Chocolate Cherry Granola

We had our first snowfall of the season last week! We woke up to the hush of snow-blanketed ground and it was just beautiful. Of course, it also meant the chickens’ water was frozen so I needed to get one of those warmers to put their water container on, and Bob hung a heating light in their coop so they can be toasty warm for the winter months. We’re still adapting to living full-time in the valley!

One of our dogs, Boots, found the warmest spot in the cabin to spend her day. I think she’ll be spending a lot of time there!

The snow was a reminder that winter is nearing and, since we could easily be snowed in for days at a time, I’ve been filling our shed shelves with staples such as beans and grains for those snowy days we can’t make it out.

It’s also time to start thinking about holiday gifts, especially since Hanukkah begins the night before Thanksgiving this year. I like to give (and receive!) homemade gifts, and a jar of granola tied with a festive ribbon is always welcome. Granola is also something that can be made with those pantry staples, so I plan to keep a jar ready on the counter all season.

I’ve made many batches of my Blueberry Maple Granola, but this last time decided to mix it up a bit and made a chocolate version. I stirred together honey, coconut oil, vanilla, cocoa powder and a big pinch of flaky sea salt before mixing in oats, cacao nibs and chia seeds. After baking, a handful of dried cherries finished it off.

A scoop of chocolate granola is hard to resist for breakfast and I don’t expect it to last long. We’re expecting more snow this weekend so I may be making another batch soon!

Chocolate Cherry Granola
Makes about 4 cups

1/3 cup raw honey
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup cacao nibs
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the honey, coconut oil, vanilla and cocoa powder until smooth. Add the chia seeds, cacao nibs and salt and mix in. Gently fold in the oats until just coated. Spread the mixture out evenly on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake the granola for 9 minutes, stir the edges to keep from burning bake for another 8-9 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Stir in the dried cherries and store the granola in a sealed container at room temperature.

Chai Chia Pudding

As I write, I am humming the Chia Pet jingle. I grew up watching this commercial on TV and was the proud caretaker of a few of my own Chia Pets. At the time, I would not have considered eating the seeds I was mixing to make my pet magically grow its green body, but now they’ve become a staple in my kitchen.

The health benefits of these ancient seeds are remarkable. A member of the mint family, chia is the richest plant source of Omega-3, stabilizes blood sugar levels, contains anti-inflammatory properties and is a great source of protein. Wow! Aside from its nutritional punch, chia seeds also taste good.

Chia seeds have a mild, nutty flavor and can be sprinkled on salads and yogurt, stirred into oatmeal or tossed into muffin batter. My favorite way to enjoy these little brown seeds, though, is in pudding.

When chia seeds are soaked, they absorb a large amount of liquid and transform into a texture rather like tapioca pudding.  This simple little pudding is a snap to create. You can make it with the liquid of your choice – milk, juice, coconut milk or almond milk all work well. Dried fruit, toasted coconut, maple syrup, cacao nibs or nuts are all tasty suggestions to add. Just mix your ingredients together and let the chia seeds work their magic. This is a marvelous breakfast to prep the night before. In the morning, grab your jar from the fridge and you’ve got a delicious start to your day. If you’re feeling fancy, you can even layer the pudding with fresh berries and yogurt for a pretty parfait.

Since I drink tea most mornings, I decided to try using it for chia pudding.  I love the sweet, spicy taste of chai spices, so I stirred in some cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper and a drizzle of honey. For a bit of creaminess, I added coconut milk (whole milk also tastes good).  When the pudding had thickened, I topped it with fresh berries and enjoyed a terrific breakfast. Singing ch-ch-ch-chia has taken on new meaning!

Chai Chia Pudding
Serves 2

1 cup strong black tea (I use English breakfast)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup coconut or whole milk
1/4 cup chia seeds
Fresh berries for serving

After steeping your tea, pour it into a jar or other container with a lid. Add the cinnamon, pepper, cloves, cardamom and honey and stir. Set aside to cool until room temperature. Add the milk and chia seeds and stir well. Cover and pop it into the fridge. After about half an hour, give it another good stir to prevent the chia seeds from clumping.

Chill for a couple of hours or overnight. When ready to serve, give the pudding a stir and spoon the pudding into two bowls and top with berries.

