If you build it…

I will eat it.

Now since I want you to get it just right; here’s how to build the most be-udi-ful breakfast bowl.

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Assemble your team.  I like a balance of textures, so I went with an apple, a pear, The Greek Gods plain greek yogurt, and Udi’s gluten free Original granola.  If the granola didn’t have dried fruit and nuts already in it, they would have been supplemented by moi.  Fortunately, Udi’s granola is legit enough to already contain the goods. 

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I loved Udi’s Au Naturel flavored granola (seriously top notch stuff) so I was pretty sure the original flavor would be a treat for my taste buds, too.

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And I was right.  It had the distinct crunch of a true granola (as opposed to the raw oaty muesli texture that Alvarado Street’s granola has).  Plus, it had dried fruit (love) and a hint of crispy golden sweetness coating the face of each whole rolled oat. 

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Ingredients: certified gluten free oats, wildflower honey, canola oil, raisins, banana chips, walnuts, cashews, almonds and pistachios.

Nuts much? 

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I was scared at first because I don’t like walnuts.  At.  All. 

Lucky for me, they weren’t the dominant nut.  There were cashews and raisins aplenty, with beautiful clusters of oats and pistachios.  I love clusters.

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To create this divine bowl of perfection, I simply added the chopped apple and pear to a bowl of greek yogurt…

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Added cinnamon…

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And then topped the whole thing off with Udi’s granola. 

It only slightly beats out the Au Naturel Udi’s flavor.  Udi’s makes so damn fine granola.  And although I keep wavering back and forth, I think this may beat out Frog Hollow Farm’s granola for the top spot.  It’s a close call.  Frog Hollow Farm’s granola did have some massive clusters that I loved, but it also had whey derivatives.  Both have honey, which makes them not vegan. 

The Greek Gods greek yogurt was a new purchase for me as well.  I’ve never had such thick greek yogurt.  I usually buy whichever brand is on sale at Whole Foods (which tends to be Fage or Chobani), so when I saw how cheap this was I figured I’d give it a go.  I don’t have the ability to discern any subtle flavor differences in plain yogurt, so all I have to go on is texture and this was thick and a great mixer for the fruit and granola. 

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Anyway, the whole combo was so good that I had three more bowls after.  I hate when my granola/cereal bags/boxes are nearly gone after one sitting :(  It’s a common occurrence with me.

The good news was that this magnanimous breakfast/lunch held me over for a morning filled with errands.  I was all over the place trying to get my life in order, but eventually I put a pause on the chaos for some me time.  And by that I mean a 30 minute jog to the ocean and back.  It was great to breathe in the crisp winter air.  My lungs felt wonderfully painful as I sucked in the harsh air.  It reminded me of my soccer days. 

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This is what I like the fruit basket to look like.  But even though it was all stocked up, I was still in need of a few key things…which required a Costco date.

I met my girlfriend for a semi-quick run through (it’s very helpful to have a friend with you to stay on point in such a store).  Even though I had a list already made (which I was ordered to strictly adhere to since we have zero room in our budget for my foodie impulse buys), I still managed to take a few detours in certain aisles.  The most depressing part of this non-story is that I left without ANY hummus or falafel.  Huge fail on Costco’s part, not keeping such essentials in stock.  Unacceptable.  I’m still sad about it.  Sure I’ll get over it sooner or later, but for now I plan on wallowing for a few more hours.

I had two oranges (from my parents’ trees) and an apple once I got home and then got dinner under way.  Since I had falafel on the brain, you can probably guess what I wanted…

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The last four falafel balls.  :(  Sad. 

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I bought these falafel from Costco in August and froze them so they wouldn’t go bad (it would be rather hard – even for me – to consume 45 falafel balls in such a short amount of time.  I believe the brand is Republic and I highly recommend them.  They were quite tasty for a reheated food that wasn’t meant to be a frozen food item (I bought them in the refrigerated section).  They easily thaw within minutes and tast magnificent too.  Crispy on the outside without drying out on the inside.  Much better than WF’s falafel.  So you understand why I’m so bent out of shape not being able to find such an item.  Cheap AND yummy?  Now I’m on a mission.

