Raw Granola

Hey everyone! HAPPY FRIDAY!!!! The weekend is finally HERE 😀

To celebrate, I made some Raw granola. I’d been promising a certain Veggie Friend and my aunt some raw granola for quite some time, so today was the day 🙂

Raw granola

rawnola

– 1 pear, rough chopped

-2 t cinnamon

-1/2 t salt

-1/2 cup raw agave

-1/4 cup pure grade A maple syrup (not technically raw, but used in many raw recipes—use more agave instead if you’d like it to be 100% raw, but the maple gives it a richer flavor)

-1 T orange zest

-juice of 1/2 orange

-1 t vanilla

-2 cups soaked raw almonds

-1 cup soaked raw macadamia nuts

-1 cup pumpkin seeds

-1 banana, diced

-1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

Soak the almonds,

almonds

and macadamia nuts

mac nuts

For at least one hour prior to using.

In a food processor, combine the pear, orange juice and zest, and pulse until chopped. Move to a separate bowl.

Add the macadamia nuts to the food processor, pulse to chop (not mushy, but smaller, even pieces) and add to the pear and orange mixture.

Do the same with the almonds.

Next, in a separate bowl, combine the agave, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add to the nut/pear mixture and mix well.

Stir in the chopped banana, coconut and pumpkin seeds.

mixed

Spread onto Teflexx sheets in an even layer, and use a spatula to break up into larger chunks.

rawnola

Dehydrate at 115* for 36-48 hours.

It’s worth the wait, I promise 🙂

Serve with your favorite fresh nut milk or coconut yogurt and berries.

After I made the raw granola, I decided to start planning tomorrow night’s dinner party. My friend Jeni is going out-of-town this weekend (to WINE COUNTRY! Me = jealous) so I invited her pilot over for dinner tomorrow night to hang out with my pilot, as well as some friends.

It’s going to be a mix of gluten free (my good friend is intolerant), cow’s milk free (for me), carnivore delights (for the pilots) and foodgasms.

So what am I going to make to please everyone?!

list

After contemplating and searching online for a while, here’s what I came up with:

Appetizers:

Hummus and crudités

Tuscan white bean dip and Mary’s crackers

Cheese plate (with gouda, goat gouda, fresh berries and olives)

Goat cheese stuffed mushrooms (gluten-free)

Salad:

Baby organic greens with pears and pomegranate seeds, balsamic vinaigrette

Entree:

Ina Garten’s Turkey Lasagna (for the guys)

Butternut squash and goat cheese lasagna with brown rice noodles (I’ve made this before) for Ashley and myself

Dessert:

Pizookies!!!!!! (Regular chocolate chip with vanilla bean ice cream for the boys, gluten-free vegan cookie dough and Coconut Bliss ice cream for the girls)

Cocktail:

Sangria???

Should be glorious 😀

Well I’m off for a 7-mile tempo run and some training appointments. See ya soon!

Gina

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61 Comments

  1. Jessica @ How Sweet on January 15, 2010 at 9:54 am

    That looks so freaking good! You totally had me with the pears. OMG that sounds incredible. And I am all about Ina when it comes to dinner parties. She is such a classy lady. 🙂

    • Fitnessista on January 15, 2010 at 10:01 am

      she is! i just love her and her recipes are always amazing

  2. skinnyrunner on January 15, 2010 at 10:01 am

    umm, can i get an invite to this dinner party? sounds delish!

  3. Jocelyn on January 15, 2010 at 10:22 am

    Sounds like a great menu plan for the dinner party!

  4. The Hot and Fit on January 15, 2010 at 10:22 am

    I love the rawnola! You always inspire with new raw alternatives !

  5. Lexi on January 15, 2010 at 10:26 am

    That raw granola looks amazing! I will have to try it soon soon soon!

  6. Ash @ Good Taste. Healthy Me on January 15, 2010 at 10:30 am

    ooo that sounds like such a fun night! I love having friends over for food and fun!

  7. rhodeygirl on January 15, 2010 at 10:31 am

    I was never into Ina until the last 6 months. now I am obsessed with her recipes- they are perfect for dinner parties. I am going to try and lighten some up so I can enjoy them too!

  8. Amanda W on January 15, 2010 at 10:41 am

    The raw granola looks amazing!! Good luck on your tempo run. Quick question-what training plan are you using for your half marathon? I’m looking for a new plan that incorporates a little more temp/speed work.

  9. Lauren @ Eater not a runner on January 15, 2010 at 10:51 am

    That granola looks awesome! And that is quite the menu, me=jealous.

  10. Katie on January 15, 2010 at 10:57 am

    I made Ina’s turkey lasagna a few years ago when we had friends over. It was really delicious, but I do remember it being a little salty…it may have been added salt in the tomatoes or something. You may want to get salt free tomatoes or go easy on the salt until you taste it. It’ll be great!

