When it comes to food, Mike is a creature of habit. He eats the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day. Of course, I pack his lunch and buy his breakfast food, so maybe that actually makes me a creature of habit. Regardless, every morning he has a bowl of cereal and a smoothie for breakfast. I’m starting to think that cereal (especially the kind he prefers) isn’t necessarily the healthiest choice. Enter: homemade granola! I’ve made granola plenty of times in the past, but to be honest, most of the time I just don’t get around to making it on a regular basis. However, with a recipe this easy, there really is no excuse to not have it on hand all the time.

Not only is this granola recipe simple and easy, it’s also very customizable. It is a great granola base with oats and honey and almonds, but you could substitute other nuts, increase or decrease the sweetness level, add in some dried fruit, etc. This is a great starting point for however you like to eat your granola. Plus, have I mentioned it’s easy?  Mike loves eating this for breakfast, although i have to admit that it’s such a habit for him to reach for the cereal box first thing in the morning that I find myself having to remind him that there’s granola available.

Honey Almond Granola

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups oatmeal (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup honey
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
dried fruit

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350. Spray a 15x10 jelly roll pan with nonstick spray. Combine the oats and almonds in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the honey, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Add the honey mixture to the oats and almonds and stir to combine. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes. Be careful as it burns quickly near the end. Stir in the dried fruit. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

from Quaker Oats

When we were in England, my mom and I fell in love with flapjacks, apparently a classic British dessert. Actually, the first time we tried one, we had no idea what it was. We were in a small bakery in Bath, starving, and ready to buy anything that looked good. We both ended up choosing a flapjack, mainly because it looked like a sweet, gooey granola bar. And it was incredible. We couldn’t stop talking about how good it was. The buttery, chewy texture, the sweetness, the oats – we loved it. It actually tasted like a cross between a granola bar, and baklava – which sounds kind of strange, but trust me, it works.

We subsequently bought flapjacks at every available opportunity. I even took Mike to a bakery specifically so he could try one, since we kept raving about them.

*(side note: Mike was in England for work, but I came along for the first week, and brought my mom and a family friend to hang out with me. So while Mike was working, the rest of us were sightseeing and having fun. Mike was sad to have to work, but I think having a flapjack cheered him up.)

When I came home I immediately searched for a recipe, and found one that seemed promising. Imagine my excitement when I made them and they tasted exactly like I expected! And so easy to make. The texture is a little chewier, and less gooey than I’d hoped, but I’m thinking I might have baked them too long. Regardless, these are a wonderful and delicious dessert, and a fun taste of British culture.

*recipe note: golden syrup is a type of syrup that is popular in Great Britain. I was able to find it at my local Meijer, in the international food section. If you can’t find it, I’ve read that you can substitute half honey/half corn syrup. I haven’t tried it, but it seems like it would taste great.

British Flapjacks

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup*
2 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant or old-fashioned)
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8x8x2-inch baking pan. Combine the butter, sugar and syrup in a heavy medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until butter melts, sugar dissolves, and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Add oats and salt; stir until coated. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press it in the pan in an even layer.

Bake until the top is golden (edges will be slightly darker), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 5 minutes. Cut into 4 squares; cut each into 4 triangles (mixture will still be soft). Cool completely in pan before serving.

from bon appetit

Meet my new favorite cookie. (When it comes to chocolate chip cookies, I reserve the right to have more than one favorite). With peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chips all in one cookie how could you go wrong? These are absolutely delicious. They’re perfectly thick and soft and chewy, and the flavors combine so well that you’re not quite sure what you’re eating, you just know that it’s delicious.

Mike and I both absolutely loved these. And they’re by far the prettiest cookies I’ve ever made. Normally my cookies turn out flat and unappetizing, but I used the shaping method recommended in another post by Brown Eyed Baker, and these were perfect. I also followed her instructions on how big to make the cookies, and I think that made a difference as well. There’s just something more fun about eating a big cookie.  If you’re looking for a classic thick and chewy cookie with delicious twist, give these a try – we definitely recommend them.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: Makes 16-18 cookies (depending on how much dough you eat - just a warning, its addicting!)

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons, 1.5 oz) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. *They will not look done, but if the edges are set and the cookies are puffy and lightly browned, pull them out. They'll finish cooking on the warm baking sheet. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

from Brown Eyed Baker