Adding Quinoa to Granola and other healthy habits

I might be categorized by saying that I am a 

Christian,

  Romantic, 

Hippie,

  Redneck. 

 What I think that looks like is:

 living beautifully and for God's glory is important to me, 

living "green" for the sake of health is also important to me, 

and whatever I can do with my bare hands ( homemade) is my means of success.

  For example,

This morning, I can be found in my usual uniform - a long skirt, 3/4 sleeve shirt, 

sipping an herbal tea (we mix ourselves) from a chinz tea cup while reading my Bible.  

Next on my schedule is making a new batch of granola,

 and since I am on a spurt of healthier food, 

I am going to add a super food to my already healthy homemade granola. 

 So, washing my hands first with a handmade soap (no toxins) 

I head for the kitchen and grab up my apron and turn on some classical piano music. 

 I have changed my granola recipe to using honey and brown sugar 

instead of the maple syrup it had called for. 

 I just leave that out, so the overall effect is less sweet.

  I also am staying away from wheat, which has been a long time food allergy for me,

 so I am using rolled oats and oat bran. 

 To this, I am introducing quinoa for added protein, 

as some of us need protein first thing in the morning. 

 Therefore, I reduced the amount of rolled oats,

 so that my dry mixture and liquid mixture ratio will still hold well.

The results are fantastic. 

The recipe is simple. 

The ingredients also simple. 

 Every once in a while I add dried fruit and nuts after the granola is baked,

 but mostly we eat it plain and love it.

Quinoa Oat Granola

In a large bowl, mix together
6 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups oat bran
 2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 tsp salt- I use sea salt

(if you have never used sea salt, I highly recommend you try it.  Take a taste of your iodized salt.  Then take a taste of sea salt.  You will find a big difference).

In a saucepan, bring 1 cup olive oil,
1 cup honey,
1/2 cup brown sugar to near a boil.
 Remove from heat and add 1 Tbsp vanilla extract.

Pour this mixture over the oat mixture and stir well, until all dry ingredients are coated.
Spread evenly in a large cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 for 20 minutes.
Let cool. Add fruit and nuts now.  Store in airtight container.

I always make two double batches of this at once, which you can do if you have a commercial oven.

 I use an enamel roasting pan or a cheap dish pan to mix these big batches in.

At the moment, we are using Almond milk until our goats are freshened. 

 That way we can avoid the processed dairy that so many of us cannot tolerate,

 as well as the hormones associated with soy products. 

Now that breakfast is complete,

 I send the children off to do their chores while I wash the breakfast dishes with my littlest helper. 

She is very enthusiastic about dish washing. 

 I find that plunging my hands into the hot water very soothing. 

To add to the experience, 

Jim and I both like to add a few drops of lavender essential oil to the water,

 creating a lovely fragrance, known for its soothing capabilities.

I also like using crochet dish clothes.

  They are very inexpensive to make with cotton yarn, 

and are so much safer than kitchen sponges, which harbor salmonella. 

 Keeping the kitchen clean goes a long way toward keeping my family healthy. 

 The common household kitchen can be a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. 

  A book I just read said that the average kitchen sponge or dish cloth has more bacteria than your toilet!   Rinse your dish cloth out with soap and hot water every time you use it,

 and change the cloth daily.

The sun is shining now, motivating the children to race to get their work done in record time.

They are already out and about in the woods.  

Olivia and I are pulling on our boots and headed out to our little barn to watch the goats for a bit,

 looking for signs of labor.  

This we do twice a day now.

Then I will be on down the road for a good long walk -

about two miles through the beautiful woods.
 The solace and time to talk to God makes this my favorite part of the day.
  I also know that I have so much more vitality

when I am faithful to exercise and eat healthfully...
and with all these exuberant children to raise, I 'll need every bit  of it.