THERE’S NOTHING LIKE FRESH, HOMEMADE GRANOLA with warm milk on a chilly day. last year my sister-in-law shared this recipe with me, and i have been addicted ever since. hot out of the oven. nothing compares…not even those insane chocolate caramels topped with sea salt from trader joe’s. and if you’re in search of a last minute gift to give, look no further, it makes the most charming christmas gift. buy a simple glass jar at target, wrap some red/white baker’s twine around the lid, add a cute tag – perfection!

- 1/4 cup coconut oil
– 1/4 cup raw honey
– 4 cups rolled oats
– 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes {optional. too sweet for me, but others enjoy it}
– 1 cup mixed raw nuts, almonds sliced or slivers, crushed walnuts, and crushed pecans
– 1/4 tsp salt, to taste
– 1/2 cup dried fruit such as apples, cranberries, cherries or blueberries

set oven to 350 degrees*. warm honey and coconut oil on stove. in a large bowl add rolled oats, shredded coconut, and raw nuts. pour warmed honey and coconut oil over dry ingredients in the bowl. mix. add salt to taste.

spread onto a large oven-safe baking dish. bake for 10-15 minutes until top layer is toasted golden. mix the granola and place back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until top is toasted. repeat until the mix is fully toasted – keep an eye out because at this point it will toast quickly and can burn within a matter of minutes. it can take anywhere from 40-60 minutes depending on the size of the baking dish. once the mix is toasted, remove from oven. add dried fruit. cool before storing in an airtight container.

enjoy!

*if you are concerned about baking the coconut oil beyond its smoke point, you can bake the mix at 280 degrees. i do this and it turns out great, but does take more time. check on the mix every 15 minutes for about an hour to an hour and a half.

ONCE A WEEK I MAKE A NICE MEAL which generally means a recipe is followed, more than five ingredients are used, wine is poured and maybe even a side of french/sourdough/baguette. the rest of the week we eat light, simple foods to stay within our budget. this is one of the easiest meals that we eat regularly – whole grain pasta with peas and parmesan, sometimes with chicken, and served with a salad. this recipe usually makes enough for two additional lunches.

- 1/2 package of whole wheat linguine
– 1/2 bag of frozen peas
– 1/2 cup parmesan cheese {pecorino works well too}
– salt + pepper to taste
– olive oil or butter
– chicken {optional}
– italian parsley {optional}

boil pasta according to package directions. during the remaining four minutes of cooking pasta, pour in half a bag of frozen peas. after pasta and peas are cooked, reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and peas. add pasta and peas to a medium sized bowl, add a bit of reserved pasta water, and a few tablespoons of butter or olive oil to coat pasta and peas lightly. add salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese {add more if you like it especially cheesy, i sure do!}. if you have leftover chicken or italian parsley, add that. i also find that an extra sprinkling of pepper at the end makes it nice and spicy. enjoy!