Gingerbread Granola

I spent the weekend in California, in Huntington Beach specifically, visiting my little sister and her family. I can't decide if I want to come home and aggressively jump into my workpile and ferociously make and conquer new goals or.... not. Maybe I just want to move to Huntington Beach and collect seashells, take up the ukelele, and chase pigeons all day. It might be just as fulfilling. It might even be more fulfilling. What is the meaning of life, by the way? Is it six-mile jogs and flax smoothies or is is it relaxation and double cheeseburgers? Because I could really get into either. Just point me in any direction and obsession kicks in. But hang on. I'm starting to suspect that the meaning of life is all of it: the double cheeseburger, the flax smoothie, the six-mile jog and the beach bum sloth.

While I'm sitting on the fence thinking about such important and meaningless things, I think I'll have some granola. Gingerbread granola, to be exact. It's just the right thing for wafflers like me, because it's about as healthy as that flax smoothie I mentioned earlier and almost as satisfying as a double cheeseburger. I love the warm wintery combination of molasses, cinnamon and ginger. It makes January seem a little more celebratory and a lot less serious. Make some of my granola and have it on a big bowl of yogurt with frozen berries. Or not. Have it on triple scoops of vanilla bean ice cream with caramel sauce and whipped cream. Either way you'll be getting it right. Here's to a New Year of success and failure, work and play, gluttony and diet. Stick around.

Gingerbread Granola

Estimated Cost: $2.00 for 8 servings

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 teaspoon dried ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

4 cups old fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients except oats. Add oats and toss to coat. Spread onto foil lined cookie sheet. Bake for 28 minutes, stirring every seven minutes. Let cool before storing in an airtight container.

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