Homemade granola

As is typical of my persona, this isn't another "normal" recipe for homemade granola.  There are some great ones out there but I thought I would share an idea that I had that actually turned out quite well (like I am surprised!).

This is a one ingredient "granola" recipe.  Yes, I typed that correctly.  Let me explain.  Bakers Breakfast Cookies (www.bbcookies.com) specializes in making delicious homemade cookies and also makes extremely good granola (and a high protein granola that is out of this world).  

Well, as I was looking at one of these cookies one day I thought to myself, "what else could I do with this?".  That's a popular question when it comes to my cooking and experimenting with food. 

This led to me getting the cutting board and my biggest knife in the drawer and cutting this cookie into small pieces.  Looking at it a little more and then looking at the Bakers Granola, I suddenly realized that I could turn this cookie into another delicious snack option by simply taking some moisture out of it.

I placed the little pieces of cookie on a cookie sheet and popped it in the oven for about 6 minutes or so.  Took it out and let the air do its job and within about 10 more minutes, I had made "granola" from a Bakers Breakfast Cookie.

I don't think Erin Baker will be adopting my recipe anytime soon as her true granola tastes way better than mine but I was proud that I found yet another use for her wonderful cookies.

Go out and get some Bakers Breakfast Cookies and try it.  Personally, I put mine in a bowl with some soy milk over it and a spoonful of peanut butter but be creative and design a new concoction of your own!

Enjoy!

Coach Bob

coachbob@fuel4mance.com

Music is evil

Eye-catching title, isn't it?  I admit, I listen to my iPod shuffle at times (mostly when I travel) but until I entered the portable music world last year, I never even thought of popping the earphones in during a training session.  Sure, I have used music as a motivator during some runs in the past (there is actually some research that supports the benefits) but haven't in some time.  I think this is mostly due to my re-connection with nature that I experience when I am out running in the stunning Colorado landscape.

It wasn't until yesterday morning that I became an advocate of absolutely NO MUSIC during exercise.  Not for myself since I don't but for others.  You will understand why in the next few sentences and I must first apologize if I sound harsh but quite honestly, my point is meant to come off with a strong purpose.

My oldest son had a basketball game on Saturday morning so I decided to sneak in an opportunity to get on my bike and ride the 15 miles to the game.  I chose to ride my mountain bike because there is a bit of loose gravel around.  As I navigated my way to the very popular concrete bike path (C470 bike path for those living around Denver), which by the way is wide enough to ride 2-3 side by side, I saw a runner a couple of hundred yards ahead of me.  As I normally do before approaching a person while on a bike, I began to slow and gave the courteous "on your left" as I went to pass him.  In a few short seconds after that, I was lying on the ground looking at the cloudless blue sky wondering why I wasn't on my bike anymore.  The runner, out of the blue, decided that he wanted to be on the left side of the bike path versus the right and instead of looking back first, he immediately merged which of course, led to a "nice" encounter between human and mountain bike.

As I stood up feeling a warm sensation oozing from my nose (yes, blood) and a terrible headache beginning to form, this runner stood up and asked if I was okay.  I was a bit confused as my helmet did lightly kiss the pavement and looking at him, I noticed he was taking his earphones out of his ears.  Although it takes quite a bit to get me fired up, my Italian temper began to surface and before I did something that I would end up regretting later, I dusted off some vocabulary I haven't used since before having kids and communicated for a brief 10 seconds before also realizing that I didn't want to be late to my son's first basketball game.  

As I continued on my ride for the next 20 minutes spitting blood (sorry for the visual), my blood pressure was increasing more and more thinking about how many times I have experienced gnarly terrain on my mountain bike on Colorado singletrack and managed to stay on the bike yet a very painful crash happened on a well-paved bike path with a runner.  I mean really, would anyone believe that I crashed because a runner jumped in front of me?  It still sounds silly even as I type this.

The morale of the story is not that music is evil but that people are drowning their surroundings with music and thus not paying attention to what is going on around them.  

Please, for the sake of everyone's safety, do not listen to music while exercising outdoors.  My throbbing nose and achy head thanks you.

Coach Bob

coachbob@fuel4mance.com

Holiday eats

I know Christmas has came and went but many people have been asking what was on the Seebohar menu.  Well, knowing that I am Italian and had full-blown homemade everything holidays growing up in an Italian family, I try my best to keep some of the tradition alive to teach my little ones.

My wife and I tag-teamed in the kitchen which was great since we were hosting our family (more than 20 people!) for Christmas Eve.  Wendy was busy making homemade pizzas and I was mixing, kneading and running the pasta machine.  My project: homemade butternut squash/walnut ravioli's with a unique sauce that I make up each year in an effort of trying to remember what I did the prior year (remember, I don't do recipes but am told I should either videotape myself cooking or just run a tape recorder in hopes to recreate some of my dishes).

Here are a few photos of me in action with the finished product as the highlight!

Of course, I received glowing reviews from family members as most were impressed with my feat.  For me, it's just another Italian holiday except with three little ones, I condense my version to a few hours rather than a few days as was the case when I was growing up.  Ah, it was such a great production back then but as life catches up with me, I realize that I do what I can with what I have.

Oh and my sauce...a combination of vegetable broth, corn starch and a bit of evaporated cane juice sugar.

Mmm, mmm, good!

Enjoy (we sure did!)

Coach Bob

coachbob@fuel4mance.com