Maple Pecan Granola

I don’t know about you guys, but my eating schedule has been alllllll over the map lately.

I’m a creature of habit when it comes to food, in case you weren’t already aware. I eat like a hobbit — often. and kind of like a bird. I basically just snack all damn day.

But come on, you knew this already.

I managed to stick to my (ir)regular eating schedule pretty well for the first few weeks of quarantine. I treated every day as if it were a “normal” day, and ate what I typically might while in the office. The problem is that when I’m not prepping my lunch and/or snacks each night before bed, they aren’t ready and waiting for me in the fridge during the day — you know, like they would be at work.

I actually JUST realized this now as I’m typing it out, so maybe I can rectify this issue by prepping food for “work” tomorrow.

Well, maybe I’ll do later in the week. or perhaps I’ll just start next week?

Wait, what day is it?!

So now my meals are a little wonky.

Some days my breakfast is at 8AM; other days it’s at 11:30. Some days I have lunch at noon sharp; other days I whip something up at 3:30. I’ve definitely also eaten three small breakfasts in a row, and then snacked every hour until dinnertime.

Can you even call three meals in a row ALL breakfast?

Are we even still referring to meals by their names at this point?!

Anyway, I guess my point is that I made a new granola recipe for you!

(I literally have no idea how that ties into my screwed up meal times, so don’t @ me)

(is that even how you use that phrase? I feel like it should be “don’t come @ me”, but honestly, I’m thirty-four now. what do I even know)

I have been craving some REAL weird things lately, which I’m fully blaming on this isolation situation. More time at home = more time to think about food… you understand the correlation, right?

One of the cravings that falls on the “normal” side of the spectrum has been maple pecan granola. I haven’t the foggiest idea why this combo popped into my taste buds, but I needed to let it play out. I’m constantly feeling snackish, so figured it would be good to have more snacks in the house!

I’ve made a batch of this granola once a week for the past three weeks, and can assure you that it’s a keeper.

This maple pecan granola is sweet, but not TOO sweet. It’s got just the right amount of crunch, and lots of nuts and oats to keep you full.

Unless you’re me, and just don’t get full.

I’ve been snacking on it throughout the day, in between my “real” meals (whatever that means). By the handful, on top of a yogurt bowl or even mixed into a bowl of my “crispy cocoa rice” cereal (a GF, slightly healthier version of cocoa krispies — so good!). It only makes 4 or so cups of granola, so it’s gone in no time — allowing me to move onto my next snack craving.

Convenient, huh?

Now here’s a Confessions fun fact for you: granola was the first post on this blog — nearly seven years ago! I feel like I should probably revisit that recipe, and maybe zhuzh it up a bit. What do you think?! A little less sugar, a little more spice… I’ll keep you posted, of course :)

In the meantime, happy snacking! and STAY HOME (please and thank you).