Granola and Homemade Yogurt
One subject I'd like to share more about on Matchbox Kitchen is sustainability. It's something that's always on my mind yet I don't write about it here very often. I firmly believe in not only caring for your body but also for the environment around you, as cliche and obvious as that sounds. One goal I've been working towards is giving up is over processed and over packaged food. I love the convenience of snack packs as much as anyone else but every little wrapper I throw away gives me a pang of guilt.
And then I found Weck jars. A favorite quick breakfast of mine is eating granola and yogurt because not only is healthy and filling but it's easy to take transport too. And while I've made granola and yogurt at home before, I never really knew how I could pack it so it could be just as convenient as their grocery store counterparts. I received a few different Weck jars for my birthday and realized I could store my yogurt individually in the fridge so I can grab one on the go. Sure, going to the grocery store and buying a 6 pack of yogurt is a lot faster, but I'm happy to know exactly what's going in my body without any sort of stabilizers, preservatives or high amounts of sugar.
There are a lot of different recipes out there for granola and to be honest I never really stick to one. I just throw in whatever I have around (oats, flax seed, walnuts) add some sweetener (this time it was apple sauce and a tiny bit of brown sugar) and dab of oil. Once I come up with a great recipe I'll be sure to post it here, but in the mean time check out this one from Design Sponge and a whole slew of them from Everybody Likes Sandwiches.
As for the yogurt, it's kind of intimidating as first but I love that I can control how tart or thick I want it. This batch came out perfect! I am hoping to show you how (in a video!) how to make yogurt yourself but there are great tutorials online already. There's even a whole website which is very handy.
Anyway, I'm not really expecting many people to try this because it can be a little time consuming. But I hope that it inspires you to think about ways you can cut down on waste and live a healthier lifestyle at the same time.