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Granola therapy is needed this time of year. What is granola therapy?

It is the soothing act of:

mixing a bunch of ingredients

dumping said ingredients on a baking sheet

toasting them all til lightly browned

perfuming your house with sweet notes of oats & maple syrup

waiting for granola to cool

tasting bits of crispy coconut shreds laced with matcha

transferring granola to a jar

listening to every ingredient make its own symphony against glass

inhaling the bits that don’t make it into the jar

you repeat the process a whole bunch of times

and have a HUGE payoff for minimal work.  

That’s granola therapy. 

It’s forgiving. 

Just don’t burn it.

It’s been a while since I’ve been wowed by a granola recipe. This Matcha Sesame Granola recipe is FANTASTIC!  There’s a bit of matcha powder mixed in. You can taste it most in the toasted coconut. It adds a nice floral tea note to the mix. What I like most is the combination of things added. I’m a sucker for coconut in my granola and I LOOOOVE sesame seeds as well.  

Making granola as gifts is a thoughtful gesture for your friends who simply cannot eat another cookie. You’re giving your loved ones the gift of a healthy breakfast and during this time of year, that’s GOLDEN.

Happy granola therapy to you! Make sure you save a bit for yourself too. 

Ingredients are gathered. 

All the ingredients are tossed into my favorite bowl.

Maple syrup and coconut oil go in!  STIR.

We stir to coat, transfer to baking sheets and bake!

We remark on how some of the sesame seeds coat the walnuts and we call dibs on those pieces.

You’ll have to get some mason jars to fill up!

But first, try some.

Make yourself a bowl of yogurt with the granola and a drizzle of honey.

Package up the rest!

I’m using some custom stickers I ordered from Minted.

Aren’t they cute? I like that I can use them all year long.

And if you have leftover granola, make granola cookies!

GRANOLA THERAPY FOR ALL.

Matcha Sesame Granola

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

makes about 15 cups

recipe adapted from Whole Food Cooking Every Day

• 5 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 4 cups unsweetened flaked dried coconut
• 1 cup whole raw almonds
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup unhulled sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup culinary-grade matcha tea powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup melted extra-virgin coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300F. 

Combine the oats, coconut, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, matcha and salt together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix maple syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla together until well combined. Pour the syrup mixture over the oat-nut mixture and mix well to combine.  

Divide mixture between two baking sheets and spread out evenly. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir, rotate the trays, and return to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until granola is golden and fragrant. Store the granola in airtight jars for up to 6 weeks. 

The post Matcha Sesame Granola appeared first on Shutterbean.

A free 7-day flexible weight loss meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner and a shopping list. All recipes include calories and updated WW Smart Points.

Meal Plan

So winter and cold weather have hit!! Check out some Slow Cooker recipes so you can have a warm meal waiting on you when you get home, or you can look at my Pressure Cooker recipes if that works better for you.

WW has changed their plan to now include a Blue, Purple and Green Plan. All the recipes on my blog are updated for the Blue plan. I’ve been updating all my recipes (over 2000) and have completed 2019 with the other two colors, and I am working my way down so please be patient.

Why Should Everyone Meal Plan?

Meal planning is a great way to organize your meals for the week ahead. You also save time and money in the supermarket! And of course, planning ahead helps you stick to your goals!

About The Meal Plan

If you’re new to my meal plans, I’ve been sharing these free, 7-day flexible healthy meal plans (you can see my previous meal plans here) that are meant as a guide, with plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food, coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc or swap recipes out for meals you prefer, you can search for recipes by course in the index. You should aim for around 1500 calories* per day.

There’s also a precise, organized grocery list that will make grocery shopping so much easier and much less stressful. Save you money and time. You’ll dine out less often, waste less food and you’ll have everything you need on hand to help keep you on track.

