Cool mornings and evenings are coming quickly.  This is the time of year where comfort foods are nice to have.  Snuggle up on the sofa with a cup of tea, your blanket and a big bowl of granola.  Please give these recipes a try and comment on how like them.  Also, feel free to invite others to check them out.  As always organic local ingredients are recommended.

Grain Free Granola

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup raw honey, warm
1 T cinnamon
1/2 T vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.  Be sure to line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. Allow granola to cool and store in an air tight container.

If you have a dehydrator, I recommend sprouting and soaking your seeds and nuts.  Dry hydrate them to make them crispy again and then proceed with this recipe.  If you have questions about this, please email me.

Light & Fluffy Pancakes

1 cup cooked winter squash
1 cup almond butter
5 eggs
1 T cinnamon
dash of cinnamon, allspice, clove
1/4 tsp salt

Separate eggs, putting whites in bowl and beat until stiff. Mix the rest of the ingredients. Fold in the egg whites. Cook in hot skillet, serve with honey.

Cucumber-Pomegranate Salad Recipe

1  lemon

1/3 cup(s) extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoon(s) Champagne vinegar

Dash of Pepper

1  seedless (English) cucumber

1  Granny Smith apple, halved, cored, and very thinly sliced

1/2 cup(s) (from 1 pomegranate) fresh pomegranate seeds

From lemon, grate 1/2 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice. In jar or container with tight-fitting lid, combine oil, vinegar, lemon peel and juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Shake well. Dressing can be refrigerated up to 2 days.

With vegetable peeler, peel alternating strips from cucumber skin, then thinly slice cucumber crosswise at an angle.

Layer cucumber and apple slices. Shake dressing again and drizzle all over. Top salad with pomegranate seeds.

Grain Free Breakfast Bars

1 1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/ 4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup raw honey

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup almonds, chopped

1/4 cup raisins or other dried fruit

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Kale Chips

Don’t knock them until you try them.  Goodbye tortilla chips, hello kale chips.  These are addicting, you will likely eat the entire sheet and then want more.

1 bunch of kale

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350.  Wash kale thoroughly and let dry. Tear kale away from stem. Each kale leaf should be torn into about 6 or eight pieces. Place kale in zip lock bag and add other ingredients.  Lay kale out on a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Place in oven and set timer for 10 minutes.  Keep checking until crispy.  Eat right away.