I really shouldn’t be doing this…you know, sitting here at my desk “chatting” with you.  Yet, here I am, comfortably settled in with a cup of tea and a small dish of this granola for a short visit before I leave for a few days.  There is still laundry to be finished and more packing to be done but this little activity here is part of “the process”.  You see, I have this habit, one which provides my darling husband with a good laugh {and, on occasion, a bit of hysteria} when he sees it in action and which has plagued me for years.  It usually surfaces whenever I have a looming deadline which requires the completion of several tedious tasks and it causes me to become occupied with other non-related projects.  I finely-tuned this habit in college when it came to studying for finals, often re-organizing kitchen cabinets before an all-night study session.  Yesterday, with mountains of horse laundry waiting for me downstairs, I decided to clean the refrigerator.  Today, empty suitcases are staged upstairs and here I sit.

It is not that I dread these tasks, mind you, but rather {or so I tell myself} these side activities provide me with the opportunity to sort things out and bring some order to awaiting chaos.  Right now, for example, I am subconsciously organizing what I need to pull together as I deliver this post to you…so thank you for helping me pack.

I first posted the recipe for this granola here, sandwiched in between a Sunday chicken dinner and lemon poundcake.  Not a very prominent spot for our family’s favorite snack.  So, after making a fresh batch of this granola this past Monday and packing a fair amount of it to bring with us this weekend, I decided it deserved it’s very own spotlight.

It is crunchy, salty and sweet all rolled into one glorious bite.  We enjoy it in the morning as a topping for Greek yogurt, in the evening with some vanilla ice cream as well as throughout the day on it’s own by the handful.  It is so easy to make…rolled oats, raw seeds and a few other ingredients come together in this granola which can be finished in less than an hour…

Olive Oil Maple Granola {adapted from Food52}

• 6 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
• 2 cups raw sunflower seeds, hulled
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut chips
• 2½ cups salted & roasted pistachios, left whole or coarsely chopped
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¾ cup packed light-brown sugar
• Coarse salt

1. Heat oven to 300°F.
2. Place oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, pistachios, syrup, olive oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Divide & spread granola mixture in an even layer on three {3} rimmed baking sheets, covered with parchment paper. Transfer sheets to oven and bake, stirring every 10-15 minutes {and rotating pans halfway through cooking}, until granola is toasted, about 45 minutes.
3. Remove granola from oven and season with more salt to taste. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Now, with this granola recipe in it’s rightful place, I can turn my attention to those suitcases calling to me from upstairs.  Have a wonderful rest of the week everyone and don’t forget to check back here on Sunday morning for next week’s dinner menu!