Homemade Granola

A few years ago I went to Chicago for one of my best friend’s Bachelorette parties and I had the best-ever yogurt parfait at a restaurant called Little Goat Diner.  Now, I am not sure what they do to their parfaits to make them so delicious but it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  I remember the yogurt being slightly sweet and honey flavored.  Then, instead of having fresh fruit on top like a typical parfait, it was swirled with a homemade jam and sprinkled with granola.  Yeah, I know, now you want to go eat it.  Sorry!  I came home and did the typical thing I do where I obsess about a recipe until I can recreate it myself.

Remember that Facebook post about the pimento cheese lunchbox my kids were eating a few weeks ago?  That didn’t just happen spontaneously!  I got obsessed with a breakfast sandwich at a restaurant called Metropole in Cincinnati when we were in town for soccer games. It was an egg sandwich with bacon on a brioche bun, but it was this pimento cheese that really took it over the top.   After about a million test batches later, it ended up in the kids lunchboxes!  There should be a support group for people like me.   LOL!

But back to the parfaits…I’ve recently started making them again!  My Dad brought back some really great jam from a farmers market and I made a huge batch of homemade granola.  We make our own since “J” has severe nut allergies, plus it makes the house smell seriously yummy and who doesn’t love that?  I use homemade granola in several different ways for the kids – in the traditional way on top of yogurt, but I also use it for apple sandwiches.  Stay tuned later this week for pictures of how I do that!  For now, here’s my interpretation of the parfait I had in Chicago.  It is honey flavored greek yogurt, topped with seedless red raspberry jam and Homemade Granola.  It is delicious!  If you haven’t tried jam on top of your yogurt…DO IT!!

I just have to say that there is something about sending the kids off to school with a good breakfast that makes me feel better.  Some days we are in a rush and they are totally scarfing down frozen waffles at the bus stop, but when we have the time and I can get quality food in my kids, I feel like I can give myself a pat on the back.  I know all you Mamas out there know exactly what I am talking about!

I’m linking the recipe to one of my family’s favorite granola recipes.  It really is so delicious you will find yourself sneaking back into the kitchen time and time again for just…one..more..bite!  Now, my granola can’t have nuts because like I said, “J” is severely allergic, but he did pass the test for coconut and seeds, so that is what I use!  If we didn’t have nut allergies in our house I would be using almonds or cashews in my granola.  So those are my suggestions for things you could add to your own granola.  You can also use whatever dried fruit your kids love, mine love cranberries and cherries so those are my go-tos.  I hope your family loves it as much as ours does!