Pumpkin Granola with Candied Pepitas

I know, I know.  Thanksgiving is over.  Christmas came before Thanksgiving even got here.  But now that the turkey has passed us, fall seems to be gone too.

So why am I making pumpkin granola now?  Well, because it's good.

And also, I actually did make this before Thanksgiving.  But my life can sometimes be crazy-town.
I'm not a professional blogger, just a lady with a real life and a real job and a blog.

So sometimes I'm a little late.  But that's OK, because this Pumpkin Granola with Candied Pepitas is still good.  And you can feel free to eat it anytime of year.  I like it with yogurt, or in oatmeal, or just plain.

By the way, the light wasn't changing at all when I did these photos...same spot, same camera, same time.

This recipe was inspired by this and this.

Ingredients:

Candied Pepitas
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds*)

Granola
Dry Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (I use salted)
1/2 cup flake coconut
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 tablespoons flax (ground**)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Wet Ingredients:
3 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons honey
Mix-ins:
1/4 cup chopped dried mango (I got mine at Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup raisins
The candied pepitas that you made above

How to:

Start with candy-ing your pepitas.  Mix together all of the dry spices in a small bowl and set aside.  Using a skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter.  Add pepitas and all of the spice mix.  Stir constantly, toasting the pepitas until they turn golden brown.  Add honey and brown sugar and continue to cook while stirring for another couple of minutes.  Transfer the seeds to a large sheet tray.  Let them cool for about 10 minutes, then break them up with a spatula to avoid sticking.  Set aside.

While your candied pepitas are cooling, start the granola.  Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In a small sauce pan at low-medium heat, add the wet ingredients and heat until liquefied.  Once liquefied, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.  Spread the mixture evenly onto an oiled baking pan (I just give mine a quick spray of canola oil) and bake at 300 for 15 minutes, stir with a spatula and bake for another 15 minutes until golden.  Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.  Add mix-ins when baking is done.  If you want larger chunks, stir/break-up after the granola has cooled, if you want a more loose granola, stir a few times while cooling.

*I bought my pepitas at our local co-op.  They looked like this...

Gourmet Sleuth

Mine had a smoky flavor.  I'm certain I bought plain ones, so I'm not sure if this is how they typically taste or not.  If anyone has any comments regarding how pepitas should taste, please share!

**Much to the love of The Cyclist, I use his coffee grinder to grind my flax seeds.  Just dump some in the grinder and pulse until you have a powdery substance.  Watch out because they puff up upon grinding.  Make sure you clean out the grinder when you're done so your husband doesn't have flax flavored coffee.

I shared this recipe on the following sites:

Make Ahead Meals for Busy Mom's
My Sweet and Savory
hey what's for dinner Mom?

Jenner by the Sea {Part One}

For my old lady birthday in September The Cyclist surprised me with a secret weekend getaway.  I didn't really have any idea where we were going, except that it would be on the coast.  I was told what to pack and also put in charge of packing food.  There is nothing wrong with packing an enormous cooler just to hold "snacks" for two people....for two days...right?

We left on Saturday morning and began driving west.  Eventually we reached Petaluma and later Highway 1, where we began heading north.  Of course we passed an organized ride on the way...

For those of you who have never driven down Highway 1 in or around Northern California, do it if you ever get the chance.  Although the road is pretty sketchy, the views are fantastic.

After a bit more driving we reached our destination, Jenner, CA.

We stayed at the Jenner Inn & Cottages.  The hotel was a quaint, quiet and relaxing place that I was sad to leave.

Upon arrival we broke out some brie and wine (among other tasty items)......

....and enjoyed the beautiful view from our deck where the Russian River meats the Pacific.

The first day was a sunny one, so after our snack and view admiring, we made quick and headed to the beach!

We walked out to the point so The Cyclist could fish and I could snap photos.  Here is a birds eye view of where we walked...do you see us?

The point....

I love the ocean.

It is a beautiful and peaceful place.

This guy likes it too.

The sun began to set....

....and after we watched it go down, we headed to dinner at Cape Fear Cafe, which was tasty and delicious.  So good in fact, that I forgot to bring my camera or phone and did not take any photos.

Day two involved an awesome hike to the Pygmy Forest and all around Salt Point State Park, plus another fabulous meal (photos included this time).  So be sure to check back next week for Jenner By the Sea {Part Two}.

I reviewed all of the places we visited, just click the following links:
Jenner Inn & Cottages - Yelp, TripAdvisor
Cape Fear Cafe - Yelp, Urbanspoon