home made granola and granola bars

It's the last day of a long weekend in Canberra and I feel like a heavy slug with an over-sized mid section and head/eyes - I didn't get much sleep last night as I overestimated how cold it was (wore too many layers and overheated). Now I feel tired, gross and edging on grumpiness... to cure this, I tried to nap a few times but couldn't fall asleep. I am basically shuttling between my bed, computer and phone saying to friends that I feel too gross to see them.

It might seem like I'm subconsciously on a mission to destroy myself and my sanity, but at least I have access to some of my home-made granola/granola bars, rather than chocolate/chips which would only worsen my sluggish mood.

I used to make granola a lot when I lived in Sydney - it is a great way to have customise your food and it's really easy. This time my granola had: rolled oats, linseeds, almonds, walnuts, cashews, cranberries, sunflower seeds, honey and a dash of oil. Place all dry ingredients (except fruit) in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients on a bowl on the side and mix it in with the dry ingredients. Spread it onto a baking tray, into a hot oven for about 20mins. Voila - the result was good and not too sweet. You can add other types of grains, fruits, protein etc.

On the side of this picture, you can see a stack of 'granola bars' - I got the recipe from some vegan website a few years ago. The bars were made from the same granola mix, but I replaced the honey with a mashed banana. The natural stickiness of the banana helped the mix bake as circular shapes - great snacks for work, although I'll probably finish them all before work tomorrow.

Thank you blog i.e. my invisible audience.