Granola

Granola is one of those things that my mom used to make, and I liked it, mostly, but I never thought that I'd be making it myself. After all, I don't usually remember that I like it until I'm actually eating it. But a few years ago, when I started making my husband's lunch on a regular basis, he asked for some to go with the yogurt I put in. After reading the ingredients list on store-bought granola, I decided it'd be both cheaper and healthier to make my own!

So I looked up a recipe in the “More-with-Less Cookbook”, a book I remember my mom using all the time, and of which she had given me a copy when I moved out on my own. Its subtitle is “suggestions by Mennonnites on how to eat better and consume less of the world's limited food resources” (original copyright 1976). For the last couple years, the only recipe I've used out of it has been this granola recipe, but in writing this little description I was flipping through the book. It's full of whole grain recipes! Since I've been trending that way in my cooking, it looks like I need to explore this cookbook a little more thoroughly. (Maybe another of its recipes will find its way to this blog.)

At any rate, this granola is pretty simple (in fact that's its title in More-with-Less: “simple granola”). The nuts (which I always include, because I like them) are optional. Feel free to experiment with other things too: add some seeds, add some cinnamon, add other whole grain. You could add some dried fruit or chocolate chips too, but wait until after cooking. Fruit would get too dried if it's cooked with the granola, and chocolate would melt everywhere and make a big mess.

Simple Granola

(from “More-With-Less Cookbook” by Doris Janzen Longacre)

Ingredients:

1 c whole wheat flour

3 c rolled oats

½ c coconut

½ c wheat germ

1 c chopped nuts

¼ c water

½ c vegetable oil

½ c honey

1 t vanilla

½ T salt

Directions:

Assemble ingredients. Preheat oven to 250°.

Combine flour, oats, coconut, wheat germ and nuts in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, thoroughly combine remaining ingredients (water, oil, honey, vanilla, salt).

Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and mix very well.

Spread out evenly on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 1 hour or until dry and golden.

Immediately after the granola comes out of the oven, stir it with a large spatula to break it up into smaller chunks. If you do not do this immediately, it will be hard to break up the granola and you'll have either very large pieces or powder.

Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Happy Baking!