An exploration into Granola

I know, its not a very exciting post, but this is what I get up to these days and its been frustrating not being able to find the things that you prefer in a foreign country. You learn to improvise. One thing you can't find here is Granola. You can't find granola anywhere in this country, its ridiculous! They tend toward muesli, which almost always has nuts in it (I am not allergic, I am just not a fan). Not to mention I can't find honeynut cheerios either, but thats another story. So I supposed that making granola is easy enough, found a simple recipe online and threw something together yesterday so that I can have something to eat on my morning probiotic-rich breakfast yogurt. Ran out of honey though, so I substituted brown sugar melted in the microwave. Oats, sesame seeds, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, coconut, raisins, cranberries all baked in the oven with a little veg oil and the honey/brown sugar goo - pretty healthy. Could use a bit more sweetener though, but that can always be added later on. It was pretty easy and I'll be sure to whip some more when I run out of this batch. All set for breakfast.

This version of granola is a combination of ideas taken from Epicurious.com, my reliable one-stop search engine for recipes of anything I happen to fancy. Its not as comprehensive a recipe library as one one think, but it rather stocks only the best, tried and tested, recipes published in the likes of Bon Apetit and Gourmet magazines, featuring celebrities and chefs like Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver (my two favorite) I love their nonchalant, non-apologetic, and trendy vibe that they bring to their kitchen making tasty, fast treats. Although their food can be a bit British (and in the metric system), so you'll have to sift through that stuff and learn how to convert (or buy a scale). You can create your own profile and store the recipes that catch your eye, print out grocery lists, and read pretty reliable and up-to-date reviews, making the research process of cooking/baking a breeze and taking the risks associated with new baking trials away. There's even an iPhone app to gain easy access on the go.