recipes to carry you through

Welp, February is nearly over. What a sneaky month. I feel like all I’ve said since January (or possibly November) is how busy life is around here lately, and I’m starting to find that a bit tiresome. Jordan and I were talking with our friend Alexa about just this predicament, and she suggested it was time for a mind shift. Simply use the power of our amazing human brain to decide that the way we currently think about something is no longer useful (or possibly more damaging than something that’s merely useless), and think about it differently.

Well, I happen to like this idea a lot. But I’ll also have you know, I’m not sure if it’s working for me yet. At the outset, my goal was to use this mind shift to better manage how I feel about busyness of my work-life. Things since launch have been hectic for everyone, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. I haven’t made a lot of progress here, if we’re honest, but I really do like the work. I show up every day, and give it what I’ve got, and leave each night with a growing to-do list. Half-way mind shift?

I’ve also seemed to amplify my life-life busyness. Got to stay in stride with myself, I suppose. Haphazard wedding planning, obsessive apartment cleaning and rearranging, marathon sessions in the pottery studio, too many podcasts. Cooking, mostly the same old favorites, but a few new ones here and there. Trying to figure out if it is possible to create a baking brioche or jet-puffed marshmallow scented perfume, and turn that into a viable business opportunity. Downloading apps that tell me how much time I spend on my phone each day, deleting social media apps as a result, downloading meditation apps instead. I feel like I’m working towards a clearer mind. But I also feel a little crazy. One-third-of-the-way mind shift?

Why am I telling you this? Maybe putting it out there in the universe means the missing piece of my mind shift connects with the part I’ve already started. Maybe because I’ve got two recipes for you. Simple, solid recipes that have become standbys at our house. Both of these things?

We’ve got a granola, borrowed from one of my favorite blogs Orangette, that is just perfection. Nutty, toasty, just a tad sweet. Great on yogurt, vanilla ice cream or eaten out of the palm of your hand. And avocado toast. The Midwest and South surely don’t consider this a meal, Jordan might not either. But I’m of the belief that avocado on bread is solid, California hippie that I am. Top that with pickled shallot and hot sauce, and it’s heaven, and only takes about 5 minutes to make.

You can eat both at once if you’re feeling especially brunch-y. Or do like I do and insert them into random intervals of your day, alternating granola, toast, granola, toast. One last note, don’t make a half batch of the granola. You’ll regret it in two days.

Simple Granola, from Orangette
6 cups rolled oats
2 – 3 cups chopped nuts (I used pecans, walnuts and almonds – basically a bit of whatever I have in the freezer)
2 – 3 cups flaked coconut (unsweetened, I find mine at Whole Foods)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup maple syrup (Or 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup honey)
2/3 cup olive oil

Mix everything together in a large bowl and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 300° F for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Feel free to use approximate measurements for all of the ingredients to suit whatever you have around. We’ve made it many times with success, and I only measured the first time.

Avocado Toast with Pickled Shallot and Hot Sauce 
2 – 4 slices of crusty bread (~2 slices per person)
1 avocado, mashed
1 shallot, sliced thinly
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pinch of salt
Crystal Hot Sauce or Tapatío, for serving

In a small jar, combine the vinegar, sugar and salt and stir to combine. Add the shallot and let sit for a few minutes (or a few hours, or a few days in the fridge). Lightly toast the bread on both sides. Spread the toast with mashed avocado and top with picked shallot and a generous dose of the hot sauce of your choosing. Makes a perfectly serviceable lunch or dinner, don’t skip the shallot.

-Emily