One year later.

It's hard for me to believe that a year ago today we boarded a plane and moved to Boston.  Our stuff had been boxed.  Our car had been shipped.  A lease had been signed.  We were moving to the East coast.  I remember having so many emotions about such a big move.  Scared.  Nervous.  Excited.  Sad.

The first few weeks living in Boston were definitely an adventure:  learning to ride the T, finding my way around Boston, driving in this nutty city, starting a new job.  Now it all feels familiar.  I know my way around.  I can ride the T without using a map.  I'm not the new girl anymore at work.  But it still isn't home.  That's okay.  At least I have my best friend.  And my cats.  Like the song says...

Home is wherever I'm with you. 

On another topic... I think tonight will be a stay-in movie night.  And I downloaded a great one to watch!  It's not a sci-fi or a rom-com but (my favorite genre) a documentary!  I've heard so much about Forks Over Knives and I can't wait to watch it.  But I'm nervous.  I know it will be shocking and thought-provoking and will make me want to become a vegetarian again.  When I am done being pregnant, I would absolutely consider cutting meat out of my diet again.  For the 7 years I was a vegetarian, I felt the healthiest and was the skinniest I've ever been.  Was it because I wasn't eating meat?  Or was it because I lived in sunny Los Angeles where everyone is thin and beautiful?  Who knows.  All I know is that I'd like to eat less processed foods.  Less animal products.  Less packaged crap.  And I'd like to eat food in its most natural state.  I'll let you know tomorrow if my life has been dramatically changed by this movie.

In anticipation of watching this movie tonight, I decided to make some homemade granola.  If you look at the ingredients of a cereal box there are so many additives to keep the food fresh while sitting on a store shelf for months and months.  What are all of those additives doing to us?  Only time will tell.  So why not make some of these pantry staples yourself?  It is so easy.  And so much cheaper than buying store-bought granola (have you noticed how expensive it is?).  Here you go:

Easy Granola (modified from Real Simple)

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tbs canola or olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbs chia seeds or flax
• 1 cup dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries, blueberries, or cherries)

Heat oven to 350F.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss all ingredients together (minus the dried fruit).  Bake, tossing once halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, about 25-30 minutes.  Add the dried fruit, toss to combine.  Let cool and store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.   Makes approx 6 cups.  Share, if you must.

Easy, right?  It really is.  And you can mix-and-match different ingredients, too.  No chia seeds or flax on hand?  Toss in some sunflower seeds or pepitas.  Want a festive fall flavor?  Add pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon.  The possibilities are endless.  As usual, I doubled our recipe (we eat a lot of granola) and stored it in these nifty glass jars.  I had some of these jars in SLC for our granola, trail mix, pasta, etc. but for some reason we didn't move them to Boston with us.  So I bought a few more yesterday.  And they are made in the USA!  Can't go wrong with that. 

Have you seen Forks Over Knives?  What are your thoughts?  I'm not one to bite my tongue about controversial issues.  I'll let you know my opinion of the movie tomorrow.