A Dreamy Tropical Vacation

I've found it.  The perfect tropical vacation for the busy and broke.  It doesn't cost much.  You can get there and back in ten minutes.  It's also only 266 calories per serving.

Behold!  A new variation on the best ever granola!  I seriously can't stop making granola these days, guys.  I have several different flavors up my sleeve.  All of them are free of processed sugars and industrial seed oils, which apparently are the fast track to an early uncomfortable death (see the article HERE).

So I got up Sunday morning with a crazy idea that I wanted to make another flavor of granola: Banana Almond.  I toyed with the idea of adding vanilla or amaretto flavor, but I decided that the sweetness and flavor of the banana shouldn't be tampered with by adding other flavors, especially since there is coconut inherently in all of my granola flavors and sometimes knowing when to edit is the most valuable cooking skill a person can have.  My instinct was right; it was delicious, and the natural banana flavor really came through, perfectly complemented by the flavor of the toasted almond slivers.

I sprinkled it on pineapple greek yogurt and was transported to a land where the sunsets are always gorgeous and the palm trees sway gently in a balmy breeze.

I prefer Chobani greek yogurt for this one, but if you really want to control the sugar situation, you can always get a plain yogurt and add your own fruit.  If I had a fresh pineapple, I'd totally be all over that.

Here's the granola recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 small ripe banana
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• 3/4 cup agave nectar
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil

Directions

Mash banana, mix all ingredients together, and bake at 275-300 for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.

This is an extremely low-effort way to look like a health-guru rockstar at home.  Did I also mention it's effing delicious?  Well it is.