Granola

Normally granola at the store is not very healthy and pretty expensive, so I've been wanting to try to make it at home for some time now and finally had time to do it. I did a Google search for granola, looked at about four recipes, and then made up my own.


Granola Recipe
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl (I thought my bowl was big, but it was barely big enough):
4 1/2 cups rolled oats (quick oats don't work as well)
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, unsalted (I don't like their taste, so I always skip these.)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped almonds (I used slivered almonds, but many people use sliced)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves (optional, but I think it brings out the cinnamon flavor)

Combine other ingredients in a medium saucepan:
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar (Splenda also works fine)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil (some recipes use as much as a cup, but I've done as little as 2 Tbsp and noticed that my granola is just more chunky and crispy)
2 tsp vanilla (or 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp mapliene or almond extract)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large cookie with parchment paper. (You can use wax paper, but I found my pans were getting a wax residue and didn't like to think about what I was eating so I splurge for the parchment paper.)

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well.

Combine other ingredients in a saucepan and warm (I stirred it over medium heat for a few minutes until everything was well combined and the sugar and salt dissolved).
Drizzle the wet ingredients over the dry, stirring well (everything should be thinly covered with the syrup mixture). Spread evenly onto the prepared cookie sheet. Cook for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes to cook evenly.

Allow to cool and then store in an airtight container. (Most websites said it lasts 1 week on the shelf or 3 months in the freezer.)

My thoughts: At first I was surprised when I tasted it because it smelled so rich but is not very sweet. However, once I got over my surprise I decided that I really like it this way.

Serving suggestions: Eat as cereal, stirred in yogurt, or just as a yummy snack. Eat with Crasins, raisins, or other dried fruit.

Variations: Add coconut for the last 10 minutes of baking.
Use honey instead of maple syrup.
Some people suggested using All Bran instead of wheat germ.

My take on this: I was worried that this would be expensive, but I'm lucky enough to have a WinCo Grocery Store near me and they sell everything I needed in bulk. I estimated how much I would need; it was about $3 and I didn't use all of what I bought. This was quite an easy recipe, but does require "tending" since you need to stir it every 20 minutes for an hour.

Making life easier:I always double the recipe, but have to mix it in two bowls because of the large amounts of ingredients. I also use two cookie sheets (some people commented that if you don't spread the granola thin enough then it won't cook and remains soggy). I stir it after 30 minutes, and then 20 minutes and 20 minutes, increasing the cooking time to 1 hour and 10 minutes. I usually throw a bag in the freezer since we don't usually eat it within a week. When my husband is running late for work and doesn't have time for breakfast I send him with granola in a small bowl and a container of yogurt and it makes for a great, easy breakfast.

I used the following recipes to create my own:
Jennifer's Granola (this was my base recipe)  (Allrecipes.com)
Megan's Granola (Allrecipes.com)
Easy Cranberry Granola (Allrecipes.com)
Food Network Granola
CDKitchen Granola