from the Aska Lodge…
With St. Patrick’s Day fast approaching, I can’t help but reminisce about all the lucky things I associate with being an innkeeper.
(fire pit at the Aska Lodge B&B)
Besides meeting such varied and interesting people, I think our mountain location tops the list—it’s what draws many visitors here and we feel fortunate to be able to experience nature’s beauty and awe every day.
Many of our bed & breakfast guests come to hike the area’s trails and what better place to start than Springer Mountain—the southernmost end of the Appalachian Trail, right here in Fannin County.
Within walking distance of the Aska Lodge B&B is part of the Benton MacKaye Trail, which connects Springer Mountain with Davenport Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Benton MacKaye was a Massachusetts forester whose vision inspired the Appalachian Trail).
We knew from the start our B&B’s amazing location called for a tasty yet healthy granola mix that we could offer our guests to take with them on their hikes. But finding the perfect recipe proved to be difficult—many contained so much added oil or sugar that the healthy part never entered into it!
After trying various combinations of different recipes, we recently came up with our favorite. This citrus version is bright, not too sweet and there is NO added fat. My favorite way to make this granola is with tangerines, but oranges or lemons work fine too.
WARNING—this granola is addictive and you’ll find all sorts of things to put it on besides eating it right out of the container! One of our guest favorites for breakfast are Peanut Butter Banana Parfaits—simply layer sliced bananas, vanilla yogurt mixed with peanut butter, and a sprinkling of this Citrus Granola.
However, whenever and wherever you enjoy it, eating this Low-Fat Citrus Granola is sure to be a lucky day for your taste buds!
Low-Fat Citrus Granola
(recipe from the Aska Lodge B&B, as featured on Inn Cuisine)
- 4 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (do not substitute quick-cooking oats)
- 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 1/2 cup sunflower kernels
- 1/2 cup wheat germ
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (may substitute Splenda brown sugar blend)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 large (or 3 small) tangerines, both juice and zest (may substitute any combination of oranges and lemons)
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup dried cranberries (may substitute 2 cups of your favorite dried fruit, chopped)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine oatmeal, almonds, sunflower kernels, wheat germ and cinnamon. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar and honey; bring to a boil. Remove saucepan from heat; add citrus juice and zest. Combine dry mixture (except dried fruit) with liquid mixture. Spray large pan with non-sticking cooking spray (I use an 11×15″ baking sheet); spread granola evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool, then add dry fruit; combine thoroughly. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: approximately 7 cups.
Aska Lodge Bed & Breakfast
178 Calen Drive, Blue Ridge, GA 30513
(706) 632-0178
email: askme (at) askalodge (dot) net
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds like the perfect combination to me Sandie:D
This granola sounds delicious! Not only do I love the use of citrus and dried fruit in this recipe, but the combinations you could come up with are so varied that the recipe itself could remain as fresh, appealing and changeable as the seasons themselves. I can just imagine how good (and energizing) this would be during a hike on the trails surrounding your mountain lodge B&B!
Fantastic Sandie! I agree, granolas can really contain a terribly high amount of fat and sugar. Using juice is a great idea. I make a Nigella recipe which uses apple juice and I’ve used orange juice too and it’s divine
Beautiful scenery and granola.
What a great snack! Can’t wait to get back to the Aska Lodge and do some hiking and then a little relaxing ’round the fire.
Appreciate your low fat granola recipe. Most people don’t realize that store bought granola is groaning with fat. No one needs all those extra calories. Your B & B location sounds fantastic thanks for sharing:-)