People who are even kind of chronically online are aware of Mrs. Nara Smith, a widely known beautiful mother, model and influencer. She also happens to be married to an equally attractive partner, which some of you may have stalked on tumbler in 2014, known as Lucky Blue Smith. (Does his name sound like an elaborate title I give my dog while under the influence? Maybe.. but we are not here for him).
I have been following Nara on many different social media platforms for years. She struggles with Lupus, but prior to that diagnosis, her eczema and auto immune like symptoms were something a lot of people, including myself, unfortunately related to. Throughout most of my childhood I struggled with an eating disorder, only recently in early adult hood did my relationship with food adjust to a more positive experience. It was refreshing to see someone with this apparent dream life struggle with the same things. Her videos are so inspiring in how she peacefully interacts with elaborate recipes and shows herself and family enjoying the decadent product after all the hard work. Nara has been incredibly open with her health journey, as an avid follower, you can really see a difference in the overall health just based on what she shares about her diet.
So as any Gen Z(er) would do, I took the advice of an online personality rather than trusting any medical professional and started mimicking her recipes. While some of you may be judging me for that statement, jokes on you because I am now the literal granola girl. While it is not always financially convenient or timely to cook such elaborate dishes, even prepare certain ingredients, the dishes are way more satisfying and mentally fulfilling after taking the time to cater it to your bodies needs.
Okay, alright, we get it, so now to the point of this article. My homemade granola recipe!
Ingredients:
- Rolled Oats
- Nuts of choice (I prefer almonds and pecans)
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Cinnamon
- Local Honey
- Coconut oil
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. *it is important to bake on a lower temperature and keep it in there longer than have the nuts burn*
- The amount of ingredients really depends on how much you want to make and the size pan you have. I used a 13 x 9 baking and lightly spread coconut oil over the top to prevent sticking.
- I cut my almonds and pecans to my preferred size, the smaller they are cut the faster they will crisp in the oven so keep that in mind!
- Then in a large bowl, mix the rolled oats, nuts of choice, chia seeds, flax seeds, and a large tablespoon of melted coconut oil. If you don't like the the taste of coconut, don't be scared of it, you honestly cannot even tell its in there and it is a good alternative to butter or oil.
- Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and flatten it out, the thinner the layer, the crispier the mixture will be.
- Once I have flattened the mixture out, I will then add a generous covering of cinnamon and honey. Using locally sourced honey will help your allergies by building a tolerance to the local flora and fauna.
- Bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-13 minutes, take out and mix around, then place back in oven for an additional 10 minutes. Feel free to bake longer, and add additional toppings based on your wanted flavor/crispiness.
As shown in the picture, I like to have mine with Greek yogurt, blueberries, maybe even mangoes if I am feeling frisky. It is a delicious and healthy snack that I hope you will add to your recipe book. After the mixture has cooled, I store in a sealed mason jar, but you can use any kind of Tupperware that closes.
I highly recommend following Nara on socials! See her usernames below.
@naraziza on Instagram
@naraazizasmith on TikTok
Until next time friends, xx