tropical.gluten-free.granola

After making pumpkin spice granola and apple spiced granola all fall and winter, it was time to mix things up — this tropical gluten-free granola is sending us straight into warm weather mode.

THE INGREDIENTS

3 cups truly, certified, absolutely purity protocol grown gluten-free oats from GF Harvest

2 ½ cups nuts & seeds of your choice (I used chopped almonds, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, but wouldn’t macadamia nuts be lovely? You can use ANYthing you’d like!) 

1 heaping cup mix of dried pineapple, mango, and banana, chopped (I buy all three at Trader Joe’s)

½ -¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut (or use sweetened if you’re feeling extra sweet)

½ cup coconut oil (also can use olive oil or oil of your choosing) 

½ cup sweetener of choice (honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, date sugar, sugar sugar)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons maca powder (optional)

1-2 tablespoons chia seeds (optional)

THE MAKING

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, (the really gluten-free ones from GF Harvest) nuts, seeds, optional maca powder & chia seeds.
3. Heat small sauce pan over med-low heat with oil and sweetener. Stir to melt coconut oil and dissolve sweetener, if you do not use liquid sweetener. Then add vanilla and pinch of salt.
4. Remove from heat and pour over dry oat mixture, stir to coat.
5. Pour contents of bowl onto prepared baking sheet and spread out evenly.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, remove and stir, return to oven for 10-15 minutes longer. When the granola aroma starts to fill the kitchen, that’s when you want to take it out — I have been making the mistake of baking it longer and longer, trying to get it crispy and crunchy like the store-bought granola, but instead have ended up with dark, burnt tasting granola. It will start to become golden brown and smell amazing, THAT’S when to take it out.
7. While still hot, stir in dried fruit and coconut.
8. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet, then funnel it into a large glass storage container and enjoy for breakfast with greek yogurt and fresh pineapple & bananas.

As with ANY granola recipe, you can make this one your own. Add more or less dried fruit, go crazy for coconut, put a little orange juice into the oil/sweetener mixture. Make it yours then fill me in on how you adapted it!

THE DO GOOD

As you read earlier this week in my post, we are on a mission to help our farmer friends at GF Harvest. My lovely friend Johnna got things rolling and we took it from there! Although we’ve made light of it with cheers of “SAVE FORREST!” and hashtags like #plantForrestplant, (good one, Al!) it’s no joke that they need our help. We can NOT let big name companies continue to mass produce mainstream oats via mechanical sorting (that are making some people sick) that are running smaller, family owned, actually-doing-the-right-thing-with-their-oats companies like GF Harvest out of business! We have the opportunity to speak up with our truly gluten-free oat dollars by choosing to purchase safe oats from a family who actually cares about the celiac community and has for years — their slogan is, “our celiac family serving yours.” We deserve safe oats. They deserve our business.

GO BUY YOUR OATS! (the awesome starter package deal ends today, April 15th, 2016)

 

GF Harvest did not ask for the help of our community, but we offered it, and in turn, they are offering the starter package deal (with free gift while supplies last!) for you this week. I am not being compensated in any way and have placed my order already! 

 

truly safe gluten-free oats (and helping our farmer friends!)

I need your help, friends.

Well, I need your help to help our farmer friends.

I usually don’t ask for help. I’m not so good at that part. But this, this is important. And I can’t do this one myself, so we need to band together as a gluten-free tribe and do this one together. If there is one thing I pride myself on, it’s being part of THE most amazing gluten-free community and the way we come together when one of our own needs us.

We need to talk about OATS. Don’t freak out. I know there has been a LOT of talk lately about gluten-free oats. You’re probably getting sick of hearing about it. (me too) But until I can be sure that all of those big name packages labeled “gluten free” truly are gluten free and people are no longer getting sick from them, I’ll have to keep talking about it. It’s my job as a safety monitor. 😉

I won’t take up your entire day talking to this point, but will direct you to some recent postings with more in depth information:

• Tricia from Gluten Free Watch Dog is the go-to person to the most up to date information on all things gluten-free oats.
• Johnna started us off with this post earlier today and is behind this oat buying extravaganza campaign — her post is FULL of information stated so beautifully, that I won’t reinvent the wheel here — READ IT! (then go buy oats!)
• Gluten Dude explains the difference between purity protocol (clean, real-deal GF oats) grown oats compared to mechanically sorted (people are getting sick) oats.

So… you’ve heard me talk about GF Harvest’s certified gluten-free oats in the past. They are the only oats I use now. There was a time when I would buy Bob’s Red Mill oats, but a few people in our local group were (sensitive celiacs like me that tolerated gluten-free oats in the past just fine) getting very sick from them, so I stopped eating them and vowed to only buy from a company that not only has celiacs in their own family that runs the business, but cares about us enough to be absolutely sure through a very strict inspection and testing process that their oats are indeed gluten-free.

I was lucky enough to meet Forrest several years ago — his story impressed me. He started their company as an FFA project in high school. Yes, you read that right. A high school student, who just so happens to be a fellow celiac, started their company out of their home when he was in high school. They have grown as a company offering quite the selection of products, and like I mentioned earlier, are THE only oats I eat.

I recently shared this article on our local Gluten Free in Milwaukee Facebook page that Gluten Free Watch Dog had shared with her readers. It’s about our friends at GF Harvest. Then ones I want us to help — take a moment to read that article so we’re all on the same page.

When I read the article, I wanted to cry. It made me sick to my stomach. The idea that their 2016 crop may be put on hold because they are losing to the big companies who aren’t following purity protocols, the ones using mechanical sorting…that didn’t seem right.

