Having a most fantastic Saturday. Went to a Kickboxing class at 9:15 this morning, after getting up at 8:45. I opted for eating a banana and throwing some make up on my face rather then flattening my bed head. Still barely made it to the incredibly packed class in time to find a spot on the floor. For anyone who is interested in trying out kickboxing I highly recommend it. It is the most fun of any class that I attend at the gym. I am incredibly uncoordinated and struggle with doing multiple moves at the same time, but I figure I will get it eventually. In a class full of women of all different shapes and ages it's not that intimidating. I haven't accidentally kicked or hit anyone yet. After the class I hopped on a treadmill for 3km. I just wanted to burn an extra couple hundred calories. ( I drank a large root beer soda at the movies last night) I'm also trying to up my pace and it's a bit easier to work on that on the treadmill, then outside in 1degree weather.
 Came home and cleaned my bathrooms. I love having clean bathrooms. Then helped Chris put the girls bunk beds back together. Before we moved here they always begged to have them apart. Seems they always want the opposite. Well now they are together and their room is much more spacious. Let's see how long it lasts.
 I found a recipe several days ago for healthy, homemade granola, so I bought all the ingredients and have been waiting to find the time to make it. It is in the oven right now. I completely revamped the recipe to make it more healthy and more tasty. Now you can buy healthy granola at the grocery store but chances are it will have twice as much sugar, less flavor and fun ingredients like mono-glycerides, modified milk ingredients, calcium carbonate, and ground soy cotyledon. Maybe some of these ingredients are good for you but I don't know their purpose so I don't need them in my granola. So here is a delicious recipe for healthy granola. It makes a heap and will taste better then anything that comes in a box.

4 cups oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup flax seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup olive oil or 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup sunflower oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup water desired amount of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
vanilla
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup raisins

You can omit anything you don't like, or add anything you do. Mix all the nuts, grains, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and seeds together. Add salt, oil, honey, molasses, water and vanilla. Stir until completely coated but not too lumpy. Put on two parchment covered baking sheets and bake at 300 for 40 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes and at the halfway point switch pans. I accidentally overcooked mine a bit but it still tastes awesome. When it comes out of the oven and cools a bit you can add your raisins and cranberries. I actually added mine before I put it in the oven and it still looks and tastes divine. This recipe is high in fiber, omegas and has all sorts of other good for you things like calcium and magnesium.

Doesn't that look delish. I'm going to have some with yogurt tonight for dessert. I promise it will be the best, and healthiest granola you will ever eat!

I just want to add on a side note that everyone should be including flax in their daily diet. It is cheap and can be purchased in bulk. It's high in fiber, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, low in carbohydrates, high in most B vitamins, magnesium and manganese. For more detail check it out on About.com. We add flax to oatmeal, ground in chili, or spaghetti squash sauce, ground or whole in muffins and cookies. You can really add it to everything. Amanda, you could even add it to your cookie recipe. You will get the most benefit from grinding it though, but don't buy it already ground. It loses nutritional value quickly once it is ground, so buy a coffee grinder, if you don't already have one and grind it yourself.

Thinking of Amanda and her days of gratitude is encouraging me, and I'm sure others who read her blog, to think of what we are grateful  for. Today I am grateful that I have an app on my phone for The Peak. The Peak is a Vancouver radio station that I love. I haven't found a great station here in Calgary, so I am happy to have my little piece of Vancouver here with me. Today I heard two songs that I listened to frequently when I was 17 or 18. Smashing Pumpkins - Disarm, and Big Audio Dynamite - Rush. I loved those songs back in the day. Totally took me back. If you are looking for a unique, non pop radio station try The Peak. I have been introduced to so many good bands through that station.

A evening of sledding in mid December, with our friend Riley. She moved to Australia and we miss her already. BTW it hasn't snowed since, and I am ready for some more.