueberries, honey, nuts- you definitely don't feel guilty after one... or two... of these! :)

The only thing that needs to be said is... these are naturally sweetened, unlike store-bought versions that have sugar listed as the first ingredient, and therefore I think they definitely need the honey drizzled on the top, like the recipe suggests.  Mmm mmmmm!!

Blueberry-Coconut Macadamia Muffins

• 1/4 cup coconut
• 2 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided
• 5 tablespoons chopped macadamia nuts, divided
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Source) or whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut or vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine coconut, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons macadamia nuts in a small bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; stir to combine. Set aside.
3. Whisk the remaining 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, egg, egg white, buttermilk, butter and coconut (or vanilla) extract in a medium bowl until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients; stir until just combined. Add blueberries and the remaining 3 tablespoons nuts; stir just to combine. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with the reserved coconut topping and gently press into the batter.
4. Bake the muffins until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack at least 5 minutes more before serving.

Nutrition:  202 calories (each), 9g fat (3g saturated), 23 mg cholesterol, 28g carbs, 4g protein, 2g fiber, 122 mg sodium, 55 mg potassium

Vacation Highs & a Snack Mix to Match!

Alright so I just got back from being in Carlsbad, California for a week-long family vacation... I just have one question:

WHY is it practically IMPOSSIBLE to eat healthy on a vacation?! Please enlighten me.

From the beginning of the vacation, I was dead-set on making good choices throughout the week so that I wouldn't feel gross and, well... just gross.  When we went to the grocery store for food to fill our tiny beach resort fridge, we bought really healthy things- mangoes, oatmeal, grapes, lunchmeat & reduced-fat cheeses, apples, peaches, light yogurts, tomatoes, and light ice cream treats.

Unfortunately, since the sun decided to hide away during our ENTIRE trip (seriously, it was cloudy and cold the whole week and only had one beach day), we found ourselves improvising by finding other things to do in the San Diego area- shopping, movies, zoo, and most importantly, eating out.

We ditched the beach and headed out to find a good place to eat!

I do highly recommend some of these restaurants if you are ever in the Carlsbad/Oceanside area:

1. Cessy's Taco Shop. If you are a fan of Filiberto's (for those in Arizona and California) or simply of any good Mexican food.... you MUST try Cessy's.  It's a five-minute walk from the beach.  Their bean & cheese burrito makes my knees go weak.  SO YUMMY.

2.You've probably already heard of Ruby's, the adorable 1940's diner famous for their shakes and burgers, but it's a whole different experience when you're dining while overlooking the Pacific ocean! The restaurant sits at the very end of the 1,942 foot-long Oceanside Pier.  It was so much fun and the food is great!

There it is!

3.  One of the most talked-about restaurants in Carlsbad is Jay's Gourmet, a small, pizza & pasta kind of place right on the beach.  My family shared a large "Works" pizza.  It was pretty delicious, as was the appetizer garlic bread!

My brother, Tanner, myself, and my sister, Tatum at Jay's

We ate at a lot of other restaurants, too, but these were my favorites.  Basically, my "healthy" eating kind of went out the window when I realized that it wasn't every day that I got to try all of these fun new places. I am home, now, though and WILL get back on track with a normal, healthy diet woo!

Oh P.S. the day before we left, I made a couple of treats to munch on during the drive to California.  This was one of them

I know I shouldn't have made this, as it was as far away from healthy eating as POSSIBLE, but I have wanted to try this snack mix for a long time, and thought this was the perfect opportunity!  It is a recipe from my Aunt Debbie, that I found in a family cookbook.

The only problem was that I couldn't keep my hands out of it! But neither could anyone else :) YUM.

Smash-Hit Snack Mix

Mix:

4 C. Golden Grahams cereal

4 C. Rice Chex Cereal

2 cups shredded coconut

1 large can mixed nuts

Syrup:

1 c. sugar

1 c. butter

2/3 c. light Karo syrup

dash salt

In a huge bowl, combine cereal, coconut and nuts.  Set aside.  Make the sauce by combining all ingredients in a sauce pan, and bringing it to a boil for 3- 3 1/2 minutes.  Immediately pour sauce over cereal mix and stir well.  Spread onto a Jelly Roll Pan and let set, then watch it disappear!

English Muffin Pizza

Do you ever feel so busy and stressed for time that eating just seems at the back of your mind? But you know you need and want to eat something, and whatever it is, it's got to be halfway decent? Yes, I do too. I was craving pizza the other day.  But, #1: I had no time or desire to make it, and #2: I wasn't about to go buy one.

Well we had some english muffins in the freezer, so with a little defrosting, I concocted a little pizza experiment in my kitchen- one that I was pleasantly surprised with!

SUPER easy, and SUPER fast. And definitely kicks any pizza craving to the curb!


English Muffin Pizza


1 whole English Muffin, split in halves
1/4 c. part-skim, shredded mozzarella cheese
6 turkey pepperonis 
dash of oregano


Toast the English Muffin in the toaster until slightly crispy.  Sprinkle half of the cheese on each muffin half.  Top with three pepperonis on each half, followed by the rest of the cheese.  Microwave muffins for about 20 seconds, or until the cheese is melted.  Sprinkle oregano on top!


*You can also add Tomato sauce with Italian seasonings as the first ingredient underneath the cheese if desired, however this would take more time as you would probably want to broil the pizza instead of microwaving it.