Hey! Happy Sunday! I'm currently typing away on our brand-new-to-us IMac that Reuben got for FREE from work. It's so big, my eyes are still adjusting. I feel like this has definitely up-ed my game (whatever my "game" is"). I can edit photos, work on photoshop, and binge watch Criminal Minds all on the same screen! Thanks, Bohlin Cynwinski Jackson for gifting us a 6 year old, perfectly fine computer and letting me indulge in my crime show obsession.

Other than the addition of some new technology into our household, nothing exciting has been going around here. I'm perfectly fine with that. I've been enjoying the peace and calm of our apartment. I have been feeling sort of guilty lately because I haven't been as active on my Hey K. Cho Illustrations. But I think I need to take a little break from it... just like a short 2 week break. Last month I think I bite off more than I could chew with some wedding orders. One project was particulary draining and it didn't feel very fun. I felt like I wasn't painting for my own happiness and I was not a fan of that. So I'm taking things a little slow to re-energize myself and get back into the stationary game! I have my very first craft fair in September, which seems like a long time away, but I want it to be the best booth in Hayes Valley!

One perk of slowing down on the painting is that I could give more of energy into cooking and EatChoFood. Which makes me wonder if I have to give one of these up one day to give my full attention to the other. I'm not ready to make that decision and the thought of having to choose makes me sad. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it though! Even if you're like, "stop painting. your food looks better." There's just not many precedents of lady illustrators/food bloggers... or is there?! Tell me if you know! A friend did tell me that Jacques Pepin is also an artist! Aspiring to be like Jacques Pepin doesn't sound bad to me.

Shall we talk about Granola now? You might have noticed that I'm not great at segues (or riding segways - I can hear Reuben rolling his eyes right now). If you've ever witnessed a conversation between my girlfriends (I'm talking about you, Marissa) and I, our conversations are more like a continuous flow of consciousness and we jump around from topic to topic constantly. I'll work on my segue skills though...

Granola! There are very few things that I can eat every day and not get tired of. Yogurt with granola for breakfast is one of them. Dim Sum, specifically Har Gow is also on that list. Every morning at work, I scoop some plain full fat greek yogurt or Noosa into a bowl, dump a ton of granola, add some sweet fruit, and lightly drizzle a bit of honey to finish it off. I ideally like to have a 1:1 yogurt and granola ratio... but the concept of health looms over me and I restrain myself form adding too much granola.

I've been paying around with granola flavor combos and trying to achieve my perfect granola texture, which is crunchy and chunky. So the Coconut Nut Granola Clusters recipe was born! Make it and let me know if you can come up with a better name. Reuben and I put our heads together and this is the best we could come up with. It sounds funny, but I sort of like it. I keep snacking on this granola by it self, it's that good. The clusters are toasty, crunchy, crisp, and not too sweet. You can add some sugar or more honey if you like it sweeter. You can also add whatever nuts or seeds you have in your pantry to make it your own. I always have random half full bags of nuts leftover from other recipes, so this is a great way to utilize those nuts! Keep it in a big jar or a ziplock bag and use it all week to make your daily yogurt bowls extra special! Ooooooooh, you can add it to some ice cream! That sounds so good!

Coconut Nut Granola Clusters

Materials:

1 1/2 C rolled oats

1/2 C pistachios

1/4 C slivered almonds

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1/2 C coconut flakes

2 Tbsp melted coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C honey

1 egg white

2 Tbsp sugar

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Combine rolled oats, pistachios, almonds, sesame seeds, and coconut flakes in a medium bowl. Add coconut oil, vanilla, salt, and honey. Mix until combined. 

3. In a small bowl, beat egg white with sugar and mix into the oat mixture.

4. Dump the oat mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Press down with a rubber spatula to form a 1/4" thick rectangle.

5. Bake for 40-45 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Allow to fully cool and break up into chunks. Serve with yogurt or ice cream if you're feeling wild.