Good Monday Morning! I am en route to Denver for work and finding my only downtime is on the plane. My weekend was insanely busy as I had to work on my off-Friday as well as Sunday and also coordinated a wedding all day Saturday. I am wiped! My ‘cranky-factor’ is definitely on the rise as well. This is your one and only notice 
(I kid, I kid).
But on a better note, Annelies at Attune Foods offered me some of their new granola to try. If I haven’t said it before, I’ll say it now: I LOVE granola. So much so that I have to restrain myself from stocking it in the pantry because I’ll eat it by the handfulls!
What did I get? Chocolate Probiotic Granola!!! Chocolate and granola in one? Oh yes, please!
My first venture was to go ‘traditional’ and mix it in with my Chobani.
Just before mixin' and divin' in
Verdict? YUM! Absolutely delicious, especially mixed with the blueberry flavor Greek yogurt. There are real chocolate chips in there that makes it feel like a sweet suprise.
Of course, for good measure, I had to eat some right out of the bag (sans yogurt) to get the full effect. Again, delicious!
Then, I started thinking… what would you do if you had both of these?
Delicious + Delicious = Delicious squared?
I thought I’d mix the granola into about a tablespoon (+) of Reduced Fat Jif (cuz dangit, Jif is good!) and then freeze the little balls-o-goodness.
Pre full granola integration and freezing
I only made three so that I wouldn’t have a potential fat-kid moment. Popped them in the freezer for a tasty treat at some point in the weekend. But wouldn’t you know, with three, there would be one for my one for me, one for the hubby, and, well, gee, one more for me! I had to dig into the first one after only about 45 minutes of freezer time.
PB granola bite
You can tell, I didn’t get full-freeze quite yet but, GAH! Sooooo good. It was like eating crunchy chocolate peanut butter.
I’m very impressed with this granola and its healthy punch. I am slightly bummed that this granola — like all others — packs a caloric punch at 240 calories for 1/4 cup. Who is able to only eat 1/4 cup? Not me! So that would be my only change: make this granola low cal 
Attune also offers two other flavors: Maple Nut and Apple Cinnamon… read the description of the Maple Nut (what I predict would be my fave):
Whole grain oat and brown rice clusters rolled in maple syrup, this granola is flecked with pecans and yogurt chips.
- 1 billion CFUs of probiotics per serving
- Features one of the most clinically tested probiotic strains: Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- Good source of fiber
- Prebiotics added to help stimulate growth of good bacteria in the digestive system
- All natural
Yeah, pretty yum sounding, right?
So, thank you again Attune Foods for sharing this amazing new product with me.
Which flavor would you like to try? Chocolate? Maple Nut? or Apple Cinnamon?
How do you eat your granola? I’ve actually done some baking with granola that has been pretty fantastic, but my everyday way to eat it is straight out of the bag or in yogurt!
And before I end this post, I’m going to respond to a hit I got by the witty writer of The Empty Nut Jar. I stumbled upon one of her post a month or two ago and her frankness, wit, sarcasm, and boldness attracted me right away. She writes from the heart and doesn’t paint a picture of puppy dogs and gum drops when she just ain’t feeling it…to which I say, good for you!
However this is about 10 things I like:
Vino — this probably came to mind first because I’m drinking it. Like I always do every evening. I love wine, red wine…well Pinot Noir to be more specific. Since age 22, wine has become a dear friend in my life. We’ve shared a lot - Shoes — is this a surprise with my Shoes-day Tuesday? Probably not. And you may have gathered that I like finding said shoes at a great price. Marathoners get runner’s high, I get shoes high.
- Animals — love ‘em. Sometimes (as in 99% of the time) more than I love people. They are God’s perfect creations. Myko, Neci, and Naava (and little V too) are my everything.
- Looooong dinners — I’m talking 3 hours and more. There is something so unbelievably enjoyable about feasting on multiple courses in good company.
- Reading — I read a lot. I’ve been called a bookworm more than I’d like to admit…and really, is it appropriate to call a 30 yr old woman a book worm?
- TV — I watch tv a lot. This may seem conflicting with number 5, but I’m quite good at multitasking so between the two, I totally maximize my time
- Traveling — can’t get enough of it. My favorite places have been: France, Italy, and Costa Rica… Brazil, Spain, and Nicaragua are all close behind! Problem is that I’ve traveled abroad via Business Class one too many times and now I’m spoiled. So now I need more moola to get me to my destination in comfort.
- Pumpkin — pumpkin pie is my absolute favorite dessert. Likewise, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. If I could have a mascot, it would be the pumpkin.
- The Symphony — I find such pleasure going to large concert halls and listening to the music and letting the mind wander. I can’t describe what it is, but the entire experience leaves me feeling enriched. I only wish that I were able to play an instrument (the French Horn in Middle School doesn’t count).
- Working out — if I would have said that 10 years ago, I would have shocked myself. Not to say that I didn’t work out or enjoy it, but now it’s a must in my life. I like the way I feel after a great workout and I’m far more accepting and approving of my body with exercise in my life. Preferred methods: Bikram Yoga, Spinning, Body Pump, Hiking, Dancing.
At this point, I’m supposed to send the Happy 101 on to others, so here it goes:
- Lisa at I’m an Oakie
- Amy at Second City Randomness
- Lea at Healthy Coconut
- Kara at My Well Nest
- Ameena at Fancy This, Fancy That
Have fun bloggers — thinking about things I liked reduced my ‘cranky-factor’ a wee bit
And don’t forget to share your thoughts on granola
