I can't tell you the number of hours I spend drooling over recipes - daydreaming of elaborate spreads of food and beautiful, delicious combinations. Bookmarking, taking iPhone pics from recipe books, even tearing out magazine pages (sometimes stealthfully like say, at the dentist's office or gym). Colors, textures, compositions. Flavours, contrasts, and just plain loveliness. I mean, who doesn't love to get lost in a gleeful creative daydream where possibilities are endless and there are no limits or constraints of our everyday lives? In the end, though, I've a pretty good idea (and I bet you do too) of just HOW many of those daydreams ever really come to light, but that's really not the point of daydreaming now, is it? ;)

Every once in a while though, there's a winning recipe that either just has got to be made, or in the case of this granola, one that happens 100% out of happenstance. Like when you had to use that bowl of oats that sat on your counter for a day (taking up precious space) after you had to dump them out of the container, because well, you needed the container they were in immediately because (of course) you were in a mad rush. Read me?

So here we have a recipe that's good, really good. Granola pleases everyone and what self-respecting home cook really likes to buy granola? Sometimes you've got to, but here's hoping you might just discover the easiest, tastiest, and best granola recipe going so you can avoid the pitfall we all make of picking up the store-bought stuff. And the best part? The minimalist 7 ingredients. It's the kind of recipe that once you make it, you'll make it again and after you do it once, twice, you'll be doing it blissfully in your sleep. No notes, no fancy diagrams or planning. Just you, your body, and your real, beautiful life. Despite all of my glorious, fanciful daydreaming, those are the kind of recipes I need for my real life. And when they are this good? Yes please.

Peanut Lovers Mighty Chocolate Granola:

• 6 cups slow oats
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup toasted almond slivers
• 2 cups toasted whole peanuts, chopped (I used red skinned)
• 1/4 cup good quality cocoa powder
• 2 pinches salt

Start by turning on the oven to 350 to toast up the nuts. Place each of the nuts on separate trays and toast each until fragrant - about 5 minutes for almond slivers and 8-10 minutes for the whole peanuts. Remove the nuts when ready and add to the rest of the mixture. While the nuts are toasting, combine the coconut oil and maple syrup in a small pot and melt together on low heat. While the maple syrup and coconut butter mingle, combine the oats, cocoa powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

When ready, toss the dry oat mixture with the liquid coconut oil and maple syrup. Add the toasted nuts and mix thoroughly to coat the oats evenly with cocoa powder. Spread on the two nut roasting pans and bake at 300 degrees for 35-40 minutes, stirring every ten minutes to ensure even cooking. Enjoy with milk, plain yoghurt, or as a snack by the handful.