Our (current) Favourite Granola

We are granola lovers around here, and we love it with fruit in place of the oil. The classic, of course, is applesauce, but we've also used pumpkin, and right now we're crazy about bananas. This little creation is like Banana Nut Bread, but in crunchy, wholesome granola form. It's great as a snack, with creamy whole milk, with yogurt, or just snitched right out of the container. It's that good. You can vary the nuts, of course, and use almonds or pecans or a combination of whatever, but, strange as it seems, I wouldn't do it without the sesame seeds. Somehow they just make it perfect; they are the je ne sais quoi of the granola.

Banana Walnut Granola

5 cups rolled oats
3 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup sliced almonds (or more walnuts!)
3/4 cup sesame seeds

2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves


Preheat oven to 300˚F. Combine the oats, nuts, and seeds in a large bowl. In a saucepan, combine bananas, honey, oil, salt, sugar, and spices. Mash together with a fork or whisk, or do like I did, and use a stick blender. I love the vroot-vroot. Cook and stir until it's warm and gooey, then pour over the dry ingredients. Mix well with a large spoon, then spread over 2 baking sheets. Bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 and rotating pans at the 20 minute mark, until browned and starting to crisp. Let cool completely on pans, then store in an airtight container.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World

A couple of months ago Justin went to a neighborhood party at which he tasted the best cookies he has ever tasted.  I was intrigued and asked him what made them so amazing.  He couldn't pin point anything in particular and just told me to get the recipe from our friend.  I didn't and time went on...after I had Vida this friend dropped off a plate of cookies for us.  I tasted one and couldn't believe it.  They were the best cookies in the world!  Simple chocolate chip, and I couldn't discern anything that made them special.  I meant to ask for the recipe but didn't and time went on...then one day I was making cookies with my sister-in-law and she explained she's been on a quest to find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe in the world and I exploded with excitement!  I know where to get it!  So, finally I asked for the recipe.  It's a very tricky recipe and I haven't gotten it right yet.  The trick is that it calls for cold butter and you never let the ingredients mix enough to have smooth dough.  You want it chunky.  This last time I think I left it too chunky.  Picture a consistency in between this and smooth:

And that's what we're shooting for.  I'd recommend halving the recipe until you get the consistency right.  I asked my friend how she does it and she said she pre-measures everything and adds everything sequentially to her Kitchen Aid mixer, without much pause.  She said she doesn't spend more than 5 minutes mixing, total.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World

• 2 sticks butter, cold
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups  chocolate chips
• 2 cups walnuts (optional, but my friend always adds these)

Briefly mix sugars and butter.  Add eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda; incorporate.  Add chocolate chips and nuts.  Bake at 350 for 11 minutes.

If you'd like to join the quest, please do.  Let us know how your attempts turn out!