  11. LindsayH on January 15, 2010 at 10:57 am

    That rawnola looks amazing! Man, I wish I had a dehydrator. I guess Christmas is only 11.5 months away 😉

  12. Heather @ The Joyful Kitchen on January 15, 2010 at 11:12 am

    ina garten’s turkey lasagna is the BEST lasagna recipe i’ve found…there will surely be foodgasms from that for the pilots 🙂

  13. Tasha - The Clean Eating Mama on January 15, 2010 at 11:38 am

    The rawnola looks sooo tasty!! I must get myself a dehydrator!

  14. K on January 15, 2010 at 12:06 pm

    Sangria? That shouldn’t even be a question 😉 Have fun!!

    • Fitnessista on January 15, 2010 at 1:04 pm

      lol, true dat. what was i thinking?

  15. Lauren (Biochemísta) on January 15, 2010 at 12:13 pm

    Ooooo, I love love loveeee sangra!!! Let me know if you need a recipe 🙂

    -Lauren

  16. Monique on January 15, 2010 at 12:33 pm

    i want! I want!

    looks great!

    and sangria is fab!

  17. Madison on January 15, 2010 at 12:55 pm

    I am so happy I found your blog. You are one active lady and plus I love the non-dairy recipes and food suggestions. I am going to try out your strength training program next week. Thanks for that by the way.

  18. Katie@ Two Lives, One Lifestyle on January 15, 2010 at 12:55 pm

    MM, your dinner spread sounds wonderful! So many delish treats.

  19. Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) on January 15, 2010 at 1:37 pm

    I bet the orange zest

    -juice of 1/2 orange

    -1 t vanilla
    Makes your house smell amazing!!!!! For 2 days!! OMG Girl, you have patience. I dehyd at a hotter temp and even if it’s not tech raw, I just dont have the patience for those yummy smells that tempt me!

    love your menu for the pre wine country trip. I love the wine country. OMG Napa, hello, if you weren’t so cold in the winter, I’d live there 🙂

  20. Casey@SpicyandSweet on January 15, 2010 at 2:02 pm

    That looks super yummy!! Can’t wait to try it! Your posts are so darn inspiring 🙂

  21. emilyb on January 15, 2010 at 2:21 pm

    I want one of everything! I’m feeling piggy today. 🙂

  22. Nicci@NiftyEats on January 15, 2010 at 2:29 pm

    Your rawnola looks extra yummy. I’m going to have to get some more nuts and make this. Can I do this without a dehydrator?

  23. Jenn @ Livewellfit on January 15, 2010 at 2:45 pm

    Oh my that meal looks so incredibly delish!!!! You are one incredible chef my dear.

  24. Heather @ Get Healthy With Heather on January 15, 2010 at 2:46 pm

    Your rawnola looks SOOO good! I wish I had a dehydrator 🙁

  25. Nathalie Lussier on January 15, 2010 at 2:47 pm

    Wow! That looks really delicious.

    Not to mention decadent… I never thought to put macadamia nuts in raw granola! But I like where you’re going with that. 🙂

    And the meal looks awesome too!

  26. Paige @ Running Around Normal on January 15, 2010 at 4:29 pm

    That sounds amazing! I’ve never heard or thought of putting pear in there. Genius.
    And the dinner menu looks fab! You’ve got some lucky friends, m’dear.

  27. Susan on January 15, 2010 at 4:31 pm

    The rawnola looks fabulous, I’m going to try it out but don’t have a dehydrator so I’ll just have to adapt slightly. Have a great day!!

  28. Paige @ Running Around Normal on January 15, 2010 at 4:33 pm

    And bahahah – I just noticed you have “crack” on your grocery list. I think we all know what that means by now, but it’s still funny to see it on there! lol

    • Fitnessista on January 15, 2010 at 6:58 pm

      ahah so funny you saw that 🙂

  29. sarah on January 15, 2010 at 4:48 pm

    gosh, what time does the party start?? i’m hoppin’ on a plane now!
    ps. that raw granola looks delicious.

    • Fitnessista on January 15, 2010 at 6:58 pm

      7.. get your booty over here 🙂

  30. Gabriela on January 15, 2010 at 4:58 pm

    Yummy granola! I wish I had a dehydrator! Your menu sounds delicious, too 🙂

  31. Jenna on January 15, 2010 at 5:03 pm

    Rawnola looks tasty! Sounds like a perfect match with yogurt!!

  32. erica on January 15, 2010 at 5:16 pm

    Hi there – the recipe looks AWESOME. For the VEGA smoothies you use – where do you get the powder? I have been going through the distributor – but it is so lengthy to get here…anything local?

    Thanks!

