Last week, Les Petits Chefs tried something a little different – granola! As a teacher, I know the importance of a healthy breakfast (wait, that sounds a little too much like the Nutella commercial doesn’t it?) and I can totally tell when my students don’t eat breakfast or have something insubstantial – by about 9am they’ve slumped. Just ask Neil. Before I met him, he rarely ate breakfast, perhaps a cup or 12 of coffee. Now I am there to annoy him make sure he eats some fruit, some carbs (cereal or a granola bar) and some dairy (yoghurt which he claims to eat only so he can give Cleo the yoghurt lid) and make him a decent espresso in the morning, I am sure he feels better all day, even if he won’t admit it.
I figured granola would be a fairly easy choice for the boys and I like the idea of them being able to customise their portion. Neil generously donated some Mason jars and I brought some labels so they would be able to name their product and list the ingredients.
Setting up was fairly easy…
I had brought along a number of choices for the boys to include: cranberries, golden raisins, banana chips, almonds, walnuts, coconut, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds…
Err, yes, those are whole sunflower seeds as well as shelled ones – I mistakenly bought unroasted ones (knowing how much the boys love the little packs of roasted ones you can get, I figured it would be a fun addition. T’was only when we added them to the base and the kitchen asked me had I really meant to, did I start to wonder). Meanwhile, back in the science lab, the boys were eating them regardless. In fact they were snacking on everything… I removed them from most boys portions but many of them insisted on keeping them in and that they were “fun” to eat. Ok then… Sometimes, you know, cooking with 7 little boys can make you flustered….
We all took turns helping create the base mixture…
And then I laid out the bowls for the boys to choose their customisations…
Then we chopped the larger nuts and the banana chips…
And got to work writing our labels…
The granola came out of the oven…
We poured our Ziploc bags of customisations into the Mason Jars with some granola…
(errr, yes, Henry likes his almonds).
We stuck on our labels and were good to go:
Ingredients (makes enough to fill a large jar)
2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal ( not instant)
1 heaped cup mixed nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts)
1/4 cup mixed seeds ( sunflower, poppy, pumpkin, sesame)
3/4 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups dried fruit ( raisins, cranberries, apricots)
5 tablespoons maple syrup ( or honey)
5 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
To prepare your granola:
Preheat the oven to 350.
Put your dry granola ingredients including coconut and cinnamon, but not the dried fruit on a sheet pan.
Stir well and smooth out. Drizzle with the maple syrup and a little olive oil and stir again.
Place the pan in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
Every 5 minutes or so, take the granola out and stir it, then smooth it down with a wooden spoon and put it back in the oven.
While it’s toasting, chop up any large dried fruit.
When the granola is nice and golden, remove it from the oven, mix in the dried fruit and let it cool down.
To serve your granola:
Once cooled, serve the granola in individual bowls with some milk or a dollop of natural yoghurt. You can keep any leftover granola in store in an airtight container for about 2 weeks but it’s so delicious I’ll be surprised if it lasts that long!
Result?
This was a wonderfully easy recipe and many of the parents commented that their boys loved it. I think letting them have a choice is so important – like in the classroom, a project that they “own” is so much more special. Plus, this reminded me that making my own granola is so easy and I should do it more often…
** Did you know? Jamie Oliver is speaking in Toronto on November 18th. Thanks to The Art of Cooking, I am able to offer a discount to you, my readers, of $10 per ticket (more if you purchase more than 5 tickets). Click here for the special promotion code to be applied to your ticket price. Don’t miss this event – I saw Jamie speak last year and it was inspirational to say the least. It inspired me to start Les Petits Chefs, for one…
One more thing - I made it to Round 6 of Project Food Blog! I would love your vote to move on to Round 7, where we have to make a recipe come alive through video. Simply click here to vote. You have to be a Foodbuzz member to vote but it’s a simple sign-up process. Once you’re signed up, click the red heart to vote. Thanks in advance. Many thanks for your continued support.
This is awesome, Mardi. Just awesome.
Thanks Kim. I love my club!
Great way to be creative in the “classroom!” And Nutella IS good for your tastebunds. =)
Yes now if I had only made Nutella granola…
I wish someone had taught me how to make granola when I was a kind! This looks like so much fun! You’re right, customization is key for boys and girls I think.
Congrats on PFB! You’ve got my vote!
Thanks Rachel and yes, I wish someone had shown me how to make granola when I was little too!
