Granola

Growing up, I believe my favorite food was cereal. Not the healthy kind. I preferred those that were laden with sugar. You know the ones–Captain Crunch, Sugar Smacks (now called "Honey Smacks"), Frosted Flakes, etc... Being the youngest of 5 kids growing up, it was a feat trying to get my fair share of the cereal. You could often hear statements like this ringing through our home, "Susie (my sister), you big pig, you ate all the Captain Crunch!" My Dad still teases us about this.

I no longer indulge in bowls of sugary goodness in the morning. However, I do still buy them on occasion. I have one son that has followed in my footsteps. He has a deep love and devotion to all things "cereal." The boys rarely have cereal for breakfast, so we eat cereals as more of a dessert or snack.

Yogurt with Granola

When I was young, my mom would buy Granola on occasion but for some reason every time I tried it, I didn't care much for it. Hmmmm, I'm not really sure what that was all about. Consequently, I have been wanting to try "real" granola for some time now. This is the first time I've made it. There are a ton of recipes for Granola. Here's my version. I have to say, my kitchen smelled soooo good while this was baking! And the taste? Fantastic! My granola didn't clump together like some does. It had a wonderful "cereal" consistency with a toasted crunch with naturally sweet flavors. Oh, and the best news—unlike my experience as a child, I found this granola to be absolutely delicious!

Granola

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
  
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  
• 3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
  
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
  
• 2 Tablespoons honey
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 cup raisins
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine first 8 ingredients, oats through cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook and watch carefully for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, till color is even and golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.