Homemade Granola!

Here is where we got the first recipe (don't mind the blog title):

http://alladither.typepad.com/halfassedkitchen/2009/04/homemade-granola.html

My additions/changes are in blue!

3-1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup whole almonds, unsalted (We used chopped pecans, but sliced almonds would be good too)

1 cup coconut, unsweetened (optional) (We had sweetened)

3 Tablespoons flax seeds, sesame seeds or sunflower seeds (We didn't have flax seeds, oh well)

1 cup dried fruit (optional) (Didn't have any of that either, I guess you could substitute chocolate chips : )

1 teaspoons sea salt (Or half as much regular salt)

1/4 cup brown sugar or honey (We used brown sugar, because we ran out of honey, but I would use honey next time)

1/4 cup canola oil (A friend told me you could substitute applesauce, pumpkin, or bananas, yum!)

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Spread onto cookie sheet with edges or large baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir.

Here is where we realized the granola didn't have the texture we were looking for, you know, that clumped together goodness? Anyways, Steve made a simple syrup with brown sugar (1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup water heated on the stove until the sugar dissolves and makes a syrup). And we mixed that in with the already toasted granola and put it back in the oven.

Bake for 15 more minutes. Serve with yogurt or cold milk. Also great by the handful.

As you can probably tell, granola is something you can make up as you go. We ended up loving the kind we made, the only changes I would make are first - used sliced almonds, second - use honey, and third - before baking the granola the second time, I would shape it into a large square or rectangle so that when it came out the second time I could cut it up either into bars or larger clumps of granola. It turned out great anyways!