Know yr farmers!

On this cloudy Sunday, I was able to attend a tour of Sandhill Farm, a biodynamic operation just outside of Gainesville. Got to meet the man behind some of the beautiful, fresh vegetables I buy at the farmers market each Wednesday, sift some compost and take in the lush acre of land on which he manages to grow enough to feed 25 families invested in his weekly CSA.

It's always such a valuable experience simply to visit small, organic farms like Sandhill. Serves as an important reminder that your food is actually grown by other human beings, y'know? And I'm really looking forward to attending one of the neat workshops I learned they're holding in the coming months: herbal medicine, soap and bread-making lessons?! Count me in.

So I started off the morning with a simple, über-healthy and protein-rich breakfast to hold me over until after the farm visit - something I like to call...



Grainless Granola
serves 1, but can certainly be doubled or even quadrupled!

1/3 cup almonds
1/3 cup pecans or walnuts
a handful of shredded coconut
various dried or fresh fruit, to your taste
10-12 drops liquid stevia

Pulse the nuts in a food processor until they reach a chunky consistency, with few whole nuts remaining. Mix in a cereal bowl with coconut and fruits of your choice (today I used raisins), then either cover with non-dairy milk or dollop with yogurt. I've even tried it with coconut kefir. Just prepare it however you would normal granola! Because the almond milk and soy yogurt I use are unsweetened, I swirl in some stevia for sweetness, but you could use agave nectar or honey or whatever sweetener you have around with similar results.

Voila, guilt- and gluten-free granola! Yum.