Honey Almond Quinoa Granola

The sun is peeking over the horizon when my alarm buzzes in the morning, my bedroom a hazy gray. The dim light makes it feel like a new day instead of a tired continuum of night. This has made all the difference, it seems, in mood and spirit. The long winter is over, the sun is warm once more, and it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

I am beginning to feel human again. It is the most glorious feeling.

I've been having a hard time finding my voice these last few months. I can hold words in my mind as well as water cupped between my hands. Eventually the water slips through my fingers, as do any thoughts I may have wished to share. For the first time in years, the recipes have slowed. I want to write when I have something to say, not to just fill this space with empty thoughts.

I am certain the recipes will come more often in the future, but for now I need more time to myself: to think, to breathe, to find the words to say. Thank you for being patient and supportive—it means so much.

A few times a year, I make a large batch of granola to last me through a busy week. When creating this granola, I sifted through the cupboards to gather together a few ingredients, missing so many of the common ingredients such as dried fruits or chocolate chips. In the end, it didn't matter. Whole grains, nuts, and a natural sweetener brought this granola together, making it something quite unique.

This may be both the healthiest and most enjoyable granola I have ever made. I hope you feel the same.

Honey Almond Quinoa Granola is a whole grain breakfast both filling and wholesome (and gluten-free). The quinoa provides a lovely crunch, with honey for sweetness, and toasted almonds for nuttiness. Over the course of a week, I enjoyed this granola drowned in milk, sprinkled over yogurt, and eaten by the handful for a midnight snack. Healthy and delightful, this is a breakfast you can feel good about.

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Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa

In the early morning hours, when the sun is low in the sky and my eyes aren't quite ready to open and let the light into my world, a good breakfast wraps itself around me like a blanket and softly whispers that it's time to face the day. Breakfast is a comfort in a tired, caffeine driven world. It's a simple routine that fills an empty stomach and brings warmth and energy into a sleepy frame.

I've found an appreciation for breakfast.

There was a period in my life when I didn't appreciate breakfast. After entering university for the first time, with the nearest microwave fifty feet down the hall and an alarm clock that went off fifteen minutes before class, breakfast seemed a trivial part of the morning. I was born on the foundation of hot breakfasts. I like my breakfasts steaming from the stove top, with a sprinkling of sugar, and a splash of milk. If I couldn't have a piping hot bowl in front of me, I wanted nothing at all. For four years, I snubbed my nose at breakfast, welcoming lunch as my first meal of the day.

I was a fool.

Amid the hustle and bustle of stepping into clothes, fixing hair, and rushing to gather belongings before running out the door, breakfast is the calm in the storm of morning. A quiet reminder to take a moment to sit down and introduce myself to the aromas and flavors of a new day. I revel in the feeling of breakfast. It's a fresh start; a chance to replace yesterday with a new today. Some mornings I wake up early just so I can hold a steaming bowl of cereal in my hands and welcome the day in my own way.

I sincerely hope you've discovered the joy hidden in the depths of your cupboards. There is so much to love in that cereal box.

I've more or less eaten the same breakfast for the last twenty years. However, after trying out a bowl of this Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa, I may have discovered a replacement. Every morning this the past week, I've sat down to this sweet, nutty breakfast and I can't get enough. The quinoa cooks up in milk and absorbs the creamy flavor deep within its seeds. With a splash of milk and a handful of almonds and blueberries, I feel at home. The texture of the quinoa is such an interesting contrast to the warm, bursting juice of the blueberries—it's a texture of which I could never grow tired.

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Quinoa Pudding

Quinoa has recently piqued my interest. I didn't realize it existed until I happened upon it while spending endless hours looking at recipes (and pictures!) of food on the internet. I spotted it in everything from salads and breakfast to desserts. Suddenly, I found myself wanting to know more.

What was quinoa, exactly? Was it a grain? Was it like rice? And, most importantly, how was this food I had never heard of so versatile?

Luckily, nowadays the answers are never too far away.

Coming from the Midwest, quinoa is as foreign to our culture as tofu or bean sprouts. We like our meat and potatoes. We keep it simple. As if to prove this point, I had to search through 3 different grocery stores before I finally found it buried in the organic health food section.

Quinoa is a suspicious little food. It is neither a grain nor is it related to rice, though the taste and texture would have you convinced otherwise. In fact, it is more related to beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds than anything else. As if to further prove its originality, quinoa has a surprisingly high protein content for a plant (12-18%!) as well as a high level of fiber. Can we say super food?

In fact, as I learned while digging up information, the Incas so loved quinoa, they deemed it sacred and referred to it as the "mother of all grains."

When I finally got my hands on a package of quinoa, the possibilities were endless. So, I did as any baker would do. I turned it into a dessert (surprise, surprise!). If the Incas could have tasted this pudding, they just might have deemed it sacred, too.

Quinoa Pudding is a twist on the traditional tapioca pudding. Instead of small tapioca pearls, nutty quinoa takes its place. I almost prefer the delicate and hearty texture of quinoa grains as opposed to the smooth, chewy tapioca pearls—it gives it a bit of a bite. The pudding itself is flavored with vanilla and is only slightly sweetened. You can top the pudding with any fruit of your choice. I used pomegranate, but any berry could be used with delicious results.

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