Learning to Love Granola

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

Since moving to San Francisco a few months ago, I’ve learned several truths already: the hills are torture on my Converse-loving feet, it will always get cold at night so bring a hoodie, and people here LOVE granola.

Granola has always been tied to hippies and nature-loving enthusiasts as their snack or breakfast of choice, so many would not be surprised that San Franciscans love it. But I was shocked at just HOW much they love it.

Everyone I know here makes it, or has their favorite brand. Being a Southerner, I never ate granola growing up, or even as a young adult, because I was nursed on biscuits with ham or sausage and covered in gravy, quite the complete opposite of everything granola stands for.

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A Healthy Snack

By Sandy Hu

When my kids were young, I used to try a new brown bag recipe or two each fall to kick off the school year. It might be a cookie, a new sandwich filling, or once, I even made sandwich rolls from scratch. Since I worked full-time outside the home, the variety wasn’t sustainable throughout the year, but it was my way of acknowledging to myself and the kids that it was time to refocus and get back to routine.

If you’re looking for a healthy after-school snack for your kids or a sweet treat to brown bag to the office, try these Dried Plum Bars. They’re made with heart-healthy rolled oats as the “crust” of the cookie and dried plums for the filling. Dried plums, also known as prunes, are considered a superfruit because they have unique phytochemicals not found in other fruits, and are a source of important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.

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