My Homemade Granola

For my first two years at Oberlin,  I was one of those students who did not eat breakfast in the morning. It wasn't a surprise to me when I noticed that I could not stay awake in class. (Plus Bio100 isn't the most exciting class to keep you awake at 9 am)

One of the very first Co-op experiences for me was to have a cooking shift in the morning, and it slowly began to change my attitude for breakfast. The night before the shift, I would not be able to fall asleep easily, but kept on thinking about what I could make for the morning. I usually arrived at the co-op at 6:30 am, and we didn't have to serve breakfast until 8:20 am. So I had almost two hours to find ingredients in the fridge and make them nutritious and delicious. You would think that two hours can be a simple task for two morning cooks, but imagine this is not a typical household fridge. Eggs, toast and bacon, are not usually available in the co-op kitchen, and so this is truly a difficult task for cooks to come up with something that is not full of starch and sugar.

I started making my granola in the beginning of this summer because there are many fruits in season that go so well with granola and yogurt. A spoonful of homemade granola, Stonyfield organic vanilla yogurt, banana and fresh berries is definitely a good start of the day.

My homemade granola has oats, olive oil, walnuts, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, raisins, honey cinnamon, and a hint of cocoa powder.

Facts:

Oats are high in soluble fiber and it may reduce the risk of heart disease in a diet with low cholesterol and saturated fat. Researches have shown that nuts and seeds can boost your brainpower and balance your mood.  Walnut is a good source of Copper and Manganese, almond is a very good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), pecan also is a good source for Manganese, and sunflower seeds, last but not the least, is a good source of Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper, Manganese and Selenium. Not to mention that nuts are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids and also are great antioxidants.

Honey and Cinnamon, so called the natural cures for most of the diseases, have anti-microbial properties that are used for centuries in many cultures. Today, human body still cannot produce honey because of its complex components.

Contact me today and I will deliver this amazing granola to your house!

**Service will begin at the start of Fall semester 2011 at Oberlin College