Granola, a staple in every household, right? It's so much easier to make your granola than you think! And did I mention, relatively cost-effective? Granola is a great way to add flavor and crunch to your oatmeal, or other favorite ways. 

Ayurvedically, granola can be great for our pitta and kapha friends. Vata folk may want to not eat pounds of granola as it can be drying to the body. 

I love having granola in my pantry ready to go even for a little mid-afternoon snack. If you know me, you know I'm a huge advocate of adding in various types of healthy fats into a diet, and with the seeds and nuts in this granola, this is the perfect mixture. Let's take it away! This granola is so incredibly easy to make. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups rolled oats 
• 1/3 cup flax meal 
• 2/3 cup hemp seeds 
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts 
• 1/3 cup ghee 
• 2/3 cup maple syrup 
• 3 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg 
• 4 tbsp vanilla extract 
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes 
  
• 1/2 cup dried fruit of your choice (I used blueberries in this one) 
  
• 2 tsp coarse sea salt 
  
  

Recipe: 

1. Mix oats, flax meal, hemp seeds, coconut flakes, and hazelnuts in a very large mixing bowl. 
   
2. Add in the ghee, maple syrup, and vanilla. Again, mix well to make sure the whole mixture is evenly coated. 
   
3. Toss in the remaining spices, salt, and dried fruit of your choice. 
   
4. Lay evenly on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. 
   
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees. 
6. Be sure to mix the/turn the granola every 10-15 minutes so that the top doesn't burn. 
7. After it's done baking, let it all come to room temperature. This will dry out the granola a little more so that you're not putting it in your airtight container oily or hot. 

Enjoy your granola with whatever your heart pleases! 

I am definitely in the mode of cleaning out my fridge and shopping what I already have in my pantry and in my fridge. I have become more and more cognizant of how much food goes to waste. I also have fallen victim to convenience over everything. I'm lucky enough to live in a small-ish city, where the grocery store is only 10 minutes away. What's stopping me from making a second grocery run in the middle of the week? Well, just sheer laziness. 

So, this year I am leaning into using up everything in my fridge, double checking multiple times of what is in my pantry before running to the grocery store. 

Today, what was on the docket? Well, I had some kale tortellini that I had bought a couple weeks ago and 1 1/2 bulbs of fennel. So, roasted fennel tortellini it was. 

And let my tell you it was decadent! My husband had F I V E servings! What?! Did I mention it was super simple and quick to make? Let's dive in, shall we?

Ingredients: 

• ​For the roasted fennel: 
  • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
  • Salt & Pepper 
• For the sauce: 
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil 
  • 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced 
  • 1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced 
  • 2.5 tsp grainy mustard 
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream 
  • 1/4 cup water 
  • 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice* 
  • 2 tsp dried oregano 
  • Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste 
  • Cooked tortellini of your choice 

Recipe: 

1. Start with roasting your fennel. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and add in the sliced fennel into one layer. Toss in oil, and sprinkle the salt and pepper. 
2. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. 
3. In the meantime, let's start the sauce. Take a large skillet and warm the oil. 
4. Add in the onion and garlic. You're going to cook this until they are softened. They don't necessarily have to be translucent, but just softened. 
5. Add in your fennel. Again, toss everything well enough so that the fennel starts to cook and softed as well. 
6. In the center of the skillet, make some space and add in the mustard and cream. Very slowly start to stir the mustard and cream together and then very slowly begin to incorporate the onion and fennel. Once everything is mixed, add in the water. 
7. Let the sauce start to thicken and then add in your shredded cheese. Very slowly fold everything together and turn your stove down to medium-low so that you begin to see small bubbles. 
8. Add in your spices. 
9. At this point, feel free to very gently fold in your tortellini. Coat everything properly so all the sauce is evenly distributed as well as the fennel. 
10. When you're ready to serve, top with your roasted fennel (which should be done at this point!)
11. Time to dig in! 

Bon appétit

When it's cold outside, when you have congestion that won't go away, when there's a persistent tickle in your throat. All the more reasons to try this soup. It was exactly what I needed on a snowy day. I added in a fair amount of ginger and other spices to bring out the extra warmth, in hopes to be able to melt that stickiness from inside. Without further ado, here you are dear friends! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 small yellow onion 
• 3 cloves garlic 
• 1 zucchini 
• 5 medium size carrots 
• 1 medium jalapeno 
• 1 inch nub of ginger
• 3 tsp bouillon paste (or the equivalent in powder) 
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only) 
• 3 cups water 
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce 
• 2 tbsp avocado oil 
• 1 tsp oregano  
• Salt & Pepper to taste 
• 3/4 cup pastina 

Recipe: 

• In a 4-ish quart pot, warm the oil.
  
• While the oil is warming, chop the veggies very roughly--they don't have to be tiny. 
• Add in the onion, garlic, jalapeno, ginger, and thyme to your pot. Toss it around so it's evenly covered in the oil. 
• Let the aromatics soften a bit before adding in the carrots & zucchini. 
• Add all of the water to the pot, and bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes. 
• Next, you'll add all of the veggies into a blender to create a smooth and creamy soup base. Don't worry about getting all of the liquid necessarily, a little bit enough to help the veggies blend nicely. 
  
• Add the pureed veggies back into the pot with the water and give it a good stir. Now, you'll add in your salt/pepper/oregano and worcestershire sauce Bring the soup back to a simmer so all of the flavors come together nicely. 
  
• 15 minutes before serving, add in the pastina directly into the soup to let it cook. 
  

Enjoy your soup with your favorite bread, tortilla, or all on its own! Happy wintering!