Banana Nut Pancakes with Blueberry Compote

Long ago, when I lived in Southern California, my friend Rebecca and I went on a valiant search for the best pancakes. We ate lots and lots of pancakes. Many a Saturday or Sunday morning was spent squished into a booth or patiently waiting in line at a diner, wondering if we’d find the pancakes.

For a while, the pancakes at Babalu’s in Santa Monica were contenders, but then we discovered Coyote Grill in Laguna Beach and knew we were home. See, we adored banana pancakes. The ones at Babalu had bananas sliced on top, which was good. But Coyote Grill cooked bananas into their cakes and that was the best. Plus, Coyote Grill was located just a few doors down from my boyfriend (now husband). What could be better?

Recently I’ve been playing around with different flours and almond flour is emerging as a favorite. I enjoy its nutty flavor and moist texture, plus it’s loaded with protein. Perfect to start the day! So when a pancake craving hit, I started stirring some batter with almond flour.

This is a simple batter to mix up. Some almond flour, eggs, milk (I use either whole or almond), maple syrup, vanilla and olive oil come together quickly and you’re frying in no time. Of course, there are mashed bananas in there, too!

Hot out of the skillet, these pancakes are tender and infused with banana goodness. I like to drizzle mine with pure maple syrup or sometimes a dollop of thick yogurt. This time, though, I made blueberry compote to accompany them since my second favorite kind of pancakes are blueberry. A happy morning indeed!

Banana Nut Pancakes
Makes 6 - 4 inch pancakes

1 1/4 cups almond flour (I use blanched almond flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup milk of your choice (I use whole or almond milk)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
1/4 cup ripe banana, well mashed
Butter or coconut oil for frying pancakes
Blueberry Compote for serving (recipe follows)
Greek Yogurt for serving

In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir the almond flour and baking powder together. In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, measure the milk and then add the eggs, vanilla, olive oil, maple syrup and mashed banana. Whisk the wet ingredients together until well mixed and then stir into the almond flour until just mixed.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and melt a bit of butter or coconut oil in it. Scoop 1/4 cup amounts of batter into the pan (as many as will comfortably fit) and fry the pancakes until they are golden and beginning to bubble, about 3-4 minutes. The pancakes are a bit delicate, so very gently lift around the edges of each one and flip to cook on the other side, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and finish frying any remaining batter. Serve with Blueberry Compote and Greek yogurt.

Blueberry Compote
Makes 2/3 cup

2 cups organic blueberries, fresh or frozen (if using frozen, do not defrost)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and let simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Serve warm or room temperature with the pancakes.

This recipe is featured at Foodie Friends Friday.

Burmese-Inspired Eggs with Rice for Breakfast

I have to share with you what I’ve been eating lately for breakfast. Most days, I wake up eager to get into the kitchen (of course, pouring a big cup of coffee may be part of this, too) where I usually have a list of what I’d like to cook, what I need to prep for dinner or a new recipe idea to play with ... but breakfast takes priority before I dive in.

With early morning light softly coming through the window (yes, our pitch-black mornings are beginning to brighten!), I sip my coffee and think about what to cook up. I like to start the day with protein and prefer savory breakfasts with eggs. As much as I adore pancakes, if I make a batch I always have to have an egg alongside. Now that our backyard hens are laying again after the dark winter days, I am happily collecting eggs and admiring their bright, sunny yolks.

This past December, I had Naomi Duguid’s beautiful book, Burma, on loan from the library and did quite a bit of cooking from it. I’ve since added it to my wish-list since it is a marvelous collection of stories, history and very delicious dishes (a new favorite is Golden Egg Curry). In addition to chopping and frying lots and lots of shallots, I fell in love with the combination of fish sauce and lime juice that is the foundation for many of the meals.

A bowl of leftover brown rice inspired me recently to think about a change from my usual eggs-on-toast-with-avocado. With fish sauce and lime juice still on my mind, it wasn’t long before I was chopping green onions, chiles, and, of course, shallots to whip up a fine breakfast. I find that if I keep little bowls of diced onion, ginger, garlic or some leftover veggies in the fridge, then this is indeed quick to prepare. But keep it simple, it’s first thing in the morning after all.

The rice is warmed in a bit of coconut oil with shallots and chiles, then doused in fish sauce and lime juice. A fried egg, sunny-side up, tops it off with a sprinkling of green onions. The salty, sour flavors awaken your taste buds while the creamy egg yolk coats the rice lusciously. A satisfying, energizing breakfast, and best of all, only one skillet!

