What to do with my plain yogurt... home-made granola

Lately I've been eating lots of oatmeal. It's super easy to make in the morning and jam packed with tons of good nutrients. And the great bowel movements I get are an added plus!

My favorite way to eat oatmeal so far is cold. I like to put in a 1:1 ratio of almond milk to oatmeal and drizzle a little agave nectar, and top with fresh fruit. Then leave it in the fridge overnight and voila - you have a quick, hearty breakfast before you start your work day. It's great for me because I'm super lazy and hate having to wash the little sauce pot that I normally use for hot oatmeal.

But what if you're not into oatmeal and all its gushy, mushy goodness? If you're a texture kind of person, get your oatmeal fix by making granola! No, I'm not talking about granola from the store - I'm talking about home-made granola adjusted to the sweetness level you like.

Raisin and date granola - a little on the chewy side, but great with plain yogurt!

MOH and I have been trying to eat healthier. I'm hoping that this isn't one of our sweeping declarations that only gets implemented once and never again (like our "post-exam" sushi making nights that happened once in sophomore year of undergrad), but rather a long term, permanent fitness goal. One of the ways we're trying to get healthier is reducing our sugar intake. Oreos are out of our apartment, and the only cookies we're making now are ten-grain, minimal sugar babies (still good, but healthier!).

This granola recipe is super easy, modifiable, and healthy. What more can you ask for? I like having a minimal sweetness to the granola, so I used honey or agave nectar. No other sugar needed (except from the dried fruits). If you like  granola, this is something you should try - it saves on money and you can make it exactly how you like it.

Hope everyone's enjoying the long weekend! The weather here in Socal is beautiful - MOH and I went on a great scenic hike at Santiago Oak Regional Park in Orange. The park was beautiful and lush with green.

Raisin-date granola (I recently tried coconut-raisin granola and it was pretty good too, so feel free to experiment with different dried fruits!)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of granola
- 1 1/2 tablespoon of honey (less or more depending on how sweet you like it)
- 4 dates chopped finely (the coarser you chop, the higher likelihood of having clumpy, chewy granola bits, so your call)
- 1/2 cup of raisins

Protocol:
1. Mix in dry ingredients (everything except honey)
2. Add in honey and mix with your hands until fully coated
3. Spread on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15  minutes until lightly brown
4. Let cool on rack and then eat! Store granola in fridge for freshness.