My home-made honey nut granola recipe - who needs refined sugar anyway?

You know that our family loves to eat healthy, home-made food?  And that we don't want to pay lots and lots of money for it?

Well, when it comes to breakfast granola, you have to shell out a lot of money for the organic stuff.  I often wonder how fresh it is when I buy it in the bulk bins at our local food coop.

Do you have any idea how easy it is to make your own granola?

Here's the recipe I use and constantly modify.  You could use more or less nuts and seeds, and more honey or maple syrup if you like it sweeter.  You can add shredded coconut, dried fruit or raisins (but add the latter AFTER baking, otherwise they get rock-hard). 

Knock yourself out.

May your future be rich in granola.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups rolled oats

• 1 cup sliced almonds

• 1 cup chopped pecans

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

• 1/2 cup flax seeds

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

• 1/3 cup coconut oil

• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

• baking sheet lined with parchament paper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Put oats, nuts, seeds, and cinnamon into a big bowl and stir them together.

Melt coconut oil in pan.  Don't burn it!

When oil is liquid, add honey or maple syrup and vanilla.

Stir the liquid stuff into the oat and nuts mixture.  Mix well.

Spread on a baking sheet (with a rim so things don't fall off it) lined with parchament paper.

Bake for 10 minutes.  Then take it out and stir with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 10 more minutes.  Then take it out and stir again.

Bake it for 10 more minutes, but keep an eye on it, otherwise it will burn! 

Take it out and let it cool completely on the baking sheet.

Cooling it like that will make it chunky, which is nice.  

When it's cold, place in mason jars or suitable air-tight containers.  

Good luck keeping it around though.  When I make this, my family will devour it in two days.