Chocolate Granola - Gluten Free

Getting ready for a trip takes planning and lots of preparations. We are moving into our motorhome indefinitely -- at least 6 months -- with someone living in our house, so the moving and packing is more extensive. As I've recently discovered that gluten doesn't agree with me, I'm including a lot of gluten free foods in our move. I love Kashi Crunch, but it contains gluten, so I decided to make my own crunchy cereal. I looked up some GF granola recipes online, then tweaked them, as usual. I just can't leave a recipe alone. I've never been a fan of chocolate cereal. Just doesn't seem like breakfast. But this turned out amazing. I will make another batch, only without the chocolate this time. This recipe can be adjusted in so many yummy ways. Next time, I will use vanilla protein powder, leave out the chocolate, and add dried fruits. For a snack mix, I'll add some yogurt and chocolate covered fruits and nuts.

Chocolate Granola (Gluten Free)*

·      3 cups old-fashioned oats*

·      2-4 scoops protein powder*

·      1-2 TBSP fiber powder

·      2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)

·      2 TBSP flax seed meal

Place in large mixing bowl. Add desired spices.

Spices:

·      1 TBSP cinnamon

·      1 tsp nutmeg

·      1 tsp each of other spices (ginger, allspice, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom or other)

·      1/2 tsp sea salt

Add optional ingredients:

·      1/4 cup each chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pistachios or other nuts)

·      1/8 cup each seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, chia, hemp or other)

·      1/2 cup flaked raw, unsweetened coconut

Mix together well. Then add liquid ingredients and stir well until moist and crumbly.

·      1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk

·      1/3 cup syrup (agave nectar or maple syrup)*

·      1/3 cup almond butter (or any nut butter or peanut butter)

·      2 tsp vanilla

·      3 TBSP coconut oil

Warm in microwave on low power until oil is melted. Stir together, then stir into dry ingredients, mixing well.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put parchment paper in bottom of  large, flat baking pan. Spread granola mixture on parchment paper and bake 45-60 minutes, stirring once or twice, until dry. Let cool. Add any dried fruit desired.

Optional dried fruit:

1/2 cup each (chopped from whole dates, raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried banana chips (broken into small pieces), dried apples, etc)

*For gluten free, make sure all ingredients are gluten free. Store in airtight container for up to two weeks, or refrigerate or freeze for longer storage.

Serve as 1/2 cup granola with milk for breakfast or as a dry snack mix.

Can be made with vanilla or plain protein powder, leave out the cocoa, and use apple juice in place of milk.

For snack mix, add chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, yogurt or chocolate covered dried fruit, etc.

Hearty Summer Squash Soup. It's what's for lunch.

Generally, lunch is whatever is leftover in the fridge. We were out of town last week on a family emergency, so I had a bunch of yellow summer squash and yellow crookneck squash a friend had given to me. They were starting to look wilted. Our weather has turned chilly and the trees are turning, so I'm thinking fall. The squash looked like the makings for some great soup.

My experiments aren't always hits, so I was thrilled when Jim went back for seconds.

I started with my 4 quart stainless pan and sautéed diced onions and diced squash in several tablespoons of butter.

I love the yellow squash, as it's flesh is naturally very buttery, but zucchini would work well, too.

Summer Squash Soup

1/2 sweet onion, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced (I used a red one)
4 TBSP butter

2 medium yellow summer squash plus 4 small yellow crook-neck squash (could be any summer squash). Diced into bite-sized pieces, it made about 5-6 cups of raw diced squash.

2 cups chopped fresh spinach

1 Tbsp dried parsley or 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp Fine Herbs (any favorite herb mix. I love Penzeys spices - http://www.penzeys.com)
2 tsp sea salt (I use French grey sea salt from Penzeys)
Fresh ground pepper

10 pieces of pepperoni, diced

3 crisp cooked thick bacon slices, diced

1/2 - 1 cup grated cheese (Mexican blend or sharp white cheddar or parmesan would be amazing)

1 quart (32 oz) chicken broth

Melt butter in large sauce pan over medium heat. Add first four ingredients and sauté until onion is translucent. Add diced squash and 1 cup of broth. Stir together, then cover and cook on low until squash is tender enough to mash with a potato masher. Leave chunky. Add chopped spinach, spices and rest of broth. Stir, then simmer until spinach is cooked. Add diced pepperoni and cooked, diced bacon. Stir together. At last minute, add grated cheese and stir until melted. Serve.

Optional garnish with a dab of sour cream and bacon bits or more grated cheese. Makes 5-6 servings.