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Breakfast, Gluten Free

God, Granola, and the Spiritual Qualities of Breakfast Cereal

October 7, 2019 by hannahabaffy 1 Comment

Granola, that most ubiquitous of breakfast foods. So far-reaching that it has transcended its original meaning and become a label for a whole contingent of people living a bike-riding, Birkenstock-shod existence. Though granola has changed and evolved with time, at its core it has always had a healthy bent, though the claims associated with it have drastically changed over time. 

Each Bowl Brings the Rapture Closer

First created in 1863 by James Caleb Jackson, a staunch Christian abolitionist and operator of “Our Home Hygienic Institute” a sanitarium in Livingston County, New York. Jackson’s breakfast cereal was originally dubbed “granula” and was introduced to the members of the sanitarium as nothing less than a modern miracle. Jackson’s health claims for his creation were just short of the divine, asserting that his granula would not only properly prepare the body and mind for the second coming of Christ but would most certainly hasten His arrival. If that wasn’t reason enough to begin eating granula for every meal, he had also rationalized that it would have a calming effect on the nerves, improve one’s personal values, and most importantly lower your libido; altogether putting an end to the carnal habit of self-gratification that he considered a blight on mankind. 

“They’re Gr-r-reat!”

By 1878 one John Harvey Kellogg, proprietor of the Battle Creek Sanitarium and a like-minded enthusiast of Jackson’s work introduced granula to his own congregation. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Jackson wasn’t thrilled with the compliment. In a small effort to keep the peace, Kellogg changed his cereal’s moniker from granula to Granola, to you know, avoid any confusion. He too believed that one could attain a certain religious heightening by eating toasted oats but later went on to accept that corn-flakes brought you still closer to God and so the copyright on Granola was allowed to lapse and the term became open to the public. 

Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out and Eat Granola

While granola was first conceived within the health movement of the day and stayed well within the community throughout its lifetime; by the 1960s the alternative lifestyles of the hippies who reintroduced granola to the public with their tenants of free-love and self-exploration would have most certainly shocked the puritanical creators of granola to their core. Their sacrosanct breakfast food, coming to represent a lifestyle they would have most certainly considered nothing short of heathen.


“Life, within doors, has few pleasanter prospects than a neatly-arranged and well-provisioned breakfast table.”

-Nathaniel Hawthorn

This simple recipe for our favorite granola comes together quickly and is so delicious it’s positively sinful.

granola
5 from 1 vote
Print

The Transcendental Granola

A delicious blend of oats and honey toasted to perfection and delicious on just about anything.

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword bakinghistory, breakfast, glutenfree, granola, healthy, oats
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Rolled Oats
  • 3 Tbsps Brown Sugar
  • 3/4 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/3 cup Raw Honey
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground
  • 1/2 cup Dried Cherries, chopped (optional)
  • 1/4 cup Black Chia Seeds

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 300℉

  2. In a large bowl toss together oats, salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  

  3. In a large liquid measuring cup add oil, honey, and vanilla and whisk vigorously to combine.

  4. Stir the liquids into the oat mixture and combine until everything is evenly disbursed.

  5. Spread the granola onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the granola and stir with a large rubber spatula. Return the granola to the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes or until oats have become toasty and golden.

  6. If adding dried fruit add them after the granola is baked but still warm.

  7. Let the granola cool on the baking sheet until it has hardened, then break it up and place it in an air-tight container. Eat often, every bowl brings the rapture closer.

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About Me

Hi, I'm Hannah. Creator of Milk + Honey and long time curious eater. Join me as I explore the surprising history behind some of the world's most iconic dishes, and figure out the best ways to prepare them.