Mardi I really commend you on starting this club, I think it is so important that kids get in the kitchen and learn about food. I often wonder why the Canadian School System removed home economics in the elementary level. I really wish it would make a return. I think if we introduce it to the children at an early age we would have more chance of making an impact. Given them choices is the key, you are amazing and this granola is wonderful! Thank you for making a difference!
Thanks Grace, I am surprised that there is no home ec education anymore either. But we do what we can!
This is such a great recipe to make with kids! Love that each one is able to customise the granola to their liking.
Yes they loved making it “theirs”
I think what you are doing with Petit Chef is absolutely amazing. I kind of wish I could be a part of it too
Great recipe, and the perfect snack for active young boys! Love it!
Thanks so much – I am really proud of what we are doing!
Love the photos.
I know, I’m such a dork, comment about the photos first.
Mmm…I do love granola and I wish I was part of something like the Les Petit Chefs as a kid. I think my head would have exploded with all the stupendously delicious treats at my disposal.
Btw, how cute that they all wear ties!
Yes they wear a uniform and it does make for cute pics
And yes, they enjoy the treats quite a bit!
Mardi I almost squealed out loud when I saw their adorable ties in that picture!! I love the idea of making granola with them. Question – where does the funding for this amazing program come from?
The funding comes from my amazing school. It’s one of many after school clubs offered and there is a budget for that. Having said that, I try to be as frugal as I can to be realistic.
i just love those little chefs in action! Those jars are so cute with their handwriting on them.
Aren’t they adorable?
I really enjoy your posts about cooking with Les Petit Chefs!! You made a great point about letting kids make choices and have a hand in the decision making – it can make all the difference!!!
Yes, ownership of projects, both in and out of the classroom is so important for motivating kids, I find.
they are busy busy little beeeeeez, those petits chefs. thank god you’re learnin’ em right, M:)
That is fab… now I need some of my own too.. been awhile.
It’s so easy I should make it more often!
awww I wanna make super awesome granola!
It is pretty amazing, isn’t it?
Your coaching these little guys the very essence of great food Mardi…, such a wonderful project & judging by those cool labels they’ve made, they’re having a blast while they’re learning & producing. Love it.
Yes, it’s all about disguising the learning in fun!
I rarely eat breakfast, but if I had this granola around, I’d totally eat it! Btw, I wish you were my teacher. We’d have so much fun!
Aw Brian – thanks so much. And yes, you would love this granola!
What a fun project, and great little gift idea too! Found your blog via the FoodBuzz contest. Gave your post a <3 .
Thanks for stopping by – hope you will come again!
Love seeing the kids at work, especially when they’re making healthy and accessible food! Nice work!
Thanks, that’s what we’re aiming for!
Mardi you totally belong on a Nutella ad, a table holding a “complete breakfast” behind you with a jug of orange juice, some fruit and a plate of Nutella heavy toast. With some smiling generic children that look like little rascals with big hearts. Or, actually, Miss Cleo up on the table licking at the Nutella. Yes, that’s it.
This is a fantastic idea. I am a HUGE believer in the importance of breakfast and this is a very clever way to get the boys more interested in it. Particularly given the overly sugared, all-pretty-similar options that are the standard breakfast cereals.
Oh yes, I could totally do a Nutella ad, couldn’t I. With Les Petits Chefs, even!
This is exactly what granola should be! Love it!
Thanks, as I had some of mine for breakfast this morning, I thought the same thing!
Love this! I’ve been meaning to make granola for a very long time, but it’s one of those things that I just never get around to. Now I’m thinking that I need to move it up on my priority list a bit.
Oh I am totally making more of this and very soon!
Aww, Mardi, what a fab idea (breakfast is probably my favourite meal of the day, so I’m not being quite objective!). And I love the look of the handmade labels!!
I really enjoyed reading your “Les Petits Chefs” series, especially in the light of a blog post I recently wrote after I read Anthony Bourdain’s “Medium Raw”. Bourdain thinks that schools should teach our kids a couple of essential cooking skills alongside writing and reading to encourage healthier eating – and I couldn’t agree more… http://detours.typepad.com/detours/2010/11/15-essential-cooking-skills-every-citizen-should-know.html?cid=6a0120a546c26f970b013488a5979f970c#comment-form
Thanks for your comment Myriam, I totally agree that cooking skills should be included in the school curriculum. One of my dreams is to teach french through cooking – le français par la cuisine…..
Great idea, Mardi! One of my close friends here in Sydney is learning French, and instead of signing up for traditional 1-on-1 conversation classes, he hired a private teacher and asked her to teach him French while they cook together. He loves it!
Ah so I see it’s a do=able dream!