I’ve never been one for patience.

I am, perhaps, the most impatient person in the whole world. How do I know?

Well, I don’t. I’d tell you to Google it, but I can’t wait that long. So you’ll just have to take my word for it. And my recipes. Because if something tasty takes me longer than 45 minutes to make, you’ll find me waist deep in a tub of chocolate frosting ready to face plant on the kitchen floor, riding waves of anxiety.  I don’t do complicated.

I’m speedy. No molasses here.

That’s why I have this little thing for granola. It’s simple, it’s quick, and it tends to be a hodge podge of whatever ingredients I have on hand. It’s a hot mess. I like hot messes.

If you’re anything like me, you could probably enter the competitive eating arena with a bucket of granola and win back-to-back titles. Twice. And while I’d be extremely proud of my oat cluster consumption, I probably couldn’t hang around to see my offspring carry on the family name due to the constant sugar coma I’d lapse in to. That’s why I sweetened this granola with pureed strawberries. Oh, and honey. Probably too much honey according to some, but if there is anything I do well, it’s being excessive.

The whole pureed fruit idea came from Sylvie, who shared a post on how to make fabulous granola. And that fabulosity also inspired me to add butter to my granola. First time ever, folks. Don’t know what took me so long. But when I innocently poured the melted goodness into the bowl of oats and watched it slickly soak into the plush wheat germ, I knew it was the right move.

 

Repeat after me: I will never eat granola again unless it’s made with butter. Butter is swell.

Strawberry Almond Granola

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1/2 cup wheat germ
  • 1/2 cup chopped almonds
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • contents of one vanilla bean
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup strawberry puree about large 5-6 strawberries for me
  • dried strawberries optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • In a large bowl combine oats, wheat germ, flax, salt, cinnamon and almonds. Stir to combine. Add strawberries (with tops removed) to a food processor and blend until pureed. Set aside. Melt butter and add vanilla and vanilla beans to it.
  • Add honey to the oat mixture, combined with a spoon. Stir in strawberry puree and butter + vanilla mixture, tossing until everything is coated. Spread out on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5-7 minutes. You want granola to be slightly golden when you remove it from the oven. Let it sit and cool for one hour – at this time it should become crunchy. Fold in dried strawberries. Store in a seal tight container for up to one week.
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Now if only I had the patience to clean my house.