In all the craziness that is the weeks leading up to the National Stationery Show, I feel like I barely get out the door in the morning, let alone grabbing a Greek yogurt (my fave!) from the fridge. This weekend, I took a step back and prepared some food for the week... Healthy lunches, bags of vegetables for snacks and homemade granola to top that yogurt for breakfast. Give it a go - it just might give you that boost that I find myself needing in the morning!

Homemade Maple Granola

1/4 cup vegetable oil 2/3 cup maple syrup 2 tsp almond extract 4 cups oatmeal (not the quick stuff… you want the old fashioned oats!) 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup slivered almonds 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, oil and almond extract. Mix well.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine. Drizzle syrup mixture over oat mixture until all syrup has been incorporated.

Spread out on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and stir mixture around on cookie sheet. Return to oven for 8 minutes more or until golden brown.

Let cool and serve. (If stored in an air tight container, granola will keep for a couple of weeks.)

Enjoy!