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Anyway, I made some hummus to go with it.  I used the same method I mentioned here

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I refilled that little dish many many times because I like my veggies caked in chickpea goodness. 

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Even after the carrots, mushrooms, and squash were gone, there was still extra hummus, so you know how I handled that (with Alvarado Street sprouted bread).  I may have had an extra serving of butternut squash somewhere in there as well…because I still have 10 or so left. 

For dessert, I couldn’t decide between sweet or savory.  Such a dilemma.  I chose both. 

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Mitica nuts are like a Spanish cocktail mix.  Or corn nuts.  They are salty as all hell, which is why they are so dang addicting.  This mix had soooo many different kinds of nuts and beans in it, I was loving each more than the last.  The big fava beans and garbanzos were soft and kind of melted in my mouth, whereas the corn nuts and almonds crunched in a major way.  I couldn’t stop eating them!!

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But I still wanted the sweetness of chocolate, so I turned to dark chocolate covered almonds as a night cap. 

Plus tea.  Lots and lots of tea. 

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Comments (20)

  1. Evan Thomas

    Dark chocolate covered cashew w/ sea salt are my kryptonite. I bet the almonds are terrific, too. Any nut roasted and covered in chocolate is a winner.

  2. cbrady3

    I love that you have such a big appetite. Love it. And that you satisfy it with healthy yummy foods!

  3. Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons

    There’s a falafel recipe on my blog if you want to make some! =) They are ridiculously cheap and surprisingly easy to bake or fry (or even 1/2 and 1/2!)

    You granola yogurt looks soooo good right now.. I wish I had some granola on hand for a snack!

    xoXOxo
    jenn

  4. Christine (The Raw Project)

    So sorry about Costco no having hummus, our local one had tons last time I was there. But they can be hit or miss on some products. Mitica nuts sound wonderful.

  5. Gabriela @ Fro-Yo Lover

    Gee – bowls of granola and fruit can be really addictive!
    But, seriously…
    Reading your blog makes me crave hummus. And falafel.
    Need me some!
    😉

  6. megan @ the oatmeal diaries

    Udi makes some delicious granola! And dark chocolate covered almonds… YUM.

  7. Salah

    I’ve been seeing Udis for a while….I need to try it!!

  8. BroccoliHut

    I’m tragically low on granola right now…I guess I know with which brand I should re-stock!

  9. Amanda

    mmm that Udi’s granola looks delicious! I may have to hit up Whole Foods later this week. And if it beats Frog Hollow Farms…definitely want to try it!

    I loved Falafel Republic from Costco too! I was just telling Andy how I missed it! They stopped carrying it at our Costco too. Boo.

  10. julie

    there’s just something so delicious about building the perfect breakfast. no?

    i saw those balls at costco the last time i was there! debated buying them but then put them back in lieu of my beloved cedar’s tzatiki haha

  11. Pure2raw twins

    we had that brand of falafel for the first time today, we loved them!! glad to hear you do too 😉

  12. movesnmunchies

    dark chocolate nuts are my favorite– dark choc brazil nuts are SO good! i recommend!

  13. kissmybroccoli

    I can be the same way with cereal and granola if I’m not careful! Those falafel balls look and sound super yummy! I have been drinking tea like it’s going out of style lately. Just can’t seem to stay warm in this cold winter weather we’ve been having. I’m so ready for Spring!

  14. Holly

    so i never really realized it until you point it out, but you DON’T eat walnuts. ummm…totes travesty! me hearts the walnuts, so me thinks you can just send any extras my way….

  15. elise

    haha…its my dirty little secret 🙂

  16. elise

    thanks for the idea. i think i may just give it a go!

  17. elise

    its honestly my favorite granola ever. they dont make a bad thing. period.

  18. elise

    🙂 girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, right?

  19. elise

    dude, whats with costco!? i wrote them a while ago about the lack of brown rice and veg broth, but its radio silence. i guess lil ol me is not really on the radar of such a mega company.

  20. elise

    brazil nuts are so creepy looking, haha. im kinda obsessed with their hideous appearance more than the flavor!

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