For my birthday, my friend Heidi sent me the book bread & wine by Shauna Niequist and I completely devoured it. One weekend evening my husband actually said ‘I miss my wife’ because I was always reading when we had down time! I just loved her style of writing and the stories she told; I found my heart resonating with several of her experiences and feelings at different points in her life. It’s a really unique book — basically a collection of essays and stories with recipes at the end of most chapters. Now that I’ve finished reading, I’m looking forward to trying them all out!
In the last chapter of the book, titled ‘come to the table’, she gives the reader a bit of a challenge:
I want you to stop running from thing to thing to thing, and to sit down at the table, to offer the people you love something humble and nourishing, like soup and bread, like a story, like a hand holding another hand while you pray. We live in a world that values us for how fast we go, for how much we accomplish, for how much life we can pack into one day. But I’m coming to believe it’s in the in-between spaces that our lives change, and that the real beauty lies there.
My husband Niall is a very friendly person, usually the last one chatting at any event or hanging around after church while I’m at the car strapping the kids in their seats, being all grumpy and dramatic and wishing he’d hurry up. Last week, he told me he invited a couple and their two boys over for brunch on Saturday and that they’d accepted. Oh, and that the wife and one of their boys were both gluten and dairy free. UGH (that was my first thought). Seriously? How am supposed to cook a yummy brunch with that high maintenance request?!? Not to mention, I selfishly wanted to do our usual Saturday donut & coffee shop routine with just us. I know I know, I’m terrible.
I quickly got over myself and got to thinking how I was going to make this happen. It sounds cheesy, but because I was in the middle of reading bread & wine, being hospitable and opening my home was fresh on my mind which helped change my attitude. My sister had bought me a beautiful cookbook while here visiting and I found a recipe for granola and an egg frittata that both looked delicious. I bought gluten free oats and made sure I used olive oil and loads of veggies in the frittata instead of butter and cheese. I got some fancy almond milk yogurt and actually found myself enjoying the process of wanting to make this brunch special in a way that everyone could enjoy the food and feel loved.
We ended up having a great time — the dairy and gluten were not missed — but more importantly, my husband had taken a little risk by inviting people we didn’t know too well into our home, our sacred place… and through his gesture we were able to get to know this family better and make them feel at home. Sometimes as a stay at home mom it’s easy to feel like making a difference in someone’s life is kind of impossible. Yea, maybe in ten years when I’m not too busy wiping butts and cleaning up messes. Maybe just inviting someone over is a good place to start. I’ve been on the receiving end too — we moved here last September and had ZERO plans for Thanksgiving. Like, I was seriously considering just ordering pizza because cooking a whole turkey for just us kind of depressed me. But then… an invite. To someone’s house. With her extended family. I didn’t know this girl too well and almost didn’t accept because I didn’t want to ‘impose’. She convinced us we were welcome and I couldn’t deny her genuine friendliness. So, we said yes; and on that special day it meant the world to my little family to have people to be with, turkey to eat, pumpkin pie to cap off the evening… all because of a simple invitation.
Anyway… on to the recipe I wanted to share! I am still sneaking little handfuls of this granola in throughout the day — hmmm, I probably shouldn’t keep the jar right in the middle of my workspace countertop. It’s almost gone but you better believe I’ll be making another batch of it, it was too good; crunchy and sweet with all the wholesome ingredients you just don’t get when you buy it in a box. I actually sent a jar of it home with our guests because they loved it too! I should say I have a really, really hard time following any recipe just the way it is — I usually add a couple of things or take something away. With this granola, I didn’t have the shredded coconut on hand so I just left it out; I also decided last minute to sprinkle some cinnamon on top before throwing it in the oven and I was glad I did. : )
MAPLE GRANOLA *makes about 5 cups 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 2 large egg whites (or 1 if you prefer a flakier texture and less clusters which is what I did!) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit & line two 11 x 17 inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, coconut, pecans, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and ground flaxseeds. Drizzle the maple syrup and coconut oil over the mixture and sprinkle with salt. Toss until well combined. In a medium-size bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy and toss them with the mixture, ensuring everything is evenly coated. Divide the granola between the two prepared pans and lightly press it down with the back of a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes , or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool. Then, break the granola into largish clumps and store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
If you like it as much as we did, it will NOT last three weeks. : ) Enjoy!
*recipe from Whole Protein Vegetarian by Rebecca Miller Ffrench*