To adult, or not to adult? That is the question. I’m fast approaching my birthday next month, and it really doesn’t feel like I should be yet another year older. Where does the time go?
As a child, I always rolled my eyes when grown ups moaned about how “there aren’t enough hours in the day”. It was such a strange phrase. There’s 24 hours in a day because SCIENCE, and if you want more hours in the day, just sleep a solid 5 hours instead of 10.
Well, there ain’t no way Adult Me can function on 5 hours of sleep.
Time really does fly by. In thinking about the time since my last birthday, I came up with a list of all the things I’ve accomplished. Quit a job I didn’t enjoy, found a job I love, started a food blog, got a dog, lost a dog (I miss you Lola), got another dog. Not too shabby!
Except that…. well, those things I thought happened LAST year actually happened TWO years ago. So apparently, a whole year went by that I didn’t even know about. What the what?
I’m a responsible, fully grown woman, yet there are days when I feel not a day over 18. Sometimes I just want to eat quick-and-dirty tuna melts for dinner, reread Harry Potter, watch cartoons on Sunday mornings, or whine about having to take the garbage out AGAIN.
But no, life gets in the way. You grow up, you learn to cook real food, you read the news and you watch documentaries, and you take the garbage out every damn day. Because that’s what grown ups do. Right?
That doesn’t mean I can’t eat a tuna melt every so often, or sneak in a quick reread of The Prisoner of Azkaban when the mood hits.
It’s a give-and-take.
That being said, I actually love getting older. I wouldn’t say I’m excited for my birthday, but I am happy to embrace it. Another year older points me closer in the direction of doing some pretty awesome, grown up things. Buying a house (maybe… thanks Vancouver housing market), starting a family, having dinner parties that end at a respectable hour.
Growing up is awesome.
Making your own granola is one of those things that just seems so grown up. I’m not sure why that is, though, since it’s one of the easiest things you can make. It’s relatively cheap (you probably have most of these ingredients in your grown up pantry), it takes just a few minutes to toss together, and it’s 100x healthier than store-bought.
Apple cinnamon granola. One of my favourite oatmeal flavour combinations, spruced up into granola form. Crunchy oats, pumpkin seeds, healthy flax seeds, a generous amount of cinnamon, and sweet and chewy pieces of dried apple.
Pair this granola with some vanilla Greek yogurt and – I’m not joking – it actually tastes like APPLE PIE. So good! Plus, it’ll make your house smell amazing.
Handy tip: instead of granola, make granola bars or little energy bites! Mix up all the ingredients as directed, but before baking, transfer the mixture to a wax paper-lined tray and firmly press into an even layer (or, roll firmly into balls). Bake, adjusting the timing as necessary, and slice into bars. Granola meets Grab n’ Go!
| Apple Cinnamon Granola | Print |
- 3 large apples, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks*
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ⅛ cup flax seeds
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- To dry your apples: Preheat oven to 200°F. Toss apple pieces with a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg until evenly coated. Transfer to a baking tray, spread into a thin layer, and bake for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally, to prevent apples from sticking to the baking tray. Remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl.
- Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Spread oats and almonds onto a thin layer on the same baking tray you used to roast the apples, and toast in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Transfer to the bowl with the apple pieces. Add the pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl as well.
- In a separate, small bowl, whisk together honey, syrup, and vanilla. Pour over the oat mixture and stir well to coat.
- Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
- Serve with vanilla Greek yogurt for a delicious treat!
this is a delicious idea! i’m always making granola (because homemade is SO superior to store bought!) but i haven’t tried including apples. must do!
Hope you enjoy! 🙂