Okay, so maybe we’re not really granola crunchers, but we’re definitely granola lovers. The problem is that granola you buy at the store is filled with all kinds of sugar, sodium, and other things we don’t want Grae to eat. And since we picked up a bunch of delicious Liberté yogurt today, we needed a batch of homemade, healthy granola, pronto. Of course my little sous chef was more than happy to help out in the kitchen.
First things first… Gracen measured out our old-fashioned oats.
Then she added the almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, ground flax, wheatgerm, and quinoa flakes.
And enthusiastically shook in the unsweetened coconut.
That was it for dry ingredients. Then it was time to stir, stir, stir. (Don’t mind Grae’s bruised cheek – the poor little thing had a fall a couple of days back.)
On to the wet ingredients and spices! In a separate bowl (or in our case, measuring cup), we added and mixed together our applesauce, pure maple syrup, olive oil, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
This part is the most fun. We added the wet ingredients to the dry and Grae went on a stirring frenzy.
When everything was evenly coated, we dumped the mixture out on two large baking sheets, spread it out, and drizzled on just a touch more olive oil before popping both pans into the oven.
Gracen was our official granola watcher and I was the official granola flipper. We make a pretty good team. :)
And after about 45 minutes in the oven, we took it out to cool on the counter. Voila! Done.
Gracen patiently waited for dinner to be made, ate up her portion, and then moved on to her anxiously-awaited dessert course – yogurt with granola and dried fruit!
Apparently it was so good that it disappeared more quickly than she was prepared for.
Be warned – if you try this recipe, licking leftovers off of your sleeve is a total possibility.
Here’s the original recipe and here’s our slightly modified version:
- 6 cups old-fashioned oats
- 2 cups chopped raw almonds
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup wheat germ
- 1/4 cup ground flax seed
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
- 2 TBSP quinoa flakes
- 2 individual cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup pure organic maple syrup
- 3 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 TBSP ground cinnamon
- 1/2 TBSP ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Between talking and signing, Grae is a pretty awesome little communicator. But in instances like these, I wish she could tell me more. We were at home playing when she stopped, went to her room, got her fuzzy blanket, and laid it out on the floor just so. Then one-by-one, she started transferring her books from the baskets in the living room onto the blanket. She ensured that each book was fully on the blanket, and if one accidentally slid off a little bit, she’d go back and place it back on the pile until it stayed exactly where she wanted it. When the baskets in the living room were empty, she started retrieving more from the bookshelf in her room. By the end of it all, we had a mountain of books (and Sharpies) on a blanket in the middle of our house. What started this mission, I’m not sure…
A little while ago, we let Gracen try some plain stove-popped popcorn for the first time… And boy, oh boy, does she ever love it.
Apparently she also loves flinging it out of the bowl and all over the place.
Time for a smaller bowl and fewer pieces…
Uncle Brett works on Broadway, so we were hoping we’d see him when we stopped to peek in the window of his store. Sure enough, he was there! We popped in for a little visit, and lucky for us, he was able to escape for a bit and join us for an afternoon snack at the sushi restaurant next door.
Afterwards, we visited Kidsbooks (which was amazing as always) and a few other shops before stopping at Caffeé Artigiano for a hot drink. Even Baby G got a little steamed milk with cinnamon. She was beyond excited about it and slurped up her last bit before I had even had three sips of my coffee. That’s our little milk-loving monster. :)
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Well today, just before her guests arrived, she was happily drawing on her chalkboard when she stopped, pointed, and said, “Heart! Heart!” Now I know that every parent thinks that their child is a genius and I’m 100% guilty of thinking Grae is quite clever, but is it just me or does this really look like a heart?!
Here’s a closer look. Am I just crazy? Does anyone else see the orange heart? Now I’m sure it was just a fluke, but either way, this mama is impressed.
‘Have a colourful Valentine’s Day!’ cards with 
A bigger version of the same card for her cousins Korbin, Chayton, and Kinslee.
And also for the cousins – felt heart hair clips for the little girls…
And felt tic-tac-toe boards for the big boys.
And something special for Papa too…
A handmade card card stamped with her little hands and feet. 
In preparation for Little G’s Valentine’s Day tea, this morning we experimented with making our own finger paint. I found the 
Gracen carefully added all of our ingredients into a large measuring cup first…
And then enthusiastically mixed it up!
Then we warmed the mixture on the stove…
Separated it into small bowls, added a few drops of food colouring, and stirred it well. It looks pretty, right?
Hmmm… Has anyone seen my Gracen Girl?
Each time she popped out of the blanket she shouted an enthusiastic “BOO!” and let out a pleased-with-herself giggle. Come to think of it, I never really tire of this game either… :)
This morning Gracen helped me make one of our favourite ever breakfast dishes – Lottie + Doof’s baked oatmeal. (You can find the recipe 
We normally make it with blueberries, but this morning we decided to switch things up a little and made it with raspberries instead. Naturally, Gracen was the designated taste tester.
After all that hard work in the kitchen, this little lady ate and then asked for a washcloth. I gave her one and found her below her chair a few minutes later “cleaning up” her mess. :)
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