know-how // homemade granola

  Okay, I am finally putting this recipe up for you guys, and it's a good one!  I have never met anyone that doesn't like granola, but I have met plenty of people who don't like the cost.  Store bought granola can be really expensive, and when you look in the ingredients there are many things I can't pronounce and would prefer not to consume, so I make my own.  All growing up my mom made granola and we eat it every morning for breakfast.  Being on my own, I have tweeked the recipe a bit, but I still say "I got it from my mama".

                                        

  So here's what you'll need:

• 4 cups oats (they can be old fashioned or quick oats, there is a subtle difference in the end product, but I like it either way)
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup almonds (I use slivered)
• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon

  Keep in mind that this is a base recipe.  Feel free to make substitutions or to add other ingredients...more on that later.

  First and foremost preheat your oven to 300° F.  Then throw all your oats, seeds and nuts together in a large bowl.  FYI: I measure out a cup of whole pecans and then I just break them each into four pieces by hand and then add them to the rest.  I do this for two reasons: 1) chopped pecans tend to be more expensive than whole and 2) that's how my mama always did it.

  Here are our lovely oats, just waiting to be drenched in that great nectar of the gods: HONEY!

  Measure out your honey, then add your vanilla and cinnamon into this and mix until there aren't spots of just honey left.  Then pour this mixture over your other ingredients and combine until everything is well combined and everything is sticky!  Spread this out over a greased cookie sheet and cook in your preheated over for 12-15 minutes.  At the end of this time, pull it out push stuff around on the sheet and then put it back in for another 12-15 minutes.  Once it's done let it cool for at least 30 minutes (this will help it stay in chunks). 

  Transfer your granola to an airtight container or just put it on some yogurt and enjoy immediately.  Granola gets eaten pretty fast in my family so I'm not 100% sure how long it will last, but I'd say at least a month.

  Now some specifics on add ins.  I have added many things to this recipe and loved every last one of them, but these add ins have slightly changed the process.

1. coconut: if you like your coconut toasted, add this in before, but if not you can add it after and it will still be great.
2. dried fruit:  do not add any dried fruit before you cook.  I like to add craisins sometimes after, but again NEVER before (it really isn't that bad just not so great)
3. fresh berries:  if you cut berries into small pieces and add them to granola before you cook.  When the granola is done cooking just turn off the oven and let the granola sit in there until it cools.  This will dry out the berries and adds quite a delicious element to the already DELISH granola.

Well I hope you guys liked this!

x Ren