Raise your hand if you *ever* feel low on time.
If you're like me, both hands are up :) - ESEPECIALLY if you've ever been postpartum.
Baby Gerdes will be here in less than a month and I'm getting ready!
Maybe you aren’t having a baby soon, but I guarantee that life will throw something at you where you’re too busy to stop and make a healthy breakfast.
I'm here to share my favorite, favorite, favorite granola recipe of all time.
When my parents visited the farm a few weeks ago, I asked my mom to teach me her magical ways in making and freezing her Maple Pecan Granola. I know I won’t want to get up and make healthy breakfasts when I’m soaking up those newborn baby moments, so I’m planning ahead.
What if a healthy (and, might I add, INCREIBLY tasty) breakfast was already DONE and in the freezer?!
Better yet - what if you had some super healthy raw milk to pour over the top and you could be ***WINNING*** the breakfast game in about 30 seconds flat?
In my opinion, if you want all the awesomeness points in the world, there is NOTHING tastier than THIS granola recipe topped with our fresh milk and a little fruit. (Seriously, I’d choose it over dessert ANY day) - (And it’s not just me either -- I have to hide the granola from my kids if I want it to last more than a few minutes :)
I’ve always said that making healthy food taste GOOD is winning - and this recipe is the definition of that. THAT’s the magic I’m talking about.
But I don’t eat Breakfast
I see you - you breakfast skipper. No judgment here, but did you know that they’ve studied you?
According to Weston A. Price, eating a *healthy* Breakfast helps you:
Think Better
Improve your Memory
Control your Weight Better
Curb Unwanted Food Cravings
DECREASE your chances of obesity and insulin resistance syndrome by 50%
Improves Your Mood (westonaprice.com - Morning Nourishment: Bountiful Benefits and Creative Ideas)
My question is, WHY would we skip that?! I need all of those things!
Thinking better? -- Yep - I need that.
Improved memory? Yes, please.
Weight Control? Please and THANK YOU.
Curb cravings and decrease obesity? YESSSSSSSSS
Improved Mood? ----And all the mommas said AMEN!
Why would I trade all of those incredible benefits by giving my body a Poptart or sugar-bomb cereal?! - My family NEEDS all the support we can get, and a healthy breakfast is one of those ways I can help them.
Is Raw Milk Really Magical Though? Can't I use normal milk?
You could use conventional homogenized/pasteurized milk, but you'd be missing out! "...over 10 million Americans now drink raw milk on a regular basis [because of] the following raw milk benefits":
Healthier skin, hair and nails
Nutrient absorption
Stronger immune system
Reduced allergies
Increased bone density
Neurological support
Weight loss
Help building lean muscle mass
(Raw Milk: Benefits vs. Dangers, Nutrition, Side Effects - Dr. Axe (draxe.com)
Can you imagine giving your body all of those benefits before 8 a.m.? SIGN ME UP! :)
This is no Poptart we’re talking about here. This is next level magic - This is brain-food that will help us actually be able to function WELL in our days.
If you’re like me, you want to show up WELL for your days.
Raising little peoples is not for the faint of heart.
In fact, I’d argue that raising little people is the most important job that there is!! We’re **literally** forming the next earthling generation.
I can’t do that on a Poptart. I’ll burn out and probably lock myself in the closet with snacks before lunch if I’m not fueled up.
Can we make this easy?!
YES - with just a *little* planning.
We’ve all heard it said that “Failing to Plan, is Planning to Fail”, so I say we PLAN by making this recipe and stashing it away for busier days when we’re tempted to grab an unhealthy breakfast (or skip breakfast!) that will make us feel terrible that won’t actually serve us in the long run.
My brilliant plan is to make meals so easy that my 7 and 9-year-old can serve them when I'm postpartum. They couldn’t be more excited to pull off this “big girl” job. They are scheming and planning who will play which role in the kitchen while helping me prep and freeze the meals.
What if we made healthy breakfasts so easy that even our KIDS could serve themselves?! --
I’d say that’s a double win. My girls are old enough to set the table, they know where the granola is, and they know how to pour the milk without spilling.
I define that as winning!
