homemade granola and resolutions

So my last post was in June of 2013. It was titled "Aspirations to be a better blogger" and that was obviously a fail. Oh well. It may be February, but one of this year's resolutions is to actually blog again, and to floss. I'm still flossing a month into 2014, so perhaps there is hope to get in the habit of posting interesting things.

This last weekend, I made homemade chocolate peanut butter granola. I love granola, but have never attempted making it because I assumed it'd be too tricky or involve ingredients I don't feel like buying. Wrong to both. One of my new favorite food blogs, Sally's Baking Addiction, has a great recipe for this. Surprisingly easy and extremely addicting. This morning I added it on plain greek yogurt, and then topped it with sliced bananas and warm peanut butter drizzle. Not only was I actually full until a late lunch, I had enough energy to run more than usual today (because I'm preparing for this 5k).

Last week I dropped off these Open/Closed signs to a local shop Wabi Sabi. I can't wait to see them on the door soon!

Also, it's cold outside, so it's nice to hang out inside with this guy.

Blackberry Macaroons

This year for Easter, I wanted to make something pretty. I came across a recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine for pretty pink chocolate-dipped raspberry macaroons, and so I said YES and looked no further. You might be wondering why then this is titled "Blackberry Macaroons" and so I will tell you that I refuse to pay $5.00 for a tiny little pint of raspberries, especially when I can get blackberries for $3.00! I eventually would love to try these with raspberries in the summer when they are a bit cheaper, but for now I was perfectly pleased with my blackberry substitution experiment. And anyways, these turned out to be a very lovely shade of purple, which is second best to pink.

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Ingredients: 2 c. dried sweetened flaked coconut 3 tbsp. granulated sugar 1 large egg white pinch of salt 1/2 c. fresh blackberries 6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Combine coconut, granulated sugar, egg white, and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add blackberries and pulse until just incorporated (do not overprocess!).

Scoop mounts of coconut mixture 1 inch apart onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to form the small mounds. Bake until macaroons are lightly golden, about 25-28 minutes (more or less depending on your oven, so watch them carefully). Rotate the baking sheet halfway through. Then transfer the macaroons to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, place the chocolate chips in a microwave bowl. Microwave first for 30 seconds, then stir, then microwave at 10 second intervals until it melts (stirring between each interval). Use a fork or your hands to dip the bottoms (or the whole thing!) of the macaroons into the chocolate. Transfer them to a wax-paper-lined sheet or container. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes or overnight. Serve them chilled and enjoy eating something pretty.

Chunky Monkey Cookies

I've been on a banana + peanut butter kick lately, and just recently added in chocolate to the combination. I actually made these cookies last month, but love them so much that I must share them with you. The banana flavor makes them taste healthy and the texture is muffin-like, and I won't judge you if you also think they pass as breakfast...

Slightly adapted from SugarHero.

Ingredients: 8 tbsp. unsalted butter 1/3 cup chunky peanut butter 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 egg yolk, at room temperature 1 tbsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (from about 1 1/2 bananas) 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Combine the butter and the peanut butter in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave in 30-second intervals until the butter is melted. Stir the two together and set the bowl aside to cool to room temperature.

In a small separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt. Add both sugars to the bowl of melted butter and peanut butter, and whisk them together until the sugars are wet and everything is combined. Add the egg yolk and the vanilla extract, and whisk again until they’re incorporated. Add the mashed banana and whisk once more, stirring until everything is combined.

Slowly add the dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips and stir until your dough is smooth and there are no dry spots of flour remaining.

Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop balls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° for about 10-12 minutes, until golden around the edges and puffed and just set in the center. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.