Cooking has been the love language of the women in my family for generations. The first thing that my mom's mom (Mema) and my dad's mom (Granny) would do when their families came to visit was offer something to eat, and the last thing that they would do before we left was encourage us to take some leftovers with us. At holidays and birthdays they would smile when we excitedly dug into their prepared dishes that they had brought because they knew it was our favorite. Now, my sisters and I get to enjoy cooking and serving some of those same dishes decades later. I am so thankful that this love for cooking, preparing and serving food was passed down so that it can be shared with others through the mission of Nutrition with Noel.

Mrs. V's granola was created out of a desire that my Mema had to prepare a snack that she, her husband, kids and grandkids could enjoy without all of the sugars and inflammatory ingredients that many grocery granola brands contain. Now, when I am snacking on her granola it reminds me of road trips, family vacations, holidays and quiet mornings with my Mema. With her permission, I am so excited to share this recipe with you. Our hope is that it becomes a part of the memories made spending time with the loved ones in your life as well.

Ingredients

1 cup of almond slices

1 cup of pecans

1 cup of walnuts

2 cups of unsweetened coconut flakes

1 cup of raw sunflower seeds

1/3 cup of local honey

1/3 cup of unrefined (virgin) coconut oil

2 tsp of organic vanilla

1 tsp of ground cinnamon

1 tsp of ground nutmeg

Instructions.

Preheat the oven to 300 F

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper

Place pecans and walnuts into a food processor or blender and mix until chopped

Add coconut flakes, nuts and seeds into a large bowl

Add ground cinnamon and nutmeg to the bowl and stir until coated

Melt coconut oil and honey over medium heat in a small saucepan for 3-5 minutes

Add vanilla to melted mixture and pour over dry ingredients

Stir to coat and add to baking sheet (make sure they are spread out evenly)

Bake for 30 mins or until golden brown

Cool for 20 minutes and store at room temperature to enjoy

                                                                              -Noel