Crispy Bits

Well kiddies, it’s your parents’ favourite time of year…back to school.  Those days are far behind me but I still cherish a few fond memories of the beginning of any school year…shiny new Laurentian pencil crayons, all pointy and even; a complete compass set with a protractor that eventually ends up stuck in the suspended tile ceiling; if you’re lucky, you might get a fresh Adidas gym bag in royal blue or fire engine red.

Still a trouble-maker after all these years

One thing I didn’t particularly like was getting up early.  At around 7:20, the clock radio would wake me up with CFRW.  Hop in the shower and scrub down with a bar of Irish Spring.  Throw on a cream turtleneck, a gold velour vest and a pair of brown cords.  Then my sister and I would huddle in the dark dining room, slurping back half a grapefruit, munching on a bowl of Quaker Harvest Crunch or a toasted frozen waffle from a marathon waffle-making weekend, served with margarine and Beehive Golden Syrup.  Good times.  But breakfast is touted as the most important meal of the day and I fully support that notion.

Today, however, who makes the time to sit down and enjoy a balanced breakfast?  Knowing what I’m like without breakfast, I will always find a moment to eat something.  And smoothies are my favourite way to start the day.  I’ve been enjoying them for almost a year and have not grown weary of this perfect breakfast tipple thanks to their endless variations.  I won’t give you a recipe for them, but here’s what you’ll always find in my smoothies:

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Honey Crackle Granola

I love granola.  It connects perfectly with my preference for crunchy things.  I fondly look back at one of my favourite childhood breakfasts and remember a bowl of Quaker Harvest Crunch with some cold milk poured over the top.  Not being one for mushy foods (don’t get me started on over-ripe bananas), I especially enjoyed how the cereal retained its special crunchiness, truly living up to its name, right to the last bite.  For any non-Canadians who might be reading this, the cereal is essentially crunchy nuggets of rolled wheat and oats with brown sugar, coconut, almonds and honey.

As an adult with an expanding waistline, however, one pays slightly more attention to the nutritional value and calorie count on boxed cereals.  I was interested in making my own crunchy granola with a dream-list of ingredients, throwing in some heart-healthy additions to boot.  After much consulting and many attempts, I am pleased to present a recipe that has grown to be much-requested.

 Of course one can use any ingredients available in the pantry, and indeed every time I make granola, it’s different in subtle ways from the previous batch.  So feel free to experiment with different ingredients like hazelnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pistachios, wheat flakes, bran flakes, or anything else that catches your eye at the health food store.  And while you’re mixing things up, play with the ratio of sweetness to your own liking, or swap out the honey with an amber maple syrup for a deeper sweetness.  

 But if you can, please use the Maldon salt.  It counters the sweetness and brings out the flavour of the nuts and seeds while the white flakes almost burst on the tongue in the most satisfying way.

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