Not fair. Not right. Not sure what I’d do without my GF Harvest oats! (let’s hope I never have to find out!)

My friend Johnna and I text often about all things gluten-free, bourbon, coffee, and donuts, so I wasn’t surprised to get a message from her shortly after. She was thinking the exact same things as me… but in her true Johnna fashion, had already rolled up her sleeves and was working on a plan!

That’s where you guys come in…

Let’s BUY ALL THE OATS! Cash mob style.

Our friends at GF Harvest have set up a starter pack that includes:

Three packages of their most popular products.

• 20 oz Traditional Gluten Free Oatmeal
• 20 oz Traditional Gluten Free Quick Oats
• 40 oz Traditional Steel Cut Oats

BONUS:  Order Now, and they will include YOUR CHOICE of either one of our trendy “I Make Gluten Free Look HOT!” shirts, or a GF Harvest plastic travel cup. (while supplies last)

All of that for just $29.95, shipping included!

I ordered mine this morning and already had an “your order has shipped!” email by this evening.

I shared this story at our Gluten Free Get Together dinner tonight and one of my favorites, the lovely Melissa said, “I don’t do oats really in general, but I will still buy some, you’ll just have to tell me what I can make with them.” (LOVE that she was already on board and ready to CLICK & BUY!)

Ideas for your new GF Harvest oats when they arrive:

• Grandma G’s Monster Cookies  (or Monster Bars!)
• Overnight Oats
• Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Bars
• Banana Nut Oatmeal Bites (breakfast cookies!) 
• Pumpkin Spice Granola
• Cherry Crisp 

Buy for you. Buy for your gluten-free friends. Buy up these oats so they can get started on their next crop! Then ASK FOR THESE OATS at your local grocery story — just take this form to the store and ask nicely.

(By the time I had finished the story tonight at our event, there were cheers of, “SAVE OUR FARMER FRIENDS!” followed up by, “SAVE FORREST!”)

They need our help, friends. Please help me help them. Help me SAVE FORREST! 😉

 

GF Harvest didn’t ask us to do this — this is the generous work of my girl Johnna reaching out to a company we love and want to support and asking what WE could do for THEM. I’m not getting compensated. There are no affiliate links here. I just want to do the right thing and need your help to do so. THANK YOU in advance! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gluten-free pumpkin spice granola

Tomorrow I’m kicking off a new food challenge: 50 DAYS of REAL FOOD! #realfood50
You’ve seen me do the “10 Days of Real Food Pledge” several times over the years, but this time means business. Ten didn’t seem like quite enough since my partner in the challenge had already been a rockstar and done the Whole30 plan. But we weren’t quite ready for 100 days yet, and the idea of having dairy and beer/wine was very appealing and more likely to work for us, so 50 it is. (do check out http://www.100daysofrealfood.com for the “rules” and great recipes)

The best way for me to be successful at these eating challenges is to be prepared — which is why I spent the weekend in the kitchen.

We are nearing “all things pumpkin” season and I have no plans to go without this year, just making some modifications and better choices, like this pumpkin spice granola from my girl Molly — she’s my partner in #realfood50 crime and loves food as much as I do. The perfect person to do a food challenge with, really.

As soon as she posted the photo, I added “#PSL Granola” to my list of things to make this weekend. (and I’m so glad I did) Thanks, MJ!

Ps: Molly isn’t GF so you’ll notice the recipe just says rolled oats, for us GF folks, of course that means certified gluten-free oats… see my notes below for the exact ingredients I used!

PUMPKIN SPICE GRANOLA

Sarah’s Notes:

• I am giving you the recipe straight from Molly because: I love her hand writing. She made a cute collage. I love handwritten recipes, BUT for us gluten-free folks, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats. (I have always been a fan of GF Harvest, which I order through amazon.) But I’m also typing out the ingredients I used below so there is no confusion — with all the drama with the new supposed-to-be-gluten-free-Cheerios-but-they-really-are-not-because-GF-friends-are-getting-sick…it’s best to be clear that you should use certified gluten-free oats if you need to be GF like me. 😉

INGREDIENTS

3 cups certified gluten-free oats

½ cup walnuts

⅓ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds!)

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

⅓ cup pumpkin puree

⅓ cup maple syrup

¼ coconut oil

• Pre-heat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Then in a sauce pan, combine the maple syrup, coconut oil, and pumpkin puree. Heat over low-medium heat to melt coconut oil and combine. (the oil never really fully combines, no worries!) Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to coat dry ingredients.
• I used parchment paper on my baking sheet — when it’s fully cooled, you can make a parchment paper “funnel” to get all three million pieces of granola into the storage jar of your choice with less mess.
• Use 2 or more teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for even more flavor. Also, I added dried currants, this was a mistake, they are too small and got crispy and not in a good way. I didn’t use flax or chia this time because I didn’t have either on hand — this recipe is flexible and allows you to add or subtract what works for you. (I added almonds too!)
• This isn’t a super sweet granola, which I love about it, but if you want something more sweet, feel free to add more maple syrup. (I just used 1/3 cup)

Although it makes an easy morning snack by eating it right out of the jar, I usually add it to plain Greek yogurt, sweetened with a little maple syrup, and pumpkin puree. Full of fall flavor!

Stop back and let me know how you liked it — enJOY!

*This perfectly pumpkiny fall recipe has been added to the Gluten-Free Recipe Fix Carnival: Back to School and Fall Edition. Go take a peek at ALL of the other gluten-free recipes!