Gina's Granola & Suzi's Flapjacks

Gina from Home Joys is a woman after my own heart. We've never met, but chatted a little. She's one of my favourite people in cyber world! A blog well worth keeping up with.

Her objective and realistic view of things makes me giggle. It's so easy to think, "she's so perfect" but she's very much removed from the 'look at me - you want to be me' kind of bloggers out there. She's real.

This is her recipe from the corker of a book, Nourishing Traditions. Ok so it's not her recipe, but she shared it with me so I'm naming it hers hereafter.

"If you are familiar with Nourishing Traditions, you know that "soaking" is an important facet of their diet recommendations. They suggest that all grains and seeds should be soaked in an acid medium (such as yogurt or lemon juice) before being prepared for eating. According to their research, grains are hard to digest and can actually bind up important minerals.

I always rolled my eyes and considered those who cook according to Nourishing Traditions the worse food snobs ever."

Gina's Soaked Granola (crunchy)

 I followed the recipe. The first time using raw coconut oil and yoghurt and no fruit (Steve's batch). The second time (pictured) I used whole peanuts, pepitas, chia seeds - just chucked a whole bunch of seeds in..  and dried, sweetened cranberries. I used Kefir and butter as I'd run out of coconut oil. (This is the batch you have "Treena")

 I started drying it out in the oven and then it got too close to dinner time and needed the oven. So I finished them off in the dehydrator. Worked a treat! It's better in the dehydrator, you end up with a crunchier finish.

 It filled one and a half cereal containers. The one on the right is some that I finished in the oven.. which I forgot about - thanks FB. It fed the bin.

 

My Flapjacks

You know the usual flapjack recipe? Well I couldn't help Suzi-fy it! This version is NUT-FREE for school lunches. You could also make a maple pecan version (omitting the golden syrup/honey and seeds).

1 cup quick oats
1 plain flour
2/3 dessicated coconut
1/2 cup rapadura (or you can use brown)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (for the batch above I put sunflower and pepitas with chia, linseed and sesame seeds to add extra nutritional value)

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds/pepitas
1/2 cup finely chopped dates
1/2 cup butter
3 T golden syrup/honey
1 T water
1/2 tsp bicarb

Melt butter, golden syrup and water in microwave or stove top. Then add in the bicarb and stir.
Add all dry ingredients and press down firmly into a greased lamington try.
Bake at 160C for approx 20mins until slightly golden ontop and set.

Store in airtight container - freezes well.

The best thing?? My kids LOVE it and ask for it in their lunch boxes for recess everyday. I have to fight them off!