Crunchy

It was inevitable that cereal would edge it's way back in to my mornings.  Oatmeal is still my new breakfast, but I like second breakfast around 10 am.  Granola seemed like the natural (he, he- lucky pun) choice considering the economy sized container of oats I'd purchased.  I already knew what I wanted in my granola, so I looked over some other recipes to get an idea for ratios, consulted Alton Brown, and preheated my oven.

It worked. Worked so well that I wrote down the ingredients AND measurements. Nutty, not too sweet, and very importantly- no raisins.  You can add them in at the end if you must. But to be clear, I don't recommend it.

4 cups rolled oats, 1/2 cup "fancy oats" (ground oats with flax), 1/2 cup sliced almonds, 3/4 cup sunflower seeds...



1 tea cinnamon, 1/2 tea pumpkin pie spice (cloves & nutmeg), 1/2 cup brown sugar...



Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.

They're listed below, I didn't take their picture.  They were not all that pretty by themselves.

Incorporate the wet ingredients into the oats mixture.  You might have to roll up your sleeves and use your hands. Looking for the granola to still be dry- but now very loosely held together.





Spread out all the granola on 2 greased (I used Pam) baking sheets...



1 hour and 15 minutes later- golden, crunchy, a little bit sweet, a little bit salty...



It is so, so good. You can trust me, I know granola. I'm so over Kashi.

I like it with vanilla yogurt. M likes it with vanilla yogurt. I've never seen M eat yogurt and I had to buy 2 more quarts today. Just please don't use fat free. Food has integrity too.



There is an example of one of the little clusters I will cherry pick out.



I'm trying to get better about that.

Click for recipe



L Makes Granola

Ingredients

• 4 cups of rolled oats


• 1/2 cup ground oat & flax cereal (or just ground flax)


• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds


• 1/2 cup sliced almonds


• 1 tsp cinnamon


• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg/cloves)


• 1/2 cup brown sugar


• 1/3 cup vegetable oil


• 1/3 cup honey


• 1 tsp salt


• 1 tsp vanilla


• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Method to the Madness

1. Preheat oven to 250F


2. Mix together first 6 ingredients


3. Whisk together sugar, oil, honey, salt, vanilla & almond extract


4. Incorporate wet ingredients into dry


5. Spread evenly on 2 large greased baking sheets


6. Bake for 1 hr 15 minutes, stirring the granola every 15 minutes to ensure even baking and color