Homemade Honey-Nut Granola AKA the only granola recipe you will ever need ​

What you need:
4 cups old-fashioned (not quick-cooking) rolled oats
2 cups whole almonds, coarsely chopped (cashews are also delicious in this recipe!)
¾  cup coconut oil – melted
¾ cup honey
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. table salt
 
To be added at the end:
1 cup raisins
¼ cup of hemp seeds
¼ cup of chia seeds
(or other variety of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits) 
 
Instructions
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Use parchment paper to line two baking sheets. In a large bowl, mix the oats and nuts. In a smaller bowl, mix the coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and salt. Pour the mixture (it will be gloppy) over the oats and stir, with your hands or a spoon, until well combined.

Divide the mixture between the two baking sheets and spread in an even layer. Bake for 20 min., stir, and switch the positions of the pans. Bake until the oats are golden brown and the nuts look well toasted, another 10 to 20 min. 

Try not to overcook, this happens quickly so keep a keen eye on it!​ Let granola cool completely in the oven with the door ajar. This is the secret to crunchy oven roasted granola. When the mixture is cool, add in raisins, hemp seeds, and chia seeds or your own favourite nuts, seeds, or super foods.

Enjoy for breakfast instead of cereal, over fruit or yogurt, or as a great afternoon or bedtime snack! 

Happy eating! ​

​ 
It's great to be able to enjoy delicious meals and desserts over the holiday season, but as January rolls around many people return to a more sustainable and balanced diet. While sugar cravings can be a regular occurrence year round, this time of year tends to be even more difficult!

There are many ways to help manage sugar cravings, including balancing blood sugar, changing eating habits, getting adequate protein in your diet, etc. But today I want to share just one very simple tool that you can use in the midst of an “I need sugar, NOW” moment.
 
                                                                                BITTERS
 
Bitters are a category of plants and herbs that have (you guessed it) a bitter taste. Vegetables like arugula, dandelion greens, artichokes, and even kale have bitter properties. Some popular herbal bitters are gentian, milk thistle, taraxacum, and angelica. I love to use bitters for their wonderful digestive effects (more on that later) but a great bonus is that they also help stop sugar cravings in their tracks. This is because after tasting bitters, the body finds sugar less appealing (an evolutionary adaptation) and cravings dissipate or are more easily managed. 

There are many bitter formulations out there, the most well known probably being angostura bitters that are typically used in cocktails or aperitifs. Swedish bitters are another brand that is commonly seen in many health food stores. I myself prefer a specific blend containing gentian (the strongest bitter herb there is) combined with a number of other supportive herbs.

​To use bitters, simply mix a few drops in water or directly on the tongue. You may notice your tongue feeling warm or tingling, or the production of saliva. This is the desired effect as bitters “ignite” our digestive processes. The amount you use depends on personal tolerance and the specific blend and brand.
 
If you don’t want to use the liquid herbal form, you can also try the following foods

• Arugula
• Endive
• Dandelion greens
• Teas made out of bitter herbs like dandelion and hops
• High quality dark chocolate (at least 70-85% cocoa)  

 
Using bitters to curb sugar cravings is merely one tool in the kit. The most important thing is to enjoy a healthy and sustainable diet with a variety of foods - including the occasional sweet treat! 

Take care and Happy New Year! 
​