Life Love Mom

Tag: healthy

  • Mix and Match Granola

    Mix and Match Granola

    I have always loved granola. There is something about it that is crunchy and satisfying no matter what is in it. For a long time, I was very intimidated to make my own. I think it was a combination of not wanting to ruin a food I loved, and not finding the right recipe. So many of the recipes I have found online are either “no-bake” (which doesn’t give the same crunchy texture), or full of processed sugars (which are great in some recipes, but not in my morning granola). Well low and behold, I happened across the BEST granola recipe. The first time I made it was for a staff breakfast. I doubled the recipe and was SO glad I did because it went FAST. My favourite part is that I can literally throw whatever I have in the pantry into the mix, and it always turns out great. The original recipe is from The Seasoned Mom (https://www.instagram.com/theseasonedmom) but I have made some little tweaks of my own.

    Pictured above: granola with unsalted sunflower seeds, cashews and almond butter

    Ingredients

    • 4 cup old-fashioned oats (make sure they are not quick-cook)
    • ¾ cup wheat germ
    • 1 t. salt
    • ¼ cup coconut sugar
    • ½ c. maple syrup
    • 2 tbsp natural peanut or almond butter
    • ½ cup coconut oil
    • ½ tsp cinnamon
    • ½ tsp vanilla extract
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • ¼ – ⅓  cup mix-ins (see below for ideas)
    • ½ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
    2. Line a pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. I like to use a coconut oil spray.
    3. In a large bowl, stir together oats, wheat germ, cranberries, coconut and mix-ins. TIP: Pick a bowl you think will fit the ingredients, then use the next size larger. Trust me, when you are stirring everything together you’ll thank me.
    4. In a small saucepan, mix together salt, sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, nut butter, cinnamon, and vanilla. Heat until it is all melted and smooth.
    5. Pour the “sauce” over the dry ingredients and stir well. Make sure all the dry is coated with the wet ingredients. Then, spread onto the pan to bake. TIP FROM THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR: Use a wooden spoon to gently press together clumps of the oats to get those great crunchy clusters at the end!
    6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through, then pressing down with the spoon again before returning to the oven
    7. Remove from the oven, and press down with the wooden spoon again to form those clusters, and allow to cool completely before storing granola in an air-tight container. I typically store it in the fridge to keep it fresh, but it can also stay on the counter for about 2 weeks (although ours always gets eaten before that).

    Things To Note:

    • If you’re like me, you have never purchased wheat germ before. It is very easy to find, usually in the breakfast aisle of the grocery store. It is also a necessary ingredient for adding texture and fibre to the granola. Make sure to store your opened wheat germ in the fridge!
    • You can use brown sugar and/or honey instead of the coconut sugar and maple syrup based on your taste preference. I would not recommend white sugar here
    • Feel free to sub out the nut butter with a seed butter or even Wow Butter (I have done both for a school-safe alternative)
    • This can easily be made nut-free for school by adding more oats, fruit, or seeds as the mix-ins (the original recipe was meant to be nut-free)
    • Let me tell you, the mix-ins are where it’s at! I have used everything under the sun! Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, cashews, slivered almonds, chia, or this PC Super Seed Mix (https://www.presidentschoice.ca/product/pc-ancient-grains-and-er-seeds-blend/21024184_EA) Truth be told, it’s usually whatever nuts I have in my pantry that I want to get rid of.
    • You can sub out the cranberries for raisins or another dried fruit. I’m sure dried papaya or mango would be great! Or you can just omit it completely
    • Keep in mind, the more mix-ins you add, the “drier” the granola will be as there won’t be enough sauce to glue it together. Sometimes, I get overzealous and add too many extra things. The granola will still taste great, but you won’t get those crunchy clusters.

    I can’t wait to see your granola creations! Tag me on Instagram, or comment with your favourite combo. Let’s mix and match, together!

    This is (a delicious) life. Love, Mom.

  • Foolproof Banana Bread

    Foolproof Banana Bread

    I have always loved baking. Cookies, bread, muffins, and granolas – I honestly love them all. It is one of my major stress-relievers. I think it has to do with something with being able to control what I put into the recipe. Once J was old enough to start eating solids, I began experimenting with healthier ingredients. I love making healthier versions of favourites, and “tricking” my family into eating things that are better for them.

    When I started dreaming up my blog, I knew that recipes had to be a part of it. My go-to recipe is this banana bread. I have made it so many times that I know the recipe by heart. I started with a recipe from Simply Recipes years ago and made adjustments as I went. Each time I changed a little bit until one day it was perfect! When I was thinking about my favourite recipes I knew that my banana bread was the place I needed to start. It is my most requested recipe for potlucks and brunches. One of the things I love is that the recipe is very forgiving. It’s no-fuss, one bowl, and so easy my kids can help with 75% of it! I love to change up the mix-ins. I have put some combo suggestions at the bottom of this post. My favourite way to bake it is in a glass pan that comes with a lid. Then it’s super easy to bake and store (if you even have any left afterwards haha) I’ve linked one similar here (https://amzn.to/3Ahh1wb)

    SOME TIPS: (1) If you have too many bananas going bad, this is the perfect time to make banana bread. If you aren’t ready to make it right then and there, unpeel them and freeze them in a ziploc bag. Then take them out and let them thaw for about 30 minutes before you are ready to bake. (2)I have played around with the all purpose/whole wheat flour rations. I find 2:1 is a good combination. Any more whole wheat flour and it becomes more grainy. If you wanted to forgo the whole wheat flour and only use all-purpose, you can definitely do that! (3) Lastly, if you are adding something sweet, you can safely cut back on the sugar a bit more to 2/3 of a cup. The original recipe had a full cup of sugar but that was more sugar for me.

    Ingredients

    3 large (or 4 small) smashed, ripe bananas

    1/3 cup melted butter or melted coconut oil

    3/4 cup white or coconut sugar

    1 egg, beaten

    1 teaspoon vanilla

    1 teaspoon baking soda

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1 cup all purpose flour

    1/2 cup whole wheat flour

    1/2 cup mix-ins of your choice

    (see note at the bottom)

    Method

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit
    2. Mix bananas and melted butter or coconut oil in a bowl
    3. In the same bowl add the sugar, egg and vanilla
    4. Mix in the baking soda, and salt
    5. Mix the flour and your mix-ins in last. Make sure not to over mix
    6. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 40-60 mins. This will depend on your oven so make sure to check! When I bake on a convection setting it only takes about 40 minutes. It will be ready when a tester comes out clean. TIP: If you find the bread is getting too brown on top, you can cover it with a piece of tinfoil for part of the baking process.

    Looking for some great mix-in combos?

    Here are some of my favourites:

    • White chocolate chip and pecans
    • Dark chocolate chips and peanut butter chips
    • Milk chocolate chips and walnuts
    • Chocolate chunks
    • Butterscotch chips
    • Swirling in 2 tbsp of melted nutella or nut butter before you bake it (I have even mixed in a little bit of Wow Butter for a school-friendly option!)

    I baked a dark chocolate and pecan version for this post. I LOVE hearing about and trying new flavour combos. Comment and tell me what you would mix into your banana bread. Or better yet, make it and tag me on Instagram! You can find the link at the top of this page.

    This is life. Love, Mom.