By New year. Still pregnant. Both babies pressing on my diaphragm simultaneously, which seems coordinated in a way that suggests they have already developed opinions and are practicing for later. I am thirty-nine weeks and four days and the phrase any day now has been applied to me so many times it has lost all meaning. My OB says everything looks good. Twins like to make their own timeline, she said, which is diplomatic phrasing for I cannot tell you anything useful right now.
Back at work this week, which means I am standing in front of a classroom of fourth-graders looking fully, unmistakably like I could give birth at any moment, and they are both fascinated and alarmed. One of my kids, Marcus, asked if I had a plan. I told him I did. He nodded seriously and told me his mom had a plan and it did not work. His delivery was perfect. I have already briefed my sub on the strategies she will need for the four kids who test every boundary before 8:30 AM.
Ryan went back on shift, which meant two nights alone in the apartment being thirty-nine weeks pregnant and listening to the radiator. I called Patty at 8 PM both nights, outside her usual window, and she picked up immediately with no comment except to ask what I had eaten for dinner. She came over the second night with mushroom soup and a magazine she had already read, and we watched television while she pretended to read and I pretended not to notice she was watching me for signs.
I made a big pot of steel-cut oatmeal on Sunday from the Aldi bag I have had since September and portioned it into five containers for the week. Frozen blueberries, a little brown sugar, a spoonful of peanut butter. Breakfast accounted for. Lunch is whatever is in the freezer. Dinner is whatever I can manage while moving at my current pace, which is approximately that of a tired boat. At thirty-nine weeks with twins, execution over inspiration is the only cooking philosophy that makes sense.
That pot of steel-cut oatmeal got me through the week, but when I made it again I wanted something I could also grab dry, straight from a jar, with no reheating required at 6 AM while standing in a kitchen that feels smaller every day. This peanut butter granola has been my backup plan since October — the same Aldi oats, the same spoonful of peanut butter logic, just crunchy and portioned into a mason jar on the counter where I can reach it without bending. At thirty-nine weeks, that counts as a win.
Irresistible Peanut Butter Granola
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup honey or pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts (optional)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips or dried fruit, added after baking (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 325°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil together, stirring until smooth and combined. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Combine with oats. In a large bowl, toss the rolled oats with the cinnamon and salt. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the oats and stir until every oat is evenly coated. Fold in the chopped peanuts if using.
- Spread and bake. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20–25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the granola is golden and fragrant. Watch carefully in the last few minutes — peanut butter granola can go from golden to overdone quickly.
- Cool completely. Remove from the oven and let the granola cool on the pan without stirring. It will crisp up as it cools. Once fully cool, stir in chocolate chips or dried fruit if desired.
- Store. Transfer to an airtight jar or container. Granola keeps at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Serve over yogurt, with milk, or straight from the jar.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 115mg