Yogurt Breakfast Parfait

I know mornings are rushed for all of us; I get up early and start in on the packing of lunches and all that good stuff. But it's also important to grab a bite to eat for breakfast. I need to make sure I fuel my body for a busy day with preschoolers.

Depending on how quickly I get going, I have more time some days than others. There's also days where I'm not so hungry, yet I know if I leave the house without anything, my stomach will be growling by 10:00.

Not so much even a recipe, but I love having these parfaits for my morning meal. I'm not generally a big eater so these will keep me feeling full until lunch time. I love making a batch of granola on the weekends to last us through the week or so, even the kiddos enjoy these for breakfast or snacks.

While I've tried making my own yogurt before, it's just not feasible right now for me to do so. We love purchasing this particular brand, it's locally made and we've even had a chance to visit their dairy where they produce their products.

During the summer months we love fresh berries or peaches in our parfaits, but now that it's winter, we love adding pomegranate seeds. They offer a nice tartness and crunch plus they're so good for you!

What is your go-to breakfast in the mornings?


Yogurt Breakfast Parfaits

Ingredients:
1 cup yogurt
1/3 cup granola
pomegranate seeds, or other desired fruit

Directions:
Layer ingredients into a cup or bowl as follows: yogurt, granola and lastly, fruit. Enjoy right away. Serves 1

Apple Spiced Granola

Well I sure hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We kept things pretty low key around here. We were with the hubby's family part of the day and mine in the evening. Friday was the perfect day since we all still had the day off. The majority of the day was spent being lazy and watching movies, something that doesn't happen often enough! It was a much needed time of relaxation for all of us.

Granola is a favorite around here. I always like experimenting with different variations and flavors. We like it to snack on, as a cereal and especially in our morning yogurt. In this new version I incorporated some of my homemade applesauce. The chunky apples cook in the oven and leave a wonderful soft dried fruit in the granola.

Like usual, most of the time I use whatever we have on hand in the pantry. You can do the same. For extra nutrition, throw chia seeds, flax seed or wheat germ in there as well. It's always better tasting and even more cost effective to make your own granola at home. I can make a large batch for probably about the same price as a small bag costs me in the store.

The problem we always run into in our house is, it just doesn't last long enough. If you've got a good applesauce in the fridge or freezer, try this spiced granola for a yummy new treat!

Apple Spiced Granola

Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup raw coconut
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
pinch of salt
3/4 cup applesauce
1/3 cup oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine together all dry ingredients and spices. Mix well. In another bowl, whisk together applesauce, oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Add wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine.

Pour granola onto a large baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Make sure to evenly distribute. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, making sure to turn with a spatula every 15 minutes or so. Let bake until golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool and then transfer to an airtight container.

Slow Cooker Granola

Granola's always a favorite in our house, but we've been munching on it quite often this past week. The oldest daughter experimented one night with a new recipe and it turned out wonderful. It was a small batch and of course it was gone within two days.

It's also starting to feel more like summer here in Iowa, the weather has been perfect this week. Upper 70's and 80 degree temps, but this momma does not want to turn on the air just yet if I can help it. My heating bill was just outrageous during our winter that never wanted to end. With that said, I have been trying to not turn on the oven as much this week.

So I thought I would pull out the crock pot and make up another batch of granola for the kids' breakfasts. It worked out perfectly! I didn't have to heat up the house and could keep an eye on it while I worked on some other things. I stirred the mixture every 30 minutes, just to prevent it getting too brown at the bottom. Everything is dry and crunchy just the way we like it.

You can adapt your own favorite recipe to the crock pot as well, or use mine as your guide. I don't always make it the same, I like to use up whatever we have on hand. This batch was slivered almonds, dried cranberries, raisins and pineapple. Granola makes for a healthy snack or breakfast; enjoy with milk as a cereal, parfait style with yogurt or simply by the handful.


Slow Cooker Granola

Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup coconut oil {melted}
1/2 cup honey
3 tbsp melted butter
pinch of salt
1 cup choice of dried fruit

Directions:
Add oats, almonds and salt to the slow cooker, stir together. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, honey and melted butter. Pour into the dry mixture and toss all ingredients together.

Cover, cook on high for two hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Pour granola out onto a large sheet of wax or parchment paper to let cool. Add in dried fruit and toss together. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Homemade Granola

I love having granola for breakfast, especially when it's homemade. Last Saturday during our Iowa Blogger Meet-up I included a small bag for each blogger to enjoy. It's something good to snack on during the day but especially delicious over yogurt for breakfast. Our oldest actually likes granola as her choice of cereal, and I have to admit I like that. It's got to be better than any other packaged cereal on the market.

My kids like this so much that I had to make another batch just for them last Friday night. Three batches in one night, my house was smelling quite magnificent!

You'll love this versatile recipe as you can substitute in your own personal favorite nuts and dried fruit. There are so many different combinations you can come up with. It takes little time to actually mix up and no need for the candles and Scentsy. You'll have everyone in the house hungry and waiting for fresh baked granola!


Homemade Granola

Ingredients:
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup raw coconut flakes (I found these in the baking section)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1 stick butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground mace
pinch of salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced

Directions:
In a large bowl combine oats, coconut flakes, almonds and pecans. In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in honey, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, mace and salt. Pour over oat mixture and mix well to combine.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spread granola mixture evenly onto baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes. Once mixture is golden brown, remove from oven and let cool.

Once granola is cooled completely, dump back into large bowl. Add in dried fruit and toss together. Store in an airtight container, will stay fresh for up to two weeks.