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  • God, Granola, and the Spiritual Qualities of Breakfast Cereal
  • Groom’s Cake, the Last Bastion of Gentility
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Recent Posts

God, Granola, and the Spiritual Qualities of Breakfast Cereal

God, Granola, and the Spiritual Qualities of Breakfast Cereal

October 7, 2019
Groom’s Cake, the Last Bastion of Gentility

Groom’s Cake, the Last Bastion of Gentility

September 30, 2019

The Great White Hope, 5 Steps to the Perfect Drip Cake

September 25, 2019

Pizzelle, The Cookie from Limbo

September 9, 2019

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August 19, 2019

Instagram feed

milkandhoneythebakery

"By their desserts will I judge them."
•Saveur Food Blog Award Finalist 2019: Best Baking and Sweets

Hannah | Milk + Honey Bakery
Imagine it: A thick, creamy, salty layer of peanut Imagine it: A thick, creamy, salty layer of peanut butter sandwiched between a crunchy coating of toasted almonds and toffee and a sweet chewy base of dates and oats. Now drizzle that in dark chocolate, and you’ve got yourself these decadent raw chocolate, peanut butter almond bars. 

Vegan, refined-sugar free, and gluten-free, eating responsibly has never felt so indulgent. Get the recipe on the blog this week!
The superiority of chocolate, both for health and The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain.
-Thomas Jefferson

While not necessarily for the health reasons stated, Jefferson’s prediction has certainly come to materialize, at least in my home.
A debate I had with my husband shortly after makin A debate I had with my husband shortly after making this honey-almond “snack cake”: As we sat around “snacking,” we began to discuss what the real difference was between Snack cakes and Snacking cakes. Banal, yet relevant in the moment. 

This arbitrary mystery resulted in a lot of opinions and by the end of it, several unanswered questions. 

So I put it to you, Instagram Family, what is the real difference between Snack cakes and Snacking cakes? Are the terms so similar as to be inconsequential, or do their comparabilities hide deeper differences? 

The perimeters (at least in my mind) are these: Leftover birthday cake that becomes the next morning’s breakfast would definitely be a snack cake. Meaning a snack cake, while sounding laid-back, could be a slice of sophisticated dacquiouse or some other luxurious dessert.
Whereas a snacking cake would be something more along the lines of a sheet cake (like the classic chocolate Texas variety). More than a brownie but less than a layer cake. Something you could take a fork to but would probably just pick up with your hands. 

In short, any cake can be a snack. But not every cake is a snacking cake.

Thoughts?
When confronted by the age old question: ‘chocol When confronted by the age old question: ‘chocolate or carrot,’ which do you choose?
Is it too soon for #pumpkinspice ? Is it too soon for #pumpkinspice ?
Fragranced by delicate basil, rich with parmesan a Fragranced by delicate basil, rich with parmesan and pine nuts, and packing a garlicky punch, our braided pesto bread is the ideal way to use up your garden’s bounty. 

Also it looks impressive. Pull-out all the stops and impress your family and guests with this ultra-easy and rewarding loaf.
Consumed by Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs the ancient Consumed by Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs the ancient Mesoamericans are remembered as the original chocolate lovers. Considered a sacred beverage among them, cocoa was used during celebrations and religious ceremonies and was thought to lend the drinker strength.

It is said that Montezuma kept a massive storehouse of cocoa beans, and drank 50 golden cups of the stuff a day, decreeing that only those men brave enough to face battle would be permitted to join him in drinking it. Chocolate eventually becoming a regular part of military rations among the Aztecs. 

The belief that chocolate was a powerful elixir that lent its drinker extra virility and strength seems to have made its way into European and US thinking as well and may explain the application of including chocolate or pressed cakes of cocoa powder in US military rations, an operation practiced all the way up to the Vietnam war. 