Burmese-Inspired Eggs with Rice
Serves 1 (easily doubles)

1 teaspoon coconut oil (or more if needed)
2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon red chile, finely chopped
1 cup cooked brown rice (either short or long grain)
1 tablespoon fish sauce, or more to taste (preferably Red Boat Fish Sauce, an amazing all-natural, quality sauce)
1/2 lime
1 egg
Green onions, chopped for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Warm the coconut oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and red chile and sauté for a few minutes, until soft. Add the rice and stir to warm the rice and mix in the shallots and chile.  Add the fish sauce and squeeze the lime over the rice and stir. Taste to see if you like the salty-sour balance and add more of either. Scoop the rice into a small bowl.

If needed, add a bit more of coconut oil to the skillet and warm. Crack the egg in and fry sunny-side up or however you prefer. Slip the egg out of the skillet onto the rice, scatter with some green onions and salt and pepper to taste. Pour another cup of coffee and enjoy!

Autumn Spiced Plum Jam

A bag of plums from our friends’ tree is a welcome gift this week. Italian prune plums are like late-season zucchini right now: in abundance!  And I appreciate how versatile these little beauties are for snacking, baking, pickling and jamming. Not too sweet and full of luscious flavor, they take well to different spices and can go both sweet and savory.

Even though we are relishing our late summer sun and warm air, I am beginning to crave the fall flavors that are just around the corner. Dare I say it? Soups and stews are on my mind, even as I slip on my flip-flops. I baked the first apple cobbler of the season this week and now warm spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg are filling my thoughts. Oh, and pumpkin pie. Soon enough!

With autumn tastes swirling in my head, I gaze at the bowl of purple plums, eat a couple and ponder how to transform them. I didn’t make nearly enough jam over the summer, so to hold onto these last whispers of summer but also welcome fall, I decide on a jam spiced with ginger, cardamom and cloves. Buckwheat honey from our Rosh Hashanah dipping adds a touch of dark, earthy sweetness.

Fragrant, rosy, lightly spiced and bursting with fresh plum goodness, it made a delightful breakfast this morning when spread on a sea salt baguette (a Mazama Store favorite) alongside a steaming cup of green tea. I’ll be making this jam again before the season ends (and I wouldn’t say no to another bag of plums either ...).

Autumn Spiced Plum Jam
Makes 1 pint

2 pounds Italian prune plums, pitted and chopped into halves, or quarters if large
1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Have ready a clean, sterilized pint jar and lid. In a large sauce pan, combine all of the ingredients over medium high heat and stir. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and let cook at a lightly bubbling simmer for about half an hour, stirring often to break down the fruit. Watch closely to be sure it does not begin to scorch and lower the heat further if needed. When the plums begin to thicken and coat a wooden spoon and have a jam-like consistency, remove from heat and let cool. Spoon the jam into the pint jar, cover and store in the fridge for up to one month.

Strawberry Curd

More strawberry delight!  I cannot get enough of our local strawberries, and with our almost daily treks to the berry stand I am dreaming up different ways to enjoy them.

Over the winter, when citrus was in abundance, I made grapefruit curd and it became a breakfast treat for us.  With the summer and its profusion of berries, I decided to try adapting my grapefruit curd to strawberries.  It is fun to experiment, and even more fun when the results taste good!

Any creation using strawberries is going to be pretty.  The appealing pink of this curd adds a rosy pop of color, especially to a flaky croissant.

When I was picking out some pastries, I could not resist this strawberry croissant – pure decadence to top it with a dollop of strawberry curd!

Strawberry curd is a delightful change from citrus curds. Its creamy texture is buttery and fruity and sings of summer.  With blackberries and blueberries still to come, I think I see more experiments - and hopefully more curds gracing our table!

Strawberry Curd
Makes 1 1/2 cups

3 cups strawberries, washed and sliced in quarters if large, half if smaller
1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs, whisked
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Zest of 1 lime
A pinch of kosher salt

In a medium sized saucepan, stir and mash the strawberries over medium heat until they break down and become saucy, about 10 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and continue to stir until the butter has melted and the curd thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 5-10 minutes. Watch to be sure the mixture does not become too hot and curdle.  If needed, turn the heat down to medium-low.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour curd into a jar.  Let cool, then cover and chill.  It will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.

