Cooking for Creativity

In our house, cooking is not a chore. It’s not a role that belongs to anyone. It’s an optional thing. I run an open kitchen. Anyone can eat anything they want at any time. BUT, I only keep the pantry full of healthy foods and ingredients. My daughter likes to call us an ‘ingredient household’. Sometimes, they get frustrated because if they want something yummy, it takes a little effort. But it’s been really good for our family for both health and connection. They’ve learned to make enough to share because that means the action will likely be reciprocated.

I love running the kitchen this way because it encourages a community where everyone voluntarily participates. Whatever someone feels like eating gets cooked and shared. If no one feels like cooking, then simple things like fresh fruit and toast are always available. My middle child has decided that cooking is her stress relief. So if she’s upset or stressed about school, she’ll bake bread or make ratatouille (her favorites). While we don’t like seeing her stressed, we all enjoy the results of her stress relief.

My youngest (she’s 13) has decided that she needs vegetables for lunch every day. So she’ll steam up frozen veggies the night before and take them to school. (What?! I know, right?) With this method of running the kitchen, my girls have come to me asking for directions on how to cook, and I’m more than happy to offer guidance. My significant other likes to make big batches of homemade popcorn. For me, cooking is stressful; likely because it’s been a female societal role for a long time (though I grew up with a dad who loves to cook), and sit-down dinners are so very traditional. I found that trying to organize a sit-down dinner just doesn’t work for us. Schedules often don’t line up.

Occasionally, though, I do cook something that sounds good or helps us save money. One of my favorites is homemade granola. I got the original recipe from here (this links to one of my favorite blogs in a new tab), but I’ve made modifications that are so yummy. Enjoy!

Healthy Homemade Granola

4 Cups regular oats (preferably organic everything)

3/4 Cup almond flour

1/4 Cup quinoa

Sometimes, I’ll add a couple of tablespoons of energy boosting powders like ashwaganda, matcha, or maca, but this is optional (I included links to my favorite brands).

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp celtic sea salt (or 3/4 tsp regular table salt)

1/2 Cup olive oil or melted coconut oil

1/2 Cup real maple syrup

1 tablespoon of molasses

2 tablespoons almond butter

Mix everything together and spread evenly on a half sheet (11×17) baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper to keep cleanup to a minimum. Then, use a rolling pin to compress the mixture and spread it evenly on the pan. This makes for nice clumps and evenly cooked granola. Preheat oven to 350° and cook for 20 mins. This part is important: It has to sit without being disturbed for at least 45 mins so the clumps cool together. Then, break it into pieces and store them in the freezer to keep that fresh taste.