Day 87.5 - Crunchy Groovy Granola - the Perfect Holiday Gift

Crunchy Groovy Granola

Who better to make Crunchy Groovy Granola for Holiday gifts than a child of the 60's? Growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the 1960's and 70's definitely gives me hippie credibility.

Why, I was even scolded by my 5th grade teacher for wearing a headband - not hairband -  and hip-hugger bell bottoms on the first day girls had permission to wear pants in our school's history. My sister had plans to marry Cat Stevens, and my brother and his friends spent countless hours enveloped in scented clouds of Maryjane while blasting Hendrix on the record player in his bedroom. My Mom pretty much channeled Gloria Steinem, and proudly displayed a giant poster (pictured) on our fridge of a sexy, bra-less witch breaking a broom in half, defiantly declaring, "F*ck Housework!" Ah, those formative years were outta sight and wicked pissa.

Oh, right, the food...when not busy protesting something or other, we did  a lot of radical experimentation with health food from Erewon (sp?), the original Whole Foods. My Mom is probably one of the best home cooks I know, but back in the day, she was on the forefront of the health food movement in a big way. Sprouted wheat bread like bricks, chalky cookies sweetened with molasses and carob, bean sprouts up the ying yang, homemade (unsweetened) yogurt, whole wheat pasta and funky-ass tofu. Blechhhhh...

Fast forward to 2010 - all those healthy eating habits my Mom wisely insisted on must have paid off though, because although I love sugar and all things bad for me, I don't cook with any processed ingredients and make everything pretty much from scratch. Okay, there IS a box of HotPockets in my fridge, but that's for my kids - really!

Hereto with,  a Crunchy Groovy Granola recipe for you to share with your family or give as a Holiday gift  - Enjoy every bite without gilt because it's both delicious and good for you. Peace -- and Fight the Power. xoxo

Honey and unsalted butter sweeten up the Granola

Toasted up Granola for as far as the eye can see

Crunchy Groovy Granola

Crunch Groovy Granola
(Makes about 7 cups)

• 4 Cups rolled oats
• 1 Cup sliced almonds
• 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 3/4 cup dried sour cherries
• 1/2 cup dried blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 275F. On a large cookie sheet, toss together the oats, almonds, sesame seeds, salt and cinnamon. In a glass measuring cup, combine the melted butter and honey. Pour over the oat mixture and stir with a rubber spatula to blend. Spread evenly and bake for 30 minutes, stirring and spreading once with the spatula during cooking. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, combine the granola and the cherries and blueberries with the cooled oat mixture and toss to combine.

1500 Degrees at Eden Roc in Miami

Photo credit:Brett Hufziger
If you are looking for a kind of late 50's early 60's glamour, it's hard to beat Eden Roc Resort, Miami, on the upper "Golden Mile" of Miami Beach. Though just a short cab ride, it feels a world away from the thumpety-thump of South Beach where the party scene is inescapable. The $200 million renovation has the place feeling fresh and modern with a cool and shimmery color palate and nods to a time when it was the resort of choice with entertainers like Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Lena Horne, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis Jr and Elizabeth Taylor.

The property has multiple pools, a great view of the ocean but not a lot of choices when it comes to dining. Fortunately I found the new restaurant on property, 1500 Degrees, to be absolutely wonderful. Hell's Kitchen fans will recognize the name of the chef, Paula DaSilva, a past contestant who was named one of the "Top 40 under 40" by Gold Coast magazine and "Best Celebrity Chef" by Broward/Palm Beach New Times. To be honest, it's hard for me to get excited about yet another steakhouse. 1500 Degrees is described as a farm to table steakhouse, which was good news for me, because you can easily make a meal out of small plates and appetizers.


First up was the local Florida Wahoo ceviche ($13). Ceviche can be found on many Miami menus, but this one was really outstanding. It had the right balance of peppers, cilantro, onions and lime. It managed to be refreshing and savory at the same time.


I don't know if the Pork Belly Tacos with Housemade Kimchee ($7) are always on the menu, but they should be. Shatteringly crunchy morsels with melting bites of pork and juicy kimchee are a mouthwatering treat! I suppose an order of 4 is meant to be shared, but I gobbled them all up myself.


The spiciest dish I tried was the White Water Clams with Chorizo, Peppers and Aji Amarillo Pepper Broth ($15). Chewy nubs of Spanish chorizo and lots of garlic and peppers flavor the clams and the luscious broth. It was a generous portion and I will not soon forget it. The tangy broth was so good I used a spoon to get every last drop.

So as you can see, I didn't even bother ordering steak. I have no idea how the steak is, but am happy that the other dishes were by no means an afterthought. Prices are a what you would expect to find in a hotel, a bit on the high side, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

I was a guest of Eden Roc and 1500 Degrees