Graham Nut Pudding for Mother’s Day

Tastes can evoke vivid memories, and for me a familiar taste of my childhood is Graham Nut Pudding.  This is a pudding my mom made often when I was growing up.  It is not a typical pudding – none of my friends had ever heard of such a custard – but we all loved it.  It's an old-fashioned comfort pudding and usually it didn’t last long enough to chill before it was devoured at breakfast or brunch.

My mom loves to be in the kitchen.  Her home-cooked dinners, homemade school lunches and countless pies cooling on the kitchen counter fill my memory.   When I started copying some of her recipes to begin my own collection, Graham Nut Pudding was the first one I grabbed.  In fact, my mom made it last week while I was visiting in Boston.

The pudding is made with homemade graham nuts or Grape-Nuts cereal.  I keep intending to make my own graham nuts (using graham flour) and have a couple of recipes tucked away.  Until then, store bought cereal will suffice (Kashi also has a brand of “7 grain nuggets” that I used this last time). The custard is simple to stir together.  While baking, the graham nuts sink and form a cake-like base, the middle becomes a smooth, lightly sweet milky custard and the top is a thin layer of nutmeg-kissed crust.  Honestly, it’s the type of pudding you keep “evening out the edges on” until you’ve nibbled away more than you’ve intended.

As Mother’s Day approaches, it warms my heart to see my sons enjoying this same pudding as much as I do.  Time passes quickly, as evidenced by my delightful, growing boys (both taller than me now!), and I hope as they journey into the world they will have many fond kitchen memories to take with them.  Happy Mother’s Day!

Graham Nut Pudding

From my mom

Serves 8

1/2 cup homemade graham nuts or Grape-Nuts cereal

4 cups whole milk

3/4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional, I prefer to use only the nutmeg)

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole and place in a roasting pan. Have boiling water ready to pour in pan.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together all the ingredients. Pour into the prepared casserole. Pour boiling water in the roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up the casserole.

Bake for 1 1/4 hours. The pudding will be set but still jiggle a bit. Remove it from the roasting pan to cool. It can be eaten warm or put in the refrigerator to chill for the next day. Enjoy!

Oatmeal-Maple Scones, Boston and an Anniversary

Today is the first anniversary of Blue Kale Road, and what a road it has been. When I began this journey, I had no idea of all the fun, creative challenges and learning I was embarking on.  It’s been a year of happy discoveries!

One of the unexpected joys of writing Blue Kale Road is meeting other food bloggers, both online and in person.  What a world of kind, supportive, delightful people! I was in Boston this past week to visit my parents as they prepare to move to California.  In addition to having a “last hurrah” with my folks in my hometown, I was looking forward to meeting three of my favorite food bloggers.  I am consistently inspired when I read Molly, Sara and Emily’s lovely blogs and I want to cook all they share.  Seeing each of them in person was a treat – what a pleasure to meet such vibrant, talented women!

I indulged in a few other treats last week, too - Boston is filled with amazing restaurants. Since my parents are leaving the city we took advantage of this opportunity to eat out ... a lot.  We popped in to some of their local favorite spots like the Grotto, Paramount, Pierrot, the Sail Loft and even tea at the Four Seasons!  Creamy garlic soup, Greek omelets, buttery Dover sole, rich goat cheese puff pastry, glasses of champagne ... let’s just say it’s a good thing we were walking everywhere, which also allowed me to take in some of my best-loved Boston sights.

A morning visit to Flour Bakery and Café left me happily filled with sweets. Joanne Chang does not disappoint!  My parents and I studied the chalkboard menu filled with tempting choices and finally decided upon the granola bar, lemon ginger scone, pecan sticky roll and almond biscotti, all to share amongst ourselves with our cups of coffee.  Bliss, I tell you.

The Flour cookbook has been on my wish list, so I seized the moment and bought it while in Boston.  What better way to bring a taste of the bakery home with me? And now I can share with you.

Yesterday, my first morning home, found me in the kitchen with my cup of tea, the Hunger Games soundtrack playing and the Flour cookbook open.  What to bake?  I made Joanne Chang’s luscious homemade Oreos last fall for a bake sale, so I decided to focus on a breakfast item for my sleeping family.  Not surprisingly, given my love of all things maple, the Oatmeal-Maple Scones called out to me.  I improvised a bit with the recipe since I hadn’t been grocery shopping yet, substituting milk for cream, honey for half of the maple syrup, walnuts for the pecans and dried blueberries for the golden raisins.

