I skimmed a few pages and ended up checking it out, and I’ve actually really enjoyed it! I appreciate that the author doesn’t take herself too seriously, is able to recognize her flaws, and doesn’t do anything too unrealistic. At the outset, she acknowledges that she’s not unhappy, she just wants to see if she can make herself a little bit happier, and tries various things based on her research. Some of them work, and seem like things that I would definitely do (like getting rid of clutter and finding more fun); others don’t interest me (like keeping a gratitude journal or starting a collection). But I think the thing that really stuck with me most was the concept she kept coming back to: “Be Gretchen.”

I’ve definitely noticed that the periods in my life that I was the least happy were when I was trying to be somebody else. I will never be interested in interior decorating, and that’s fine. I’d rather throw a bunch of stuff in a pan and end up with blondies than spend hours decorating sugar cookies with royal icing. I’d rather run for miles than go to Zumba.

I know it seems really obvious, but I found it really helpful to be reminded “we can chose what we do, but we can’t choose what we like to do.”

I like putting things in blondies.  Like M & Ms and pretzels, or in this case, cranberries, white chocolate chips, and toasted pecans.

This was supposed to be granola bars…but they failed. Well, they failed as granola bars, but were an EPIC win as granola. This stuff is relatively healthy, great for breakfast, and is infinitely adaptable to whatever you like. I think I’m going to bake another big batch this weekend because it’s just such a perfect fall breakfast.

The source for most of the stuff in here was my new favorite natural foods store in San Francisco, Other Avenues. If you ever find yourself in the Sunset area, stop in to be amazed by their beautiful bulk bins! Another bonus is that street parking is easy and it’s not too far from where we live.

Anyway, if you can’t find brown rice syrup, you might try some honey or possibly maple syrup. I’m still not good with my sweetener substitutions, so I’m not sure if a 1:1 switch is ideal, but I might play around with it and get back to you. And of course, if you make your own variety, I’d love to hear about it!

Recipe:
(adapted from Runners Kitchen)

2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup flax seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
pinch salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup almond butter
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Combine the oats, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Stir together the almond butter, brown rice syrup, and vegetable oil in a separate bowl. Add to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden and crisp. Let cool, then toss with dried cranberries and store in an airtight container.

I’ve been trying to eat healthier breakfasts lately, which explains why we’ve been going through about a whole lot more spinach than we normally do. I blend it into smoothies, which totally grosses Mike out, but you honestly can’t taste it! Because he likes his breakfasts a little more solid and a little less green, I decided I should make some granola.

I know granola can seem healthy but be full of sugar and fat. When I worked at the bakery, we made ours with a ton of butter and brown sugar…which isn’t exactly what I was going for here. I found a great recipe on a clean eating website, which called for shredded apples and a little honey in place of melted butter and and refined sugar. I added almonds and cranberries (which I guess aren’t really “clean eating” because they’re sweetened, but I think I’ll live), and the result was a crunchy, hearty mix of oats and wheat germ with just a hint of sweetness. I can’t wait to try a whole bunch of different variations in the future!

Recipe:
(adapted from Clean Eating Club)

Nonstick cooking spray
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup coarsely shredded unpeeled apple (this was 1 1/2 apples for me)
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and preheat the oven to 350 F.

Mix the apple, oats, and wheat germ in a medium bowl and set aside.

Bring the honey, water, and cinnamon to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then pour over the oat mixture and toss well. Stir in the almonds, spread on the baking sheet, and bake for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the granola is golden brown, remove from the oven and stir in the cranberries. Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container.