With piles of historical evidence it would stand to reason that chocolate must be good for me, so I’m going to start making a regular habit of indulging in it. Each bite imbuing me with strength, vim, and vigor. Don’t stay a weakling all your life, join me in making these chocolate pot de creme today and start eating more chocolate.
A creamy savior, ice cream was America’s refuge A creamy savior, ice cream was America’s refuge during Prohibition, and one of our favorite forms of solace during the Great Depression. One might argue that without the aid of ice cream we might not be here today.
"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our do "Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness." — Jane Austen
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milkandhoneythebakery

"By their desserts will I judge them."
•Saveur Food Blog Award Finalist 2019: Best Baking and Sweets

Hannah | Milk + Honey Bakery
Imagine it: A thick, creamy, salty layer of peanut Imagine it: A thick, creamy, salty layer of peanut butter sandwiched between a crunchy coating of toasted almonds and toffee and a sweet chewy base of dates and oats. Now drizzle that in dark chocolate, and you’ve got yourself these decadent raw chocolate, peanut butter almond bars. 

Vegan, refined-sugar free, and gluten-free, eating responsibly has never felt so indulgent. Get the recipe on the blog this week!
The superiority of chocolate, both for health and The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain.
-Thomas Jefferson

While not necessarily for the health reasons stated, Jefferson’s prediction has certainly come to materialize, at least in my home.
A debate I had with my husband shortly after makin A debate I had with my husband shortly after making this honey-almond “snack cake”: As we sat around “snacking,” we began to discuss what the real difference was between Snack cakes and Snacking cakes. Banal, yet relevant in the moment. 

This arbitrary mystery resulted in a lot of opinions and by the end of it, several unanswered questions. 

So I put it to you, Instagram Family, what is the real difference between Snack cakes and Snacking cakes? Are the terms so similar as to be inconsequential, or do their comparabilities hide deeper differences? 

The perimeters (at least in my mind) are these: Leftover birthday cake that becomes the next morning’s breakfast would definitely be a snack cake. Meaning a snack cake, while sounding laid-back, could be a slice of sophisticated dacquiouse or some other luxurious dessert.
Whereas a snacking cake would be something more along the lines of a sheet cake (like the classic chocolate Texas variety). More than a brownie but less than a layer cake. Something you could take a fork to but would probably just pick up with your hands. 

In short, any cake can be a snack. But not every cake is a snacking cake.

Thoughts?
When confronted by the age old question: ‘chocol When confronted by the age old question: ‘chocolate or carrot,’ which do you choose?
Is it too soon for #pumpkinspice ? Is it too soon for #pumpkinspice ?
Fragranced by delicate basil, rich with parmesan a Fragranced by delicate basil, rich with parmesan and pine nuts, and packing a garlicky punch, our braided pesto bread is the ideal way to use up your garden’s bounty. 

Also it looks impressive. Pull-out all the stops and impress your family and guests with this ultra-easy and rewarding loaf.
Consumed by Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs the ancient Consumed by Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs the ancient Mesoamericans are remembered as the original chocolate lovers. Considered a sacred beverage among them, cocoa was used during celebrations and religious ceremonies and was thought to lend the drinker strength.

It is said that Montezuma kept a massive storehouse of cocoa beans, and drank 50 golden cups of the stuff a day, decreeing that only those men brave enough to face battle would be permitted to join him in drinking it. Chocolate eventually becoming a regular part of military rations among the Aztecs. 

The belief that chocolate was a powerful elixir that lent its drinker extra virility and strength seems to have made its way into European and US thinking as well and may explain the application of including chocolate or pressed cakes of cocoa powder in US military rations, an operation practiced all the way up to the Vietnam war. 

With piles of historical evidence it would stand to reason that chocolate must be good for me, so I’m going to start making a regular habit of indulging in it. Each bite imbuing me with strength, vim, and vigor. Don’t stay a weakling all your life, join me in making these chocolate pot de creme today and start eating more chocolate.
A creamy savior, ice cream was America’s refuge A creamy savior, ice cream was America’s refuge during Prohibition, and one of our favorite forms of solace during the Great Depression. One might argue that without the aid of ice cream we might not be here today.
"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our do "Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness." — Jane Austen
Load More... Follow on Instagram
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