Romance Granola

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

18 May 2007 05:29 AM

This healthy, home made granola is easy to make and oh so yummy! You can use it as a morning cereal, or eat it out of hand as a snack. I'll separate a portion of it and mix in a few chocolate chips for the kids. It is loaded with omega 3s and other good fats for proper brain development and a healthy heart.

This was my very first attempt at making granola completely from scratch, and I was so pleased at the results. The recipe makes about 14 cups of granola, which was gone in my house in a little more than a week.

I am still working with only one oven rack here at our new home, so baking the granola took me a little longer than it will take you. I had put a sheet of it in the oven for the final bake when the school bus arrived to drop Andrew home. So, it was a mad dash, baby in arms, toddler in tow, out to the end of the long driveway. But we made it, and the granola was so worth it. I also tend to buy whole foods in bulk and slice or chop them myself in the food processor. You can save time by buying pre-sliced/chopped/broken ingredients.

We've made this recipe our own. However, I did base it very heavily on a granola that was served by a charming bed and breakfast located in Maine.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 cups of uncooked oats (old fashioned)
• 1 cup of sliced almonds
• 1 cup of broken walnut meats
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 cup of wheat germ
• 1 cup of ground flaxseed
• 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup of safflower oil
• 1 cup of honey
• 1 cup of golden raisins
• 1 cup of regular raisins

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients except the oil, honey and the raisins, in a very large mixing bowl and mix well.
2. In a small pan, heat the oil and honey together on low just until they meld together.
3. Pour the honey-oil combination over the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Spread the mixture onto two cookie sheets or jelly roll pans.
5. Bake the granola for 45 minutes, or until lightly browned. You will need to flip and stir the granola every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking.
6. Cool and then stir in the raisins. Keep the granola in an airtight container, such as a glass canister.

Mary Ann Romans writes about her family's money saving secrets in the Frugal Living Blog here at Families.com

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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