So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
The story of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego training to be helpers for King Nebuchadnezzar is one of my favorites. ( Daniel 1) I always loved that Daniel stood up for good healthy food and his friends. The fact that Daniel and his friends ended up being healthier than the other boys that were fed the rich food the king sent them was fascinating. It was a story I heard every year as a child and I always went home and told my mother that we needed to eat more fruits and fresh vegetables. She always went along with me for a little while and then life got busy and let’s face it, eating healthy is hard! So now I’m searching out healthy recipes that aren’t super time consuming and taste good so that I can be healthy like Daniel!
One of my favorite quick healthy treats is homemade granola! I like to make it with all natural ingredients, most of which are grown close to where I live. That’s Houston if you can believe it!!! Texas pecans, steel cut oats, and honey from a local hive. All of this can be found at a nearby farmer’s market. This recipe is super easy and can be tweaked by adding in extras, like dried fruit! Cranberries, blueberries, you name it! Just add them and you’ll have a healthy topping for yogurt or even ice cream! I love it so much that I named the recipe after Daniel, who taught us to eat healthy even when no one else is!!!
Daniel’s Granola
4 cups of steel cut or rolled oats
1 1/2 cups of raw chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup melted coconut oil (I like Trader Joe’s the best!)
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat you oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to make clean up easier. Pour all of your dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir. Add the coconut oil, honey, and vanilla and stir until all of your dry ingredients are lightly coated. Don’t go crazy with a mixer. You can do all of this with a spoon. Spread your granola onto the baking sheet, evening it out with the back of your spoon. Put it in the oven 15-20 minutes, depending on how you like your granola. I like mine a little sticky, so I usually put mine in for 15 minutes, my husband likes his well done, so his stays in a little longer.
Let your granola cool completely, then put it in an airtight container. It should last for weeks that way…but don’t get your hopes up. Ours is usually gone the next day!
Have fun and eat healthy!!! It will make you feel good!!!!
And don’t forget to visit your local farmer’s market! If you’re in the Houston area, the Tomball Farmer’s Market is a lot of fun on a Saturday morning!!!