Crunchy Granola Smoothie Revolution

For years, I nursed an addiction to supermarket granola. I had no clue that I could make granola in half the time it takes to drive to the store and buy a bag replete with petroleum-laden wrapping and a multi-paragraph ingredient list.

Hindsight can be such an ass-kicker. But vegan girls don't let youthful ignorance stand in the way of breakfast. Crunchy Granola takes five minutes to throw together and bakes for about 30. That's it. No big deal. Just a toss and a bake.

BTW: Crunchy Granola makes a wondrous weekend breakfast when accompanied by a fruit smoothie. Maybe I'm exaggerating when I say that the black-cherry-berry-banana-pineapple smoothie I pureed this morning tasted like summer in a cup, but that's how I feel.

What you need for Crunchy Granola:

One cup oatmeal, not instant

1 tsp. coconut oil or safflower oil

4 tbsp. brown rice syrup

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes

1/8 cup raw unhulled sesame seeds

2 tbsp. cinnamon

a pinch or two of nutmeg

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350. Grab a pie dish and coat with oil. Pour the oatmeal into the pie dish. Use two small flatware spoons to mix 2 tbsp. of the brown rice syrup with the oatmeal. Toss vigorously because the syrup is stickier than molasses. Completely coat the oatmeal. Add the remaining ingredients up until coconut flakes. Then add the remaining syrup and toss until everything is coated. Next add sesame seeds and toss. Repeat with spices.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. After removing from the oven, let the granola stand for a few minutes. Then use a knife to separate the granola into bite-sized pieces. The granola will be soft; it hardens as it cools.

(I like to make Crunchy Granola at night. I let it harden in a covered stainless-steel container while we sleep.)

What you need for a Smoothie Revolution:

6 oz. frozen unsweetened blueberries

1 14.5 oz. can pineapple in juice (not syrup)

1 banana, halved

8 oz. black cherry juice concentrate (I use Knudsen's)

2 cups filtered water

a kick-ass blender (I use Kitchenaid)

Pour the cherry juice concentrate and water into a blender. Add fruit. Puree until smooth and frothy.

This recipe makes a few servings. Just refrigerate the smoothie in the blender pitcher, and blend again before serving. Summer in a cup, right?