Autumn granola | gf + v

The intense work period I had in the beginning of this week really got to me today. From being super productive Monday – Thursday, this Friday has passed on in a blur. My to-do list was really short today, so maybe that had something to do with it. I managed to get all the things on my list done + go grocery shopping before lunch. The afternoon was blank in my calendar, which was intended because I need some free time to be creative. And I also clean my desk every Friday afternoon so that it’s ready for work on Monday morning, so I needed time to do that as well.

Anyway, except for cleaning, this afternoon has been all about creativity. I did even bring out all my markers and started to paint. And after doing whatever I felt like doing I had all of a sudden come up with eleven new blog post ideas. I mean, what? What I’m trying to say is that you need time in order to be creative. You need to play, be like a child and do whatever you want to – even browse Pinterest and read blogs. That’s when all the ideas show up. And as a creative entrepreneur inspiration is key.

Scrolling through Pinterest or reading blogs can help me remember ideas I had some time ago, but have somehow forgotten. So, taking some time to do those things is really important, at least for me, to stay creative and be inspired. It felt so good to end this week like this. Now I have a lot of recipe ideas to try out next week and hopefully, I even get the time to style and shoot some of them as well. But that’s for next week – now it’s time to ease into the weekend, don’t you think?

Do you have any plans for the weekend? I know for sure that I’ll be making another batch of the granola I’m sharing with you today. I’ve been making it non-stop since I came up with the recipe, like a month ago or so. It’s crispy, with just enough sweetness and spiced up with cinnamon to make it very autumn-y. Sounds perfect, don’t you think? Plus, it’s really, really easy to prepare. You’ll find this yummy recipe after the jump.

Autumn granola

makes 1 jar

7 dl rolled oats
2 dl sunflower seeds
1 dl pumpkin seeds
1 dl cashews, chopped
1 dl almonds
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3/4 dl unflavored coconut oil
1/2 dl maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C.

2. Combine everything but the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla in a big bowl.

3. In a saucepan, combine coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Heat up and stir until the coconut oil has melted and the mix is smooth.

4. Pour the syrup mixture over the dry mix and stir until everything is well combined.

5. Cover a baking pan with parchment paper. Spread out the granola on the paper and bake for about 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes. Let cool and store in a glass jar. Your granola will stay fresh for at least three weeks, but I promise that it will be gone in like a week, hehe.