Super Nutty Granola

INGREDIENTS

14 cups rolled oats
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup walnuts, broken into desired size
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup peanuts, halved if desired
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup unsweetened dried coconut shreds or flakes
1 cup flax seed, ground into meal (I use a blender about 1/3 cup at a time)
1 cup hemp hearts

1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup honey
1/8 cup (2 Tbsp) vanilla
6 Tablespoons molasses

Raisins, if desired

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 275*. (Can use convection oven at 250.)
2. Stir well all dry ingredients in a VERY large bowl.
3. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, melt the coconut oil.
4. Add the honey and vanilla.
5. Fill to the 2 cup line with molasses
6. Thoroughly mix liquids and then stir into dry ingredients.
7. Keep stirring until all lumps disappear.
8. Divide mixture onto 2 cookie sheets, spreading out evenly.
9. Place in oven on 2 separate racks. Bake 20 minutes.
10. Take out top rack of granola, close oven and stir around completely bringing granola from edges and corners into center. Spread out evenly again.
11. Take out bottom rack of granola and place the already stirred cookie sheet on the bottom rack. Close oven.
12. Stir 2nd sheet of granola as described above and place on the top rack.
13. Bake 20 more minutes.
14. Repeat stirring process.
15. Bake another 20 minutes for a total of 60 minutes.
16. Return granola to large bowl.
17. Add any other ingredients as desired.
18. Stir occasionally until granola is completely cool.
19. Store in an airtight container.

Original Super Granola

12 cups rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup flax seed, ground into meal
1 cup peanuts
1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut shreds or flakes
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup coconut, olive or avocado oil
1 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1/8 cup (2 Tbsp) vanilla

Preheat oven to 275*.
Stir well all dry ingredients in a VERY large bowl.
Measure liquids into a 2 cup measuring cup.
Thoroughly mix liquids and then stir into dry ingredients. Keep stirring until all lumps disappear.

Divide onto 2 cookie sheets, spreading out evenly.
Place in oven on 2 separate racks. Bake 20 minutes.
Take out top rack of granola and stir around completely bringing granola from edges and corners into center. Spread out evenly again.
Take bottom rack of granola and place the already stirred cookie sheet on the bottom rack. Close oven.
Stir 2nd sheet of granola and place on the top rack.
Bake 20 more minutes.
Repeat stirring process and bake another 20 minutes for a total of 60 minutes.
Return granola to large bowl. Add any other ingredients you would like-fruits, nuts, seeds, etc.
Stir occasionally until granola is completely cool.
Store in an airtight container.

Sour Cream Cornbread

1 C.      whole Einkorn or spelt flour
3/4 C.    yellow cornmeal
3 TBsp   honey or coconut palm sugar (try 2 Tbsp)
2 tsp.     baking powder (minus 1/8-1/4 tsp for higher elevation)
1/2 tsp.   baking soda
3/4 tsp.   salt
1 C.       whole fat sour cream (try whole milk yogurt)
1/4 C.     almond milk or whole milk

2 TBsp   avocado or coconut oil (avocado is easier as it is already liquid)
1           egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a medium size bowl, mix together flour, corn meal, sweetener (if using a dry sweetener), baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Set aside.
4. In a 2 or 4 cup measuring cup, blend together milk, sour cream (or yogurt), oil, honey (if this is your choice of sweetener) & egg.
5. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just enough to blend well.
6. Pour into a greased 8" x 8" pan.
7. Bake about 20 minutes or until done.

This also works in a 7 x 11” pan, and baked in a convection oven. I preheated the oven to 415 F, then immediately turned it down to 400 F. Again, this was in a convection oven.

Lighthouse Guacamole

2-4 avocados (I had 4 small ones- 14.4+ oz without the peel)

1/4 tsp sea salt (could probably use a bit more, maybe even double, but i would start with 1/8 tsp more at first)

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (good for 14.4 oz avocado)

1/4 bottle (0.2+ oz) Litehouse Guacamole Herb & Spice Blend (maybe could use a bit more of this)

Blend all together. Serve with organic corn or whole grain tortilla chips.

Yum!

Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothie

1 1/2 cups coconut water
1/4 cup raw cashews, not roasted
2-3 large dates, pitted (0.5-0.8 oz or so or 1 1/2 Tbsp)
1 large carrot, cut in chunks (3 oz or so) (  cup)
1/3 (3-4 oz) of a medium raw beet, peeled
1-2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract or a scoop of vanilla protein or vanilla bone broth powder
1 Tbsp flax seed
1 Tbsp hemp hearts
12 large organic frozen strawberries or red fruit (8-10 oz)

In a turbo blender (Blendtec or Vitamix) blend all ingredients, except strawberries, until smooth. Add strawberries and blend again until smooth. Pour into a quart jar or 2 pint jars and enjoy!

Makes 4 cups of a 400-450 calorie perfect pink smoothie.

Christmas Brownies

Though I am going to share my brownie recipe, you can make your Christmas Brownies from your favorite brownie recipe. Simply substitute 3/4 tsp peppermint extract for the vanilla. Then about 2 minutes before the brownies have finished baking, remove them from the oven and sprinkle approximately 1/4 cup crushed candy canes (3-4) or crushed peppermint candies (12 or so) on top. Bake for 2 more minutes or until candy melts slightly. Remove brownies from the oven. Cool for 2 minutes and then score the top to just slice through any globs of melted candy. Cool completely and then cut all the way through. Enjoy...but save some for others!

Here we go!

Christmas Brownies

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ c spelt or Einkorn flour (or other flour)

1 tsp baking powder (minus 1/8 tsp in high elevations-Ogden Valley)

½ tsp salt

2/3 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c chopped walnuts, if desired (good for the brain!)

2/3 c butter (10 2/3 Tbsp)

Additional ¼ c fat, either coconut oil or butter, depending on desired taste & texture. (I am currently using coconut oil.)

¾ c unsweetened cocoa

2 cups cane sugar or coconut palm sugar (minus 1-2 Tbsp in higher elevations-Ogden Valley)

4 eggs (5 eggs in higher elevations-Ogden Valley)

¾ tsp peppermint extract (you can get organic at Kitchen Kneads)

¼-1/3 finely crushed hard round peppermint candies or candy canes (12 or so candies; 3-4 candy canes)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. (340*F?)
2. With coconut oil and spelt flour, grease well and flour a 9x13” pan. (I use a glass pan.)
3. In a medium size bowl, stir together the spelt flour, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips & walnuts. Set aside.
4. In a 2-3 quart saucepan, and using low heat, melt butter & additional ¼ c fat.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Add cocoa. Stir well. (I use a whisk). (You can replace the cocoa & additional ¼ c fat with 4 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate, if desired.)
7. Add sugar. Mix.
8. Add eggs. Mix.
9. Add peppermint extract. Mix. (With each addition the mixture is cooling so the eggs don’t cook & the extract doesn’t evaporate.)
10. Fold in flour/chocolate chip mixture.
11. Spread in baking pan.
12. Bake until top has a dull crust & a slight imprint is left when top is touched, about 30 minutes.
13. About two minutes before baking is done, remove brownies from oven and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies.
14. Return to oven and bake two minutes longer.
15. Remove from oven.
16. Cool two minutes, then score top of brownies with a sharp knife to make sure the peppermint doesn’t cool in one lump.
17. Cool completely, then cut into bars.
18. Eat. YUM! YUM!

I hope this is my latest version. (I couldn’t find the recipe card I had been using, so went back to an older version, trying to remember the changes.) Cooking time may vary quite a bit depending on your oven, and possibly depending on which you use for the extra ¼ cup fat. Keep an eye on it.

It seems that using coconut oil as the extra ¼ c fat makes the brownies turn out more level in height and cook more evenly from edge to center. Also, they seem to be a bit more soft or moist. If using butter as the extra ¼ c, then it seems to rise on the outside edges and make those yummy crisper edges. I am experimenting still and may not have made enough batches for that to be conclusive. Experiment and decide what you like best.

Mom’s Special Egg Nog

6 egg whites at room temperature
1/2 c honey or sugar, level (no more than that)

1 quart 1/2 n 1/2
1 cup whole cow’s milk or almond milk
6 egg yolks
3/4 tsp grated nutmeg

1/2 c whipping cream, whipped
Additional grated nutmeg

1) In mixer bowl, at medium speed, beat the egg whites and sweetener just till thick and foamy. You do not want to set the whites, not even a soft set, just till foamy throughout the white of the egg.

2) At low speed, mix in until blended the 1/2 n 1/2, milk, egg yolks, and 3/4 tsp nutmeg.

3) Cover and chill 1-24 hours.

4) Pour into chilled punch cups. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle additional nutmeg on top.