We Love: Granola!

I'm just going to put it out there: I love breakfast. And as I scroll through my Instagram munching on said breakfast, I know I'm not the only one. My favorite breakfast has long consisted out of fruit, yoghurt and some diet cereal. But along the road I learned that these store-bought cereals contain a ridiculous amount of sugar, even the diet ones! But I really like the crunch it gives to my breakfast so I was happy as a hippo when granola became popular and came across my radar. An easy and healthy cereal recipe really sounds like music in my ears.

I've been making this pot of gold for over a year now so I thought I'd share this with you. It's nothing new, you can find a million similar recipes on Pinterest, but this is my humble version with some tips and tricks.

What do you need?

• 150gr whole grains 
• 100gr nuts
• 50gr seeds
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• pinch of (himalaya) salt
• some cinnamon 
• a mixing bowl
• an oven with a baking tray and some baking paper

Step one.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (I always forget this step) and choose your favorite grains. I always choose whole grains and this time I made a combination of spelt, buckwheat and regular oats. You can find the regular oats in any local supermarket nowadays. The more "special" ones I buy in a health food store. I use a total of 150gr of grains which doesn't seem alot, but I don't want to "overcrowd" my baking tray later on.

Step two.
Choose your favorite nuts and seeds. I went for a nut mix and pumpkin and sunflower seeds. I put a number on the amount in the ingredient list, but just add to your liking. I did try to chop up the nuts a bit but it's not necessary. As you can see, the hazelnuts would'nt listen anyway, like they're immune to knives (chopping them in half first probably would have helped). Add a pinch of salt and some cinnamon to liking. I have to admit I actually forgot the salt and cinnamon this time and I can assure you the salt gives that little extra dimension to an already awesome granola. I use himalaya salt 'cause it's supposed to contain more minerals and it's pink. Our dutch speaking readers can read a funny article about himalaya salt here.

Step three.
Add a tablespoon of coconut oil and two tablespoons of maple syrup. I've used olive oil in the past, but I like coconut oil better. I've read somewhere you should avoid oils high in omega-3 fats as they go rancid when heated. So make sure to check that before sprinkling your oil over your granola.

Step four.
Mix it up! I use my hands to make sure my whole mixture is covered in oil and syrup. It's nasty but it works! The heat of your hands will also make the coconut oil go soft so it's easier to get everything covered evenly. Do make sure to wash your hands before...hand. And afterwards.

Step five.
Cover a baking tray with baking paper and spread your mixture onto the tray. I've learned from experience that it should be a thin layer to ease the baking process and to get that crispy granola everyone has dreamed about. Bake for aproximately ten minutes (until golden brown) and let it cool. Go get yourself a mason jar and when completely cooled, pour your awesome granola in the jar. The baking paper is a life hack which makes pouring more easy, it's not really needed for anything else as most baking trays are non-sticking anyway.

Tadaa! This amount is enough for about ten portions of granola. I eat 30 grams per portion, mixed with fruit (kiwi is my new favorite) and plain non-sweetened yoghurt. Bon appétit!

We Love: Healthy foods - Soy Dream Smooth

I promise I will not lecture about how you should never go to McDonalds (but please, don't) or how you should eat your daily amount of veggies (but please do) or how you shouldn't drink too much alcohol (but please, ignore me on that one). But I cannot deny that I love to eat and that it makes me happy when I know the foods I'm stuffing myself with, are also good for my body instead of making me feel guilty after devouring them.

I started drinking soy milk occasionally about ten years ago in high school, just because I thought it tasted good. Alpro had a banana flavoured drink which tasted exactly like a banana milkshake. But I quit drinking them after I read the ingredient list and felt they added too much sugar. Of course it tasted like milkshake, it practically WAS a milkshake :D It always bums me when I read the amount of added sugars. I'm no saint at all and I like my Chardonnay during dinner (practically liquid sugar), but I like to choose when I eat my sugars or devour my guilty pleasures, I don't want them creeping in my daily eating habits. Because I tend to eat a lot.

So when Karolien and I were invited by Media Mania PR for a breakfast at Maona Living in Antwerp where a new soy based drink was to be announced, we quickly accepted. I sometimes feel alone in the world, but I LOVE breakfast. This new drink is produced by Hain Celestial, a name that didn't immediately rang a bell. But after some google'ing I found it's the brand behind my favorite milk replacement drink ever: Coconut Dream. So I was very excited for their new drink as I already loved (almost) all of their other drinks. And you know what I love the most about them? Exactly, they don't add sugar, the drinks are mildly sweet of their own due to the use of rice. I want go all chemical on you (because I simply can't, I'm a chemist noob) but it has something to do with rice fermentation. To make a long story short: it's all natural. (Random fact: the word "fermentation" always throws me back to Japan where I ate - or tried to eat - "Nato": a local delicatesse made of fermented soy beans. I'm a big fan of tasting everything but I almost threw up in my plate. I was kind of disappointed in myself afterwards.)

 Last year I had this period where I made a bunch of green smoothies - I was unemployed and had way too much time on my hands - in which I already used a variety of their drinks. Mostly the Coconut Dream though, but I go nuts on coconuts. It's a love or hate thing I suppose. But all of their drinks can also be used for baking as a replacement of milk. A couple of weekends ago I used their Oat Dream to make buckwheat pancakes, and they were delish! Speaking of which, I should by myself a new blender, but my Acne boots came first.

iPhone quality pancake making!

Buckwheat pancakes made with the "Oat Dream"

And the new Soy Dream Smooth doesn't disappoint, I will definetely buy some more of that if my local supermarket will provide me :D And last but not least: we also met some fellow bloggers during the event! We didn't go to a lot of events yet, but it is nice to chat with like-minded people. I guess I'm just afraid everyone will be so "fake" but that seemed unnecessary :D Karolien did all the talking though, I will not take the credit for it. My ramblings will limit themselves to the blog.

But thanks again Media Mania PR for the lovely (yet early) morning!

Pancakes for breakfast!

Karolien talking to Maxime from The Frontrow Blog