Mocha Cherry Granola

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My son, Jack, started eighth grade this year.  It's cool to be in the big dog grade of junior high, but not so cool to be the last one to eat.  By the time 1 pm rolls around, he is starving.  With his late lunch period in mind, I need to ensure he has a breakfast that will take him through the day.  Granola makes for a tasty, substantial first meal that provides a base of energy to last several hours.  And teenagers burn energy.  Sometimes, I feel like I'm shoveling coal into the engine of a locomotive in the 19th century.   

Pardon the digression...on to the taste.  What is it about the combination of chocolate and coffee?  While each is great on its own, they bring out the best in each other when paired---kind of like two great actors.  And when surrounded by a capable ensemble, including a star turn by dried cherries, the chemistry is delicious.  And the bonus at the bottom of the bowl-- mocha milk☺.

Chewy Granola Bar

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Granola bars are a perfect portable snack food for my husband's breakfast while he is working, the children's lunch box for a treat, or a nice break after a long walk in the woods.  The beauty of this recipe is that it is kid friendly for making and eating.  It is a no-bake recipe, so go ahead and get the kids in the kitchen cooking!  

Like the granola, you can make this according to your own tastes.  You can add dried fruit, more nuts, use different sweetners, omit the chocolate (do you really want to do that).   Just experiment and find out what flavors suit you the best.  For me, I had some brown rice syrup that I have been wanting to use, but you can use honey instead.  The original recipe called for Rice Krispies, but I had some puffed rice cereal on hand.  I did use the thin pretzels because I love a sweet and salty combination.  I felt my granola was already sweet enough so, I reduced the amount of sugar.  And the chocolate, well I don't know one person who doesn't like it (I gotta work on her).  

My twist was substituting part of the brown sugar for peanut butter.  Mmmmm--peanut butter and chocolate, salty and sweet.  This is starting to turn into a no-bake cookie.  That's alright with me!

Honey Almond Granola

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Once fall rolls around I like to start my morning with a nice bowl of hot oatmeal.  However, the weather here lately has not be ideal for a hot breakfast.  Still wanting my oats, I decided it would be a good time to make some homemade granola.  


Like the applesauce, granola is extremely versatile in its ingredients and uses.  You can use maple syrup or honey to sweeten it.  You can add pecans, walnut, or almonds to the mix, and the add-ins like coconut and dried fruits are endless.  As far as uses, the obvious is a simple cereal with milk. But we also enjoy it over yogurt in the summer or use as a topping for ice cream.  You can even incorporate into your favorite cookie recipe or how about making homemade granola bars--another post?  The best part about making your own granola is it is more economical than buying it from the store, the taste is superior, and it is rewarding as well.