    • Fitnessista on January 15, 2010 at 6:58 pm

      i get the sun warrior protein from amazon and the vega smoothie infusion from vega
      are you in valdosta? if so, you’ll prob have to order it

    • Kelly on January 15, 2010 at 10:30 pm

      Hey Erica! I was the one who shared Vega with Gina. (I work for Vega!) You can order Vega online at shop.sequelnaturals.com and get it shipped. From order to delivery, it takes about 7-10 days. If you want to let me know where you live, I can also look up stores in your area. Kelly

  33. Gracie @ Girl Meets Health on January 15, 2010 at 5:20 pm

    uh hi SUPERWOMAN. Hahaha seriously! How do you handle all of those things in one day? When I grow up, I want to be like you 😉

    And I’m not a vegetarian, but I’d be ALL OVER the butternut squash and goat cheese lasagna before the turkey lasagna. Just sayin 🙂

    • Fitnessista on January 15, 2010 at 6:57 pm

      hahah well thank you.
      my days are a little on the insane side 😉
      the bnut lasagna is INCREDIBLE… def give it a whirl!

  34. Naomi (onefitfoodie) on January 15, 2010 at 6:18 pm

    butternut squash lasagna-justprinted out the recipe, thank you for the linkage 🙂 your dinner spread sounds glorious indeed!!

  35. Brittany on January 15, 2010 at 6:24 pm

    Wow the rawnola sounds absolutely incredible. I need some ASAP!!

    You’ve got a nice little dinner party planned for tomorrow my lady- I hope you all have a blast!!

  36. Jessica on January 15, 2010 at 6:48 pm

    wow… yummy! All looks so good! I have a pregunta on keeping cow’s milk out of your diet… I know from reading your blog you don’t include a whole lot of animal products in your daily diet. Is that main reason to keep cow’s milk out of your diet, or have you also found it to be effective for health reasons? I see a lot of different plans suggesting to remove dairy from diet to help with digestion and thus possibly decreasing some stomach bloat or ‘fluff’. What are your thoughts/experience with this?

    • Fitnessista on January 15, 2010 at 6:56 pm

      hey jessica,
      yes, i avoid cow’s milk for health reasons and find goat cheese to be an excellent substitute for cow’s cheese. i drink almond milk instead of cow’s milk, too
      goat’s dairy is much easier to digest, which can decrease bloat and is also less mucus-forming
      also, i think goat cheese tastes amazing 🙂

      • Jessica on January 15, 2010 at 9:19 pm

        thanks so much for your reply! I will have to try out some goat cheese soon!

  37. Lauren (Biochemísta) on January 15, 2010 at 6:54 pm

    Hey Gina 🙂

    Hope your run went well!! How was the weather?? It was super warm here in DC. As you are a wino like me (and shriaz lover, haha) I figured you would like these new wine gadgets I recently got:

    http://www.biochemista.com/2010/01/gadgets-and-gizmos-plenty.html

    They are AMAZING. Have a great weekend!

  38. Jessica (Fit and Clean) on January 15, 2010 at 7:06 pm

    Wow. Your party is going to be amazing! The rawnola looks fabulous, too! I’m giving big hints to the hubby for a dehydrator for my birthday (in JUNE, LOL!) Have a great weekend! Can’t wait to see the pics!

  39. Kristin (Cook, Bake and Nibble) on January 15, 2010 at 8:37 pm

    Mmm menu sounds amazing! And so does that grawnola!!

    xoxo
    Kris

  40. Katie on January 15, 2010 at 9:23 pm

    Yay! An amazing rawnola recipe! I am going to make it pronto. 😀

  41. Nicole on January 15, 2010 at 9:24 pm

    OOH, this sounds delicious! Thank you = )

  42. glidingcalm on January 16, 2010 at 12:56 am

    aw man! raw granola is sooo good!! that looks awesome!!!

    HAPPY WEEKEND MAMA!

  43. Gena on January 16, 2010 at 8:11 am

    Delicious recipe, as always!

  44. Courtney on January 16, 2010 at 7:10 pm

    I don’t have a dehydrator – but I do have an oven! Can rawnola be baked???

    • Fitnessista on January 16, 2010 at 11:47 pm

      yes ma’am!
      just put it on the lowest setting and leave the door slightly ajar

  45. Simply Life on January 17, 2010 at 7:07 am

    the rawnola looks delicious and wow, what a great menu planned!

  46. JenP on January 18, 2010 at 3:02 pm

    I made your recipe this weekend. The only problem was that half of it didn’t make it to the end. Somehow a little bit disappeared each time I rotated the trays.

  47. Evelyn on February 24, 2012 at 2:31 pm

    Absolutely best granola. All the flavors come together wondefully, and every bite is just heavenly. Congratulations!

  48. denise on June 6, 2012 at 12:07 pm

    Hi there!

    I stumbled across your site, and you’ve totally inspired me to change my eating habits! I’ve been going through pages and pages of amazing recipes and ideas you’ve posted throughout the years (stalker much?)
    I came across one of the posts that listed the Butternut squash and goat cheese lasagna, and your substitutes, but I can’t find it anymore. What were your substitutions? And may I ask why you substituted the ingredients?

    Thanks a bunch, and keep up being awesome and inspiring!

    -Denise

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