Purely Granola

As far as summer discoveries go, here's one for the books; Purely Elizabeth = Pure Bliss. Allow me to explain. Having two close friends with celiac has turned me on to many things gluten-free. So when I noticed Purely Elizabeth Original Ancient  Grain granola on the shelf at Whole Foods (of course) I couldn't resist picking up a bag for one of my favorite glutards...and later I returned to get one for myself. 

This amazing product is not only gluten-free, but also made with coconut oil, which gives it standout flavor; quinoa; and chia seeds - a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and antioxidants. 

Chia seeds may sound familiar - and even cause you to subconsciously sing the "ch-ch-ch-chia pet" jingle. After some quick googling to get to the bottom of the similarities, hit #2 revealed, "Don't eat your chia pet, but chia seeds are proving healthy." Bottom line, chia seeds are used to make chia pets, sans FDA standards. In addition to the benefits above, chia seeds actually prove to be energy and endurance enhancing - great news for a wannabe runner such as myself.

As I eyed up the final few grains in my first bag of Purely Elizabeth, on sale  for a not so budget friendly $6, I was determined to get my hands on a cheaper version. With this in mind, I made another important discovery - granola is incredibly straightforward to make at home. One quick trip to the grocery store and I was ready to tackle a new food project.

I offered the first test run of granola to one of my coworkers, a fellow Purely Elizabeth enthusiast. She keenly picked out that mine contained more cinnamon flavor and moisture than the original. I tried a few different variations and encourage you to dial ingredient amounts up and down to your liking. For a more cluster-y granola, try using some additional honey - drizzle on the granola once it is spread on the pan.

The recipe:
2 cups multi grain oats (for the gluten free version use gluten free oats)
3 tbsp coconut oil
¼ cup honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp uncooked quinoa
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp Sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 300°. In a large bowl, stir together coconut oil, honey, cinnamon, salt, oats, quinoa, chia, and sunflower seeds . Mix until evenly coated.

Spread in an even layer on a foil or parchment-paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stir and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.

Note: cooking times may vary by oven so be sure to keep an eye (and nose) on the granola.