Gorgeous granola

I found this granola recipe on www.thekindlife.com.  I love Alicia Silverstone and I love her cookbook The Kind Diet.  She posted this as a dessert but I eat it for breakfast or before a run.  Homemade granola is so much better than granola you buy in a store because you know exactly what is going into it.  This recipe calls for agave nectar instead of sugar.  Here is what you need:

2 tbsp. of peanut or almond butter

2 tbsp. of agave nectar

1tsp of vanilla

1tsp of cinnamon

1 cup of rolled oats

Combine the agave nectar, peanut butter and vanilla in a large bowl.  Add the oats and mix until all the oats are covered in the peanut butter/agave mixture.  You can add the cinnamon last or sprinkle it on top of your finished product.  Grease a pan and heat your oven to 325 degrees.  Spoon the granola mixture into the greased pan and spread it around.  Add the cinnamon if you haven't already.  Pop it in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the granola is brown on top and then cool the granola before breaking it up.  Store the granola in airtight containers.  Then you have:

I combined Trader Joe's vanilla soy yogurt, the granola and strawberries and enjoyed for breakfast.  If you are looking to lose weight, measure 1/2 cup of the granola out and just eat that.  Granola can add up if you're counting calories.  You can use brown rice syrup instead of agave nectar if you want an even smaller impact on your blood sugar.  Also, if you are cleansing, use almond butter instead of peanut butter.  Enjoy!

To learn more about Alicia Silverstone and her work advocating for animals, the environment and a vegan lifestyle, visit www.thekindlife.com or buy her book The Kind Diet