Scones and granola

Inspired by Kam's breakfast post, I wanted to share our latest breakfast favorites.

I recently discovered scones. I like them. I like something bread-y but I don't like to wait for bread to rise. These are fast and flavorful. The kids like to eat them with milk in the mornings or as an after school snack (it's a step in the healthy direction away from cookies).

Orange Chocolate Scones
2 C flour
1/3 C sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
1/3 C cold butter
1/3 C orange juice
1/3 C + 2 T buttermilk (you can also do this by using regular milk, squeezing 1 T lemon juice in it and let it sit for 5 min)
2 T orange zest
1/2 C dark chocolate chips

Wisk flour- baking soda together. Cut in butter. Combine wet ingredients then add to dry ingredients until moist (Don't pour it all in at once cause sometimes, the flour is not really dry, so it comes out too wet. Add the mixture a bit at a time and mixing it). Stir in chocolate chips. Kneed to combine. Pat the dough into a flat circle and cut into wedges. Bake at 350 for 12-15 min. I keep some of these for the next day and then I freeze the rest. Take out what you want and warm them up in the microwave.

Apple Scones
2 C flour
1/4 C sugar
2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 C cold butter
1 shredded apple
1/2 C milk

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in cold butter. Add the shredded apple. Slowly add the milk until moist. Knead it till mixed and form a circle. Flatten it and cut wedges. After dip the top of the wedge into a cinnamon-sugar mix. Bake at 350 for 12-15 min.

Last, I've started to make my own granola. This has actually become a staple breakfast food, even replacing prepared cereals. It's pretty easy and I like it cause I know what is going into it so I can consider it to really be healthy for my family. It's a fun way to get my kids to eat oats. It also sticks better in our stomach than prepared cereals.

2 C oats
1/2 C flaked coconut
1/2 nuts (I usually use peanuts)
1/8 C sesame seeds
1/8 C flax seeds
1/4 C shelled sunflower seeds (I actually haven't added this in before, but the recipe calls for it)
1/3 C oil
1/3 C honey
1/4 C raisins, dried fruits or chocolate chips/m&m's

Combine oats - seeds (if you don't have some seeds or if you like another kind of seed, use what you have and what you like). Add oil and then in the same cup you measured the oil, measure the honey (this way, the honey comes out of the cup easier). Mix this together. Bake at 300 for 20 min stirring after 10 min. Check on the granola every so often. As it darkens, stir it. Remove from oven. Turn onto a foil and allow to cool. Add dried fruits and chocolate. Store in an air tight container and it'll last for quite some time (even in the humidity of the Philippines!)

We love to eat this with yogurt and banana's (like an acai bowl type thing). We've also eaten this on banana splits. Yum! and it's healthy!