More Granola

Maybe it's just the season for Granola, but my boys have wanted this for a long time and I finally got Cheerios on sale this week at Winco (.98 a box- Wahoo!)
I grew up on this granola. When I think of childhood memories and yummy food this is one that I will always remember. This isn't a crunchy granola. We eat it either plain, on yogurt, or mostly just pour milk on top and eat it like cereal. Yields over 15 cups.

10 cups oats
4 cups Cheerios
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup honey
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt

Mix well in a big bowl and heat in 350 oven for 10 min. Stir and heat another 5 min. Let cool and transfer to plastic containers.

You can add any dried fruit and a little less sugar, but I didn't have any this time so it's going to be plain.

Granola

Again, this recipe is from the Kitchen Cafe blog. I have fallen in love with that blog and made several recipes from her. This granola is fabulous! I thought we would have a problem eating it all within the two weeks, I was dead wrong. The entire batch was gone in two days, so I made another. I finished it off this morning, it lasted 3 days. It's great. You can mix it up a little and add what you want, great fiber and tastes divine with half a yogurt on top. Sooo good!

Homemade granola

6.5 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
2.5 cups basic sweetened coconut
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
1 1/4-1 1/2 cups sliced almonds (or whole, chopped, slivered or a combination – I used slivered)
1 1/4 cups pecans (whole or chopped to the size you like)
1/2 cup high-quality honey
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well to distribute oil and honey evenly. Spread a thin layer of mixture on two rimmed baking sheets (half sheet pans) lined with parchment paper (I used my silpat liners). Bake for 15-20 minutes stirring mixture and rotating sheets half