Autumn Granola

Guess what? Last Saturday I ran my first 5K. I actually signed up for the 10K a week ago, but I woke up on Saturday with a terrible headache and hadn't slept well. Then I stepped outside and it was freezing cold, and I knew I wouldn't be able to run the 10K and not be miserable.

The race was a 5K/10K that took place in a park in Ozark, Missouri. All of the money from the runners would be donated to help buy shoes for children in Ozark.

I drove to the race by myself that morning and then stood in line to receive my number, T-shirt, and time chip to tie onto my shoes. I told the woman I wanted to switch to the 5K and she said, "WELL we'll have to change that," and acted like it was a huge deal for her to do that. So I said okay and stepped aside. She started helping the next people in line while I just stood there, waiting. Finally I just left because I didn't know what to do.

It's hard to take pictures when you're running a race I found out. This is how far back I was from the start line.


We all started running, and I ended up passing a ton of people in the beginning; I'm guessing they were 10Kers running at a slower pace. But it made me feel good about myself. :)


I ran FAST for the first two miles, I'd say - mostly because I was so cold. The 5Kers turned around and ran back from where we came from, while the 10Kers continued on. I turned around! A 10K was not going to be happening.

We just ran on a road by the park, not actually in the park, so that was a little disappointing. The title of the race was something about "running by the river" and I figured we would, but we never did run by a river.


On the way back, I ran behind this woman because she was keeping a good pace. At the very end she sped up and I couldn't catch her. Haha. I tried taking a picture of myself but it was not flattering. Bright red face and a runny nose...
My nose runs faster than I do when I'm running. Bringing Kleenex on a run is a good idea.



I should have taken a picture of the finish line, but sadly, I didn't. I don't have know what my official time was, but when I ran through the finish, it was around 26 minutes. Do you know what the best part about races is? The snacks you get after you run. BAGELS! Bananas, apple cider, and Larabars.


I guess it wasn't a very exciting race, but I'm still glad I ran it to challenge myself. And all of the money went to a good cause, so I'm happy.

Moving on...



These are dried goji berries that I purchased from the health food store a while back. I won't bore you with health benefits; just know that they're good for you. They're all the rage these days, too. Goji berry juice, bars, etc.


Goji berries taste kind of like a dried cranberry and strawberry, but drier and more sour, I think. To be honest, I don't love them. They're good, there's nothing wrong with them, but I don't think I'll buy goji berries again. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to make with these berries. I ended up deciding on a healthy granola that tasted like autumn.


Along with the goji berries, I also used chia seeds. They're supposed to be good for you too. They kind of freak me out.


To make this granola taste like autumn, I whisked oats, hazelnuts, chia and flax seeds into a mixture of pumpkin puree, oil, honey, brown sugar, fruit preserves, pumpkin pie spice and salt. After the granola finished baking I stirred dried cranberries, figs and goji berries into the mix.



It's delicious and it really tastes like autumn! Hopefully you'll enjoy this granola if you make it. It's the perfect pre-race snack. Although, I ate sticky buns before my race. Teehee.

Ohhh the irony of eating sticky buns before running a race. I guess I burned them off though??


Autumn Granola
Printable Recipe

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup natural (no added sugar) fruit preserves (apricot, fig, plum)
1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
3 tablespoons chia seeds
3 tablespoons ground flax seed
1/2 cup chopped dried figs
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/3 cup dried goji berries

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, fruit preserves, pumpkin, oil, honey, pumpkin pie spice and salt until combined. Stir in oats, hazelnuts, chia seeds and flax seed until well combined; evenly place granola on a large cookie sheet.

Bake 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, crisp, and fragrant. Stir in figs, cranberries and goji berries until combined.