Right now we are in the crazy time of spring where after school is a swirl of backpacks, baseball bags, soccer cleats, and uniforms. We have two kids active in high school sports and a middle schooler just getting into the swing of his spring little league baseball games. 

My husband recently heard everyone raving about how much they love their pressure cookers. I've avoided this cooking trend because I like the way food tastes from the grill or roasted in the oven. But the trade is time. It takes time to do both and as you can see from my statement above, we are severely lacking that right now. For example, my middle son has a double header baseball game, 3:30 and 5:30. My oldest daughter has a 6:30 high school soccer game with my youngest bringing up the rear with an 8:00 p.m. league baseball game. It is a small miracle that all of these games are being held within .5 mile from each other. 

When my husband was talking about getting one of these pressure cookers to help us make some quick meals, I also mentioned those air fryers sure sounded fun, too. Bacon, homemade fries, crispy Brussels sprouts...things we love to make but usually take FOREVER in the oven. So here we are--the proud owners of two gigantic appliances that are supposed to make our lives easier!

As I walked into my pantry the other day, I saw some of my half empty mason jars of pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds and I had an idea to use our new air fryer to make granola. I LOVE granola but it's so hard to find store brands that taste good and don't send your blood sugar to the moon. I'm a Coconut Clusters fan (an organic super seed granola from Costco) which was the inspiration behind my concoction. I just wanted to incorporate a few other ingredients and see if I could make it even better. 

 Side note: As you will soon see, I'm not a recipe gal. I throw in a little of this and a little of that so if you NEED exact amounts or you'll have an anxiety attack, then you may have to wander off to someone else's blog or go buy yourself some Coconut Clusters at your nearest Costco. I'm just winger by nature. Maybe there is a deeper reason at work here that any good therapist might be able to uncover, like that by measuring everything down to how many grains of salt to use feels too restrictive and claustrophobic because one time at band camp I was stuffed into a tuba. I have never been to band camp but just using this for demonstration purposes only. Maybe I just find some ounce of freedom in "the wing". You can't hold me down! I don't need no stinking recipe!. (I'm a woman in her forties in suburbia...I will take the freedom where I can get it.) Now for sure this screams therapy and believe me it's a recurring issue. But let's move on, shall we?

If you want to make your own, whether in an airfyer or the oven, it doesn't matter. I'll give you the directions on both. 

Ingredients

• Wide mouth Mason jar

• Unsweetened coconut flakes

• Chia Seeds

• Pumpkin seeds

• Freshly ground flax seed (recommendation 1-2 tbsp)

• Hemp seeds

• Chopped pecans

• Sliced almonds

• Chopped Baru nuts--a quick pulse in blender will do (never heard of them? I'll fill you in below!)

• Collagen peptide powder

• Sweetener of your choice (100% stevia extract, organic local grown honey or monkfruit powder would be my top choices)

• Sea salt

Other ideas: 

• goji berries

• cinnamon

• cacao nibs (read benefits here)

• dried cranberries (unsweetened!)

Directions: 

Combine nuts and seeds (your choice on how much of each--you know what you like best!) to fill up the mason jar 3/4 of the way full. 

In a separate bowl, combine a small amount of filtered water and 1-2 scoops of collagen peptides and stir until collagen is dissolved completely. Collagen is acting as a binder here as well as a great source of protein. Winning!

This is also the step where you'll add your sweetener. Again, we are going for the health factor here so less is more. Try a half a packet of stevia extract or monk fruit or a drizzle of honey at first. You can give it a taste test before putting it in the oven or air fryer to see if it needs more. Also, add in your pinch of sea salt. 

Pour this directly into the jar with the nuts and seeds and seal it up. Shake the mixture until all of the nuts/seeds are coated. 

Line your air fryer with parchment paper and pour about half of the ingredients into the basket. If you try to do it all at once, it won't toast correctly. Set the temperature for 360 degrees for about five minutes. After five minutes, pull out the basket and stir around the mixture and put back in for another five minutes tops! I overcooked mine the first time around because it was too hot and I didn't check it often. Pour the mixture out onto a lined cookie sheet to cool. Put back into Mason jar once cooled.

If you are doing this by oven, I would put it on convection bake at 300 degrees. Spread the mixture out onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Again, start with five minutes or so to see how it's crisping up, stir, and add additional minutes until desired crispness. Let it sit and cool before storing back in the Mason jar. 

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I also want to share the health benefits of this granola so that you know why it's good for you. I think it's important to make the connection with the food you are eating with what it is doing for your body so that you truly appreciate it! (I've linked to my favorite brands which are affiliate links, full disclosure.)

1. Coconut flakes--fat as an energy source, iron and phosphorus

2. Chia Seeds--high in antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, fiber and protein....read more here

3. Pumpkin seeds--high in fiber, protein, zinc, and magnesium...read more here

4. Flax seed--contains lignans that support healthy DNA, rich in vitamins/minerals, high in fiber and protein as well as balancing hormones, supports healthy digestion...read more here

5. Hemp hearts--contains healthy ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, good source of fiber, protein and vitamin E...read more here

6. Sunflower seeds--High in fiber, vitamin E, antioxidants, and supports healthy digestion. Read more...

7. Baru nuts--these are crazy high in all the right stuff. Too much to list so go here to read more about this amazing source of protein, fiber, antioxidants

8. Collagen peptides--supports healthy joints, regeneration of skin, hair, bones, joints, and tissues as well as elasticity, supports a healthy gut by healing stomach ulcers, heals and seals the gut lining and much, much more. Read about it here...

Because we are going for the health factor here, portion control is a must. A little bit goes a long way so make sure to just take what you need! I am not responsible for any bingeing that may occur. This is your fair warning. :) 

*Also, rather than be completely annoying above in the listed ingredients, I am stating it here that any and all ingredients should be non-GMO and organic. 

If you try it, please come back and share your thoughts. I'd love to know how you FELT after eating it as this is always the most important reason we eat--to feel great!