March 26, 2008

Simply Good Granola

My guy loves to eat granola and yogurt for his mid-morning snack (aka second breakfast) and several months ago I carefully examined the nutritional information on the box of granola I always got for him. I was appalled at the amount of sugar that was in a serving of granola; I should have just purchased some candy bars and crumbled them up and sprinkled bits of Snickers or Butterfingers on his yogurt.

Fed up with being a slave to whatever grocer's elect to sotck on their shelves, I set forth to make my own granola and while it may not be to everyone's taste, it is good and wholesome- simply the best granola I can give to my guy.

Here's what I do:
  • Pour 8 cups of whole oats (not "quick oats") in a large pan and heat them up over medium heat
  • Once you begin to smell the aroma of toasty oats, add flax seed (whole or ground), cinnamon, and pecans or walnut pieces (or any nut you prefer- or no nuts!)- I add however much looks good and never use measurements
  • Stir well and after a few minutes begin to drizzle honey over the oats- keep adding honey and stirring the oats until it appears that most have gotten some honey on them
  • Place the oats in a large cake pan or anything that can go in an oven and bake for about 25 minutes (or until the mixture begins to brown) at 350 degrees
  • Stir the oats half-way through the baking time and take out to cool once done
  • Add raisins once the oats have cooled off a bit and store granola in an air-tight container- this will keep for several weeks, especially if you refrigerate it

See how easy that is! Of course, you can always modify a simple recipe like this.....but be sure to tell me if you do because I might want to copy you!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Justine: Check out the Orangette blog of 2/4/08 titled "Consider it" - as she posted a granola recipe that I think you and Jason would like. Let me know how it turns out if you decide to make it.
Love,
Mom