But What if I don’t have time?
I hear you…. But guess what I’m learning? EVERYONE has the same amount of time!!!! (I know, brilliant stuff, right?).
If I TELL myself that I don’t have time for something, my brain will go to work proving that it is true. (This is actually a scientific fact) ... Whatever we rehearse in our heads, we will make happen in our lives.
This has made me VERY careful what I tell myself. If I’m constantly giving myself excuses for why I’m too busy and can’t do something, I’m only reinforcing whatever negative behavior I’m “justifying”. (This kind of self-talk doesn’t actually help you feel better, it only makes you feel worse as you “prove” the negative thing true.)
Instead, modern brain science shows us that you can *literally* craft the life that you want by telling your brain what is true. EVEN a shift of focus can make ALL the difference in the world.
For example, a few months ago, I would REGULARLY think, “I’m such a messy person, I wish I was more organized.” Then my brain would go to work proving this statement true. Whenever I would see something out of place, I would think, “SEE - you ARE a messy person, and you AREN’T as organized as you want to be.”
Here’s the deal though: What motive do I have to break that cycle if I’m always just telling myself the negative thing and then reinforcing it?! - There is NO motivation! - It’s like trying to crawl out from under a rock that is too heavy to move.
So, I tried an experiment
Instead of thinking: “I’m a slob and I wish I was different”, I shifted my daily loop to “I’m an intentional, organized person, and I’m working on getting my house in line with who I am.”
This *may* sound absolutely silly to you, but I’m telling you, OUR THINKING MATTERS!
Just look at these who statements:
1. “I’m such a messy person, I wish I was more organized.”
2. “I’m an intentional, organized person, and I’m working on getting my house in line with who I am.”
YOU tell me - which one feels better?! - Which one is more fun to prove true?
I’m telling you! - The second one is LEAGUES more fun to think and WAY more fun to prove true. -- (AND it WORKS!)
Now - even little things like a sink full of dishes don’t condemn me - it actually makes me chuckle a little as I walk over and DO them while I hear in my head “I’m an intentional, organized person, and I’m working on getting my house in line with who I am.”
What does this have to do with Granola and Healthy Breakfasts?
EVERYTHING!!!!
You are in control of your life.
Start by changing your thinking.
Maybe your thought could be:
“Instead of watching TV tonight, I GET TO serve my family and my future by making a healthy breakfast for the freezer” (and even then, you could watch your show on the laptop in the kitchen while you bake it)
OR maybe:
“I’m such an intentional mom, I’m going to serve my family by making amazing food”
Whatever **positive** thought you need to think, I encourage you to think it! :) Don’t stop until you make the mom-changes you want to make.
Maybe those positive thoughts can start with this magically delicious Granola Recipe:
Maple Pecan Granola
10c Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
2 1/2 c unsweetened coconut chips
1 c raw sunflower seeds
¼ c flax seeds
2 c pecans, coarsely chopped
2c sliced almonds
2 ⅛ c real maple syrup at room temp so coconut oil can be mixed in with solidifying
1/2 c melted coconut oil
Dash of salt - optional
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a second bowl, whisk syrup and oil. Pour syrup mixture into oat mixture and stir well. Let this sit for 30-60 minutes so the oats soak up the syrup mixture.
Bake at a little less than 300 degrees for 24 minutes on a parchment lined cookie sheet, stirring halfway through. Granola is done when coconut chips are lightly browning. Back in small batches (not too thick on the cookie sheet). Recipe should be baked in about 6 batches.
As each batch gets done, lift the parchment and dump granola into a large cake pan or roaster pan to cool.
Cool completely and put in freezer bags. For long term freezer storage, put the bags of granola into a double paper grocery bag.
Hey friend! Look at you!
You just read a whole blog about being a purposeful mom! You're Amazing!
If you don't know me, I'm Liz Gerdes, and I'd like to be your cheerleader.
I'm a SE MN dairy farmer, and friend to anyone who needs one.
I help moms feel awesome about what they feed their families with farm fresh milk!
Visit gerdesfreshfarm.com or follow me on Facebook @gerdesfreshfarm for more info.
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