Stuck at the house, enjoying watching the snow falling, and getting ready to go out and play.

Granola

Here is another recipe that I have been working on for a while. There are a lot of granola recipes that add tons of oil and butter and tons and tons of sugar. If I am going to actually enjoy my granola, it needs to taste good, but it also needs to be healthy. I don't want to be dumping candy coated oats and nuts on to my vanilla yogurt each morning. This recipe is fairly healthy but is still good enough to eat by its self.

Brit's Granola
4 cups Oats
Nuts and seeds of your choice - I used a cup each of raw sunflower seeds and raw whole almonds
1 cup unsweetened coconut
4 T. real maple suryp
6 T. organic, no sugar added apple sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Cinnamon to taste
Dried fruit

Preheat your over to 350 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients in a big bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Combine both the wet and dry ingredients and mix well. Bake the granola on two foil lined cooking sheets for 16-20 minutes until golden brown. Allow it to fully cool before taking it off the cookie sheet. Add your dried fruit and store in a large ziplock bag or container. Enjoy!

St. Mary's Glacier

This weekend was absolutly beautiful in Colorado. We had seventy degree weather and sunshine so we decided to spend sometime outside. We have gone up to St. Mary's Glacier for the last four years. At the top of the glacier there is a beautiful little lake and there is always someone skiing or snow boarding the glacier. Here are some pictures from our hike:

Chocolate Chip Cookie? Yes Please...

I am always on the look out for recipes that can become my go-to...I found my blue berry muffin recipe, my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, and now I've found my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. They are the right balance of sweet and salt and they come out big and thick and just so good. When I make cookies, I tend to use the cheapest chocolate chips I can find at the store...I can only imagine the goodness these cookies would be with some high quality chocolate chips. This is also an amazing cookie base...you can pretty much add what ever additions you want - white chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, anything and they will come out good.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 c flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c melted butter
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 T vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 c chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
3. Cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
   
4. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
5. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.