XXXIII

When I’m bored at work I stuff my face with food. Sheer, utter boredom drives me to eat bowl after bowl of Special K with strawberries. Yes, I am aware that the freeze-dried strawberries resemble astronaut food, that they have a fuzzy, foamy, unnatural texture and an almost acrid, sour flavoring. Every once in awhile though, I get a strawberry that looks like a heart and that just confirms the loving relationship I share with the cereal. Insanity? Perhaps. You try dealing with boredom.

I digress. I am unabashedly addicted to Special K. Portion control? That means limiting myself to just one bowl at a time…until I need to go back for another bowl. I typically eat half a box of Special K per day. This can’t be good for me. I think it's time to put an end to my cereal addiction.

On my quest for a new afternoon snack I tried 'Wichcraft's granola and yogurt. Their granola is delicious but clearly too decadent for an everyday snack and the yogurt is full fat Greek yogurt, which does not bode well with my stomach. My research for granola lead me to New York Time's granola recipe and it was raved upon by many bloggers. I love anything with ginger so when I came across Bitchin' Camero's gingery olive oil granola while looking for different variations on the NYT's recipe, I knew it was the one I needed to make. By using Fage's 0% fat yogurt and this less decadent granola, I ended up with a perfectly sweet, healthy snack.

My body is already thanking me for keeping it void of thousands of calories from cereal. But, from time to time, I do long for my beloved Special K and that brief, joyous moment when I find a heart shaped freeze-dried strawberry.

Gingery Olive Oil Granola
From Bitchin' Camero, adapted from the New York Times

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds
1 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup Grade B Maple Syrup
1/2 cup ginger sugar, or 1/2 cup organic cane sugar and 1/4 tsp. powdered ginger
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1 cup dried, unsulfured apricots, diced

Preheat the oven to 300°. Mix all the ingredients, except for the apricots, in a large bowl.

Spread the oats onto a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Remove from oven when the oats are crisp and golden.

Toss with the apricots and let cool.

Makes about 8 cups.