Granola

I absolutely love this stuff, and make it in big batches (which go very quickly around here). You may add or remove various ingredients as you like, until you come up with your own custom granola mix that your family likes! Here's what I do, measurements may not be exact, as it's a very organic process for me (picture me throwing in a bit more of this, or that, at whim- it's usually how I cook).

Granola:


First, I mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Ingredients, Mix together:


* 12 c. oats
* 3/4 c. wheat germ (I rarely have this, so I now leave it out and double-up on the ground flax seeds, aka. flaxseed meal)
* 1 c. flaxseed meal (I use 2 c., when not adding the wheat germ)
* 8-12 oz. (or 16?) of cocunut, depending upon how much you like it! I use alot! ;)
* 2 c. of slivered almonds (I usually add an extra shake of this too)
* 3/4 c. of sunflower seeds, if you like 'em or any other seeds/nuts you want to try
* 2 tsp. cinnamon
* .25 tsp. nutmeg
* 1.5 tsp. ginger
* Now I (sometimes, if I have it on hand, but it's certainly not necessary) sprinkle some Oat Bran flour over the mix, and mix in (probably about 1/2 c. or so, the more you add, the more bready-type hard *clumps* you'll have in your granola. I don't like too much, but some might like to add up to 2-4 c. of oat flour- in which case you'd need to add more honey and oil to make it stick together, just experiment).


Now I start adding in the liquids:


* 1 tsp. almond extract
* 2.5 tsp. vanilla extract (you may want to add more, just have to experiment)
* Oil: *note* Again, for this ingred., you can experiment and use what you like. I use 1/4-1/2 c. of flax seed oil and a stick of unsalted butter, sometimes I've used 1/2 c. of vegetable oil, light olive oil would work too, or grapeseed oil. There are no rules with granola, except to make it as healthful as possible. But basicly, you'll need about 3/4 c. of oil for this amount of granola.
* 1.5-2 c. of honey
* 1/4 c. of molasses (we don't use this)

Mix it all up real good and spread on parchment paper, or brown paper bag on the largest cookie sheet you have.


Bake @ 300 degrees for 20 mins. or so, until golden brown/toasted looking. I even accidentaly burnt a batch the other day, and it was still delicious.


After it comes out of the oven, and cools off, I like to add organic raisins, dried blueberries or cranberries. You could add any dried fruit that you like. I've tried baking it with the fruit in it beforehand, and prefer to wait now. I found that the fruit sorta burns faster than the rest of the mix. ;-) I also mix in chocolate chips sometimes if I want to add more sweetness.


Peanut Butter Granola

Makes 5 cups - can double

2 3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup natural wheat germ
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2T vegetable oil
1/3 c honey
1/3 c chunky all natural peanut butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 300. Stir together oats, wheat germ, and sunflower seed in a large mixing bowl. In a saucepan heat oil and honey, stiring occasionally. Remove from heat; add peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well. Spread over a cookie sheet. Bake 20 - 25 minutes, stirring every five minutes until granola browns evenly. Mix in raisins and nuts-I usually add extra nuts because the kids love them. STore in an airtight container. I use Krema peanut butter because it is salt free.