I owe a wholehearted "Thank you!" to those brave souls that stopped by to help launch my blog last Sunday.
My day had a rocky start. First an intense allergic reaction covered my body in a nasty rash, then a barrage of last-minute guest cancelations; and lastly, right before the start of the party, a glass cooler shattered into tiny pieces inside a bowl of freshly-made sangria. Anxiety swept over me. I wondered: would anyone show-up? would anyone even want to read my blog?
Suddenly, the home filled with an incredible, eclectic group of people.
One new friend drove over an hour with fresh vegetables from her garden. One of my yoga students parked his Harley out front, to honor my Harley-loving dad. I was surprised with beautiful gifts, that will always remind me of this special day, and to Do My Best (see photo).
Even my daughter came home from Brooklyn to celebrate the blog she inspired me to start. It was a dream unfolding, right in front me.
It was absolutely delightful to watch my guests write their passions on their name-tags, talk about getting "out of their box" and answer questions about themselves. One of my favorites: "if you could adopt one personality trait from someone you know, what would you take and from whom?" And my favorite answer? “The ability to lean in," from her husband.
Full disclosure: Asking questions is an obsession of mine, so if you keep reading my blog, beware.
But now the reality of being an official “blogger” has hit me. Can I really pull it off? Can I live up to everyone’s expectations? Can I make a difference?
Dusting off the leftover granola bars, I began to stress about future posts. Then I remembered that many of you asked for my granola bar recipe. (credit must be given to Beth, one of my YaYa Sisters/Magnolia’s for sharing the recipe over 15 years ago.)
Thousands of bars later, and with extensive tweaking of the original recipe, here's my healthier version.
Process the following:
- 5 cups of low sugar cereal (best to use a healthy flake or cheerio type)
- 4 cups of oatmeal
- ¾ cup of coconut palm sugar (I leave sugar out when making for myself, but include when giving to others)
Heat 1 cup of no sugar peanut or any nut butter and 1 cup of maple syrup or agave nectar with 1 tsp of vanilla extract over the stove.
Pour over dry ingredients, adding a cup of your favorite milk until combined. Add, ½ cup of your favorite extras: raisins, coconut or cranberries. Around Christmas, white chocolate chips are fun to mix in.
Bake at 350 degrees in a 9 x 12 glass dish for 15-20 minutes. ENJOY but don't forget to share!