The resulting scones were heavenly.  The maple glaze filled the craggy tops with earthy sweetness, and biting into the scone’s crisp surface yielded a buttery, flaky interior.  Nibbling on a scone in the sunshine, reflecting on the past year and daydreaming about what may lie around the next curve in the road ahead made for a very content morning.  I am grateful to be in this moment.

Oatmeal-Maple Scones
Adapted slightly from Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery and Café  
By Joanne Chang
Makes 8-9

Scones
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups oats (not instant or quick)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 8 pieces
1/3 cup cold milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup dark honey
1 cold egg

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, walnuts and dried blueberries and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment.  Drop the pieces of butter over the mixture and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, until the butter mixes in a bit but is still rather chunky.

In a small bowl, stir together the milk, syrup, honey and egg until well combined.  Pour the mixture into the flour mix and beat for about 30 seconds on low speed.  The dough will be soft.

Remove the bowl from the stand and use a spatula or plastic bench scraper to scrape the dough down from the sides and mix in any dry spots.  Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop and drop mounds of the scone dough on the lined baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.  Transfer to a rack and let cool.

While the scones are cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar and maple syrup.  Drizzle in enough water to make a smooth glaze (I used close to 1 tablespoon).  Brush the glaze over the tops of the scones, call everyone to the table and watch them pounce on the scones.  Enjoy!

Breakfast Burritos for Cinco de Mayo

Breakfast burritos have been on my mind, ever since we visited Bob's cousins in Elko, Nevada while on our recent RV road trip.  We had a lovely visit and enjoyed catching up with family and introducing our sons to some of their second cousins.  While there, we took a tour of the town, stopping for breakfast at a local burrito spot.  The breakfast burritos we ordered were filled with scrambled eggs and potatoes, with the option to add cheese.  When I unwrapped my (enormous) burrito, I discovered a homemade tortilla, stuffed with eggs and diced potatoes and three flavorful salsas to dollop on top.  Simple, fresh, delightful.  A delicious breakfast before we got back on the road.

Inspired by this burrito and the approach of Cinco de Mayo, I made breakfast burritos when we returned home to Seattle.  We love Mexican food, tied only with sushi as our family favorite, and we welcome any opportunity to indulge in it.  Since this burrito is all about simple ingredients, you want to make sure they shine.  First, I looked for the best quality tortillas I could find (making homemade would be even better - on my list!) and heated them until they puffed and turned a bit brown (but don't turn away like I did and set off the smoke detector!).  I then diced some Yukon Gold potatoes and fried them - in butter - until softened but still firm.  Last, I softly scrambled eggs from our hens - again, in butter.  (By the way, if you are ever making scrambled eggs for a crowd, Oven Scrambled Eggs are the ones to turn to. The recipe can easily be cut in half, too.  You are guaranteed a pan of fluffy eggs for your guests!)

A platter of sliced avocado, diced tomatoes, green onions and roasted chiles gave everyone the option to add what they liked.   A dash of hot sauce and we dove in!  They were a hit, and brought a slice of Elko back to our Seattle lives.

Breakfast Burritos
Makes 2 (easily doubles)

8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 large or 2 small), diced into small pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large flour tortillas
Your favorite hot sauce or salsa

Optional toppings:
Shredded cheese
Sliced avocado
Roasted chiles
Diced green onions
Diced tomatoes

In a large, non-stick saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.  Add the diced potatoes and stir to coat with butter.  Let the potatoes cook for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times, until they are softened and a little browned but still firm.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from pan and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs until well stirred.  Add a dash of salt.  Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. When melted, pour the eggs in and gently stir them with a rubber spatula.  Keep stirring until they form a fluffy pile and remove from the heat while they are still shiny so they don't over cook and dry out.  Remove eggs from the pan and add to the potatoes.

Set the pan over medium-high heat and lay a tortilla flat on it.  When it puffs up (in under a minute) flip and warm the other side.  Remove and fill with half the eggs and potatoes.  Quickly warm the second tortilla and fill with remaining eggs and potatoes.  Serve with hot sauce or salsa and your chosen toppings.  Wrap them up and enjoy!

Blueberry Maple Granola

Oodles of homemade granola recipes have been popping up in the past few years – I’m sure you’ve noticed! This is not a surprise, since granola made at home is far tastier and healthier than the packaged, store-bought variety. At this point, I’ve tried just about every concoction I can think of and have found myself returning to one granola combination over and over. It’s time to share it with you!

The basis of this recipe comes from our dear family friend, Ralph. Ralph is a master at making crunchy, flavorful granola and when I first sampled a bowl I immediately requested his recipe. Over time, I’ve played around with different oils, sweeteners, nuts, seeds and fruit to make it my own, but have kept the essence of Ralph’s granola.

Oats form the foundation of granola. Ralph first toasts his oats in the oven, which is inspired. Like anything, toasting improves the flavor and fills the kitchen with a heavenly scent (when time permits I like to toast oats before making oatmeal ... mmmm). The warm oats are a canvas on which to add flavors to suit your tastes.

In a large bowl I stir together the oats, maple syrup, a touch of honey, olive oil, pepitas (love the light, crackly texture they add), ground flax seeds, walnuts and a healthy sprinkling of fleur de sel for a salty kick. After baking, a handful of dried blueberries finish off the oatmeal and add a bit more sweetness.

I try to keep a jar of granola on the kitchen counter – a handful is terrific for an after- school snack or to mix with yogurt for breakfast. Our new morning indulgence is a breakfast banana split ... scoops of yogurt grace a split banana and are topped with dollops of blueberry jam and sprinkled with granola (inspired by The Kitchn). A scrumptious morning treat!

Blueberry Maple Granola
Adapted from Ralph’s Crunchy Granola
Makes 4 1/2 cups

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free for a gluten-free option)
1/3 cup maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fleur de sel or flaky sea salt
1/2 cup raw pepitas
1/3 cup ground flax seeds
3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the oats on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Keep the oven on.

In a large bowl, whisk together the syrup, honey, olive oil, vanilla and fleur de sel. Stir in the oats and mix to coat. Add the pepitas, ground flax seeds and walnuts and gently mix.

Spread the mixture on the rimmed baking sheet and bake for 18 minutes. Stir the granola halfway through the baking time, being sure to get the corners. Remove from the oven and let cool. Mix in the dried blueberries. Store the granola in an airtight container within easy reach for snacking.

Start Your Day with Oatmeal Pancakes

It’s the first day of school and my boys are off ... both of them in high school this year. Wow, not to sound cliché but really, where has the time gone?

I so clearly remember my first days of school, that fresh feeling of a new, blank slate ahead. Even now, back to school is always an exciting time of year for me. I love that Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) falls in September rather than in January. While it is sad to say good-bye to summer, I do appreciate the new energy I feel in September. Summer refreshes me and clears my mind so I am ready for new challenges and growth in the coming seasons.

I want Sam and Isaac to be well prepared for their learning and new experiences, and what better way to energize them than with a hearty breakfast? I am crazy about oats in any form (my daily morning fare: oatmeal with almond milk and blueberries) and my other breakfast love is whole grain pancakes. So how about oatmeal pancakes? A happy combination, I think!

I’ve been making oatmeal pancakes for several years and learned this method of soaking oats in buttermilk overnight from Elise over at Simply Recipes. This creates a soft, oatmeal-like mixture. In the morning, I stir in whole wheat flour, eggs, chopped almonds and cinnamon and start frying. You can be creative with adding different nuts, some fresh or frozen berries or perhaps some coconut. After liberally pouring maple syrup on our fluffy cakes, we tuck into breakfast and start our day.

Oatmeal Pancakes
Adapted from SimplyRecipes.com
Makes about 10 4-inch pancakes

2 cups old fashioned oats (not steel-cut or instant)
2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped (optional)
Butter for frying
Maple syrup

In a large bowl, stir together the oats and buttermilk. Cover and leave on your counter overnight.

In the morning, stir in the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until well mixed. Add almonds, if using. It will be a thick batter.

Heat a large griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Add a pat of butter and, when melted, ladle 1/4 cup scoops of the pancake batter onto the pan. After a couple of minutes, when you see air bubbles form on the surface, gently flip the pancakes over. Let them cook for another minute or so and then check to see if they are golden brown. If they are browning too quickly, turn your heat down to medium.

Serve right away or keep warm in a low oven until ready to eat.