Lastly, if you’re on Facebook join my Skinnytaste Facebook Community where everyone’s sharing photos of recipes they are making, you can join here. I’m loving all the ideas everyone’s sharing! If you wish to get on the email list, you can subscribe here so you never miss a meal plan!

Also, if you don’t have the Skinnytaste Meal Planner, now would be a great time to get one to get organized for 2019! There was a print error last year, but it’s perfect now! You can order it here!

THE DETAILS:

Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, are designed to serve 1 while dinners and all meals on Saturday and Sunday are designed to serve a family of 4. Some recipes make enough leftovers for two nights or lunch the next day. While we truly believe there is no one size fits all meal plan, we did our best to come up with something that appeals to a wide range of individuals. Everything is Weight Watchers friendly, I included the updated WW Blue SP for your convenience, feel free to swap out any recipes you wish or just use this for inspiration!

The grocery list is comprehensive and includes everything you need to make all meals on the plan. I’ve even included brand recommendations of products I love and use often. Cross check your cabinets because many condiments you’ll notice I use often, so you may already have a lot of them.

And last, but certainly not least, this meal plan is flexible and realistic. There’s plenty of wiggle room for cocktails, healthy snacks, dessert and dinner out. And if necessary, you can move some things around to make it work with your schedule. Please let me know if you’re using these plans, this will help me decide if I should continue sharing them!

MONDAY (12/9)
B: ½ cup quick oats (4B 4G 0P) with 1 teaspoon honey (1B 1G 1P), ½ an apple (diced) (0B 0G 0P), 1 tablespoon 1%
milk (0B 0G 0P), 1 tablespoon chopped pecans (2B 2G 2P), pinch salt
L: Chicken Salad with Lemon and Dill (1B 4G 1P) on 1 slice whole grain bread (3B 3G 3P) and an apple (0B 0G 0P)
D: Spaghetti with Butternut Leek Parmesan Sauce (8B 8G 8P) and a green salad* (2B 3G 2P)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 21B 25G 17P, Calories 1,056**

TUESDAY (12/10)
B: 2 scrambled eggs (0B 4G 0P) with 2 tablespoons grated parmesan (2B 2G 2P) and 1 ounce avocado (1B 1G 1P)
L: Chicken Salad with Lemon and Dill (1B 4G 1P) on 1 slice whole grain bread (3B 3G 3P) and an apple (0B 0G 0P)
D: Skillet Taco Cauliflower Rice (5B 5G 5P) with Quick and Delicioso Cuban Style Black Beans (1B 3G 1P)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 13B 22G 13P, Calories 1,023**

WEDNESDAY (12/11)
B: ½ cup quick oats (4B 4G 0P) with 1 teaspoon honey (1B 1G 1P), ½ an apple (diced) (0B 0G 0P), 1 tablespoon 1%
milk (0B 0G 0P), 1 tablespoon chopped pecans (2B 2G 2P), pinch salt
L: Chicken Salad with Lemon and Dill (1B 4G 1P) on 1 slice whole grain bread (3B 3G 3P) and an apple (0B 0G 0P)
D: Crock Pot Balsamic Pork Roast (5B 5G 5P) with Skinny Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes with Chives (5B 5G 1P) and
Easy Garlic Broccolini (1B 1G 1P)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 22B 25G 14P, Calories 1,092**

THURSDAY (12/12)
B: 2 scrambled eggs (0B 4G 0P) with 2 tablespoons grated parmesan (2B 2G 2P) and 1 ounce avocado (1B 1G 1P)
L: Chickpea Avocado Salad (3B 8G 3P)
D: LEFTOVER Crock Pot Balsamic Pork Roast (5B 5G 5P) with Roasted Winter Squash Medley (3B 3G 3P)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 14B 23G 14P, Calories 839**

FRIDAY (12/13)
B: ½ cup quick oats (4B 4G 0P) with 1 teaspoon honey (1B 1G 1P), ½ an apple (diced) (0B 0G 0P), 1 tablespoon 1%
milk (0B 0G 0P), 1 tablespoon chopped pecans (2B 2G 2P), pinch salt
L: Chickpea Avocado Salad (3B 8G 3P)
D: Air Fryer Salmon with Maple Soy Glaze (2B 7G 2P) with Asian Edamame Fried Rice (4B 5G 1P)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 16B 27G 9P, Calories 1,011**

SATURDAY (12/14)
B: Easy Healthy Turkey Chorizo (3B 3G 3P) with 2 scrambled eggs (0B 4G 0P) and 1 ounce avocado (1B 1G 1P)
L: Minestrone Soup (2B 4G 2P) with 2 ounces multigrain baguette (3B 3G 3P)
D: DINNER OUT!

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 9B 15G 9P, Calories 625**

SUNDAY (12/15)
B: Heart-Shaped Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes (6B 6G 6P) with 1 tablespoon maple syrup (3B 3G 3P)

L: LEFTOVER Minestrone Soup (2B 4G 2P) with 2 ounces multigrain baguette (3B 3G 3P)
D: Chicken Thighs with Shallots in Red Wine (8B 8G 8P) with Mashed Cauliflower (2B 2G 2P) and Roasted
Asparagus (0B 0G 0P)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 24B 26G 24P, Calories 994**

*Green salad includes 6 cups romaine, 1/2 cup each: diced red bell pepper, tomato, cucumber and carrots, chickpeas
and light vinaigrette.
**This is just a guide, women should aim for around 1500 calories per day. Here’s a helpful calculator to estimate
your calorie needs. I’ve left plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food such as coffee, beverages, fruits,
snacks, dessert, wine, etc.

(more…)

The post Skinnytaste Meal Plan (December 9-December 15) appeared first on Skinnytaste.

We've partnered with Cakebread Cellars—a Napa Valley winery renowned for its elegant and food-friendly bottlings—to share Senior Editor Eric Kim's favorite way to spend a winter evening: cozying up with tender short ribs and a glass of their Two Creeks Vineyard Pinot Noir.

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When it's cold outside, there are certain dishes I turn to over and over: the cozy squash and guanciale pasta that’s easier to make than a sandwich; the blue cheese burger that makes my taste buds dance; and the wine-braised short ribs that are like curling up in an oversized sweater.

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Let me state for the record that I am usually opposed to sharing non-recipes like this. Thus, whenever I’ve mentioned bacon-wrapped dates as part of a party or Friendsgiving menu and have received a surge of comments and DMs asking me for the recipe, I’ve responded, “Just Google it — recipes abound!” Or, more huffily, “That’s it. That’s the recipe.” But I’ve begun to question why I want to send your beautiful faces elsewhere, especially because when you do Google for a recipe, it’s going to lead you to what I consider inadvisable places. And now, like clockwork, here come Opinions:

Before wrapping pitted dates in bacon, I’ve, on the advice of countless glossy food magazines, stuffed almonds and/or pistachios inside the dates. I have filled them with blue cheese, goat cheese, and, truly the worst, fiddly matchsticks of aged manchego and if I could, I’d take every one of those minutes of my life back because forgive me for making us sound like a bunch of savages here, but I can barely taste them in the end, but they increase the amount of time it takes to put together what should be the simplest party trick up your sleeve threefold.
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A Big Little Recipe has the smallest-possible ingredient list and big everything else: flavor, creativity, wow factor. Psst—we don't count water, salt, black pepper, and certain fats (specifically, 1/2 cup or less of olive oil, vegetable oil, and butter), since we're guessing you have those covered. Today, we’re making a highly foolproof dinner.

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Most nights, cooking dinner is how I unwind. My husband, Justin, shakes a couple martinis (always gin—two olives for me, one for him) and one of us turns on music (always loud—Lana del Rey if it’s me, bluegrass if it’s him). Then we slice and chop and stir while we catch up about the day.

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A classic apple tart is a feat, both to learn and to create.

I will never forget orientation day at pastry school in France, eagerly opening my new knife kit for the first time. Later that evening, my friend (already a seasoned chef) picked out the shiny paring knife from my kit and twirled it around, making imaginary peeling and slicing motions. She told me to love and cherish my paring knife, as it would be my guardian angel for almost every practical class.

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You couldn’t pay me enough to roast a 17-pound turkey any other day of the year. Unless you’re my editor and you’re paying me to roast a 17-pound turkey next summer, which will probably happen. Totally cool. My point is: While the bird doesn’t translate well to beyond-holiday meals, the sides do. So all those Thanksgiving recipes you couldn’t fit into your menu this year? Make them. This week or next week or next month. Holiday food can be random-Tuesday food, too. Let’s keep the celebration going.

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Brussels Sprouts With Bacon Plus Something Else

When our test kitchen started developing its best brussels sprouts with bacon, of course we had Thanksgiving on the brain. But as I tested batch after batch, I thought of them less as a side and more as a main. Crack a couple of soft-boiled eggs on top and serve buttered toast or boiled potatoes alongside. Or, my favorite, toss the whole thing with hot pasta (half a pound of any short shape does the trick) and call it a day. Bonus points for grated Parm or pec on top, but you knew that already.

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How did Adam Platt score the world’s most enviable job, “professional eater” for New York magazine? His new memoir, The Book of Eating, is a scarfable recounting of his travels, told through meals—and of those, his absolute best and worst, remembered and immortalized. Adam details our decade’s rise of food bloggers and restaurant reviews as cultural commentary, and the steady decline of Gourmet magazine, stuffy French food, and stuffier reviews.

Below is a peek at the first few pages, in which Adam describes a lunch with the “Insatiable Critic,” Gael Greene.

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When it comes to food photography, a few useful tools and stylish props can make all the difference.

Here’s an extensive list of my most used food photography equipment, styling tools, favorite prop sources and more to help you capture the perfect photo!

Caveat: I am by no means a professional food photographer, however I’ve certainly learned a lot (and come a long ways) over the nearly 13 years (!!) I’ve been doing this. So maybe I do know a thing or two…

This list is a compilation of my personal equipment, most used tools and favorite resources for props and backgrounds.

And you know, with Black Friday and all the crazy holiday sales gearing up, this would be a great starting point if you’re looking to get the food blogger in your life a little something special for the holidays (or, you know, treat yourself *winkwink*).  I mean, it’s basically a gift guide if you look at it that way!

(Speaking of gift guides, while I won’t be doing a full one this year, my ultimate foodie gift guide from last year is still a great place to start if you’ve got a foodie on your list!)

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I LOVE LISTS

1. How to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie
2. For you Paul Rudd lovers!
3. Dealing with the holidays at work.
4. Self-care strategies for the Holidays
5. Animated interviews with celebrities 
6. The latest with Nespresso and all the waste it makes.
7. Vintage photo finds: ladies on boats
8. Dads being dads.
9. The best comfort food restaurants in SF according to yelp.
10. Permission to taken an intermission.
11. Robin Williams lived in an incredible home here in Marin.
12. My favorite thanksgiving sides: creamed spinach / pecan sweet potatoes
13. Surreal photography is surreal.
14. The best inventions of 2019.
15. Writing notes is so much better for your memory than typing them
16. Here are the email folders you need.
17. Cute boots:  One / Two / Three / Four
18. How much rest do you need to avoid burnout?
19. Vintage recipes are so fascinating. I cannot believe people ate these things.

If you need some help with Thanksgiving… I have ideas!

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas!

My Currently Workbook for 2020 is for sale! You can see all about it here.

Need to decompress?? Make ART!!  Here’s 2 months FREE Premium membership to Skillshare.  My creative practice has improved greatly since I started taking classes several years ago!  You can see more on @thehandwritingclub

The post I LOVE LISTS appeared first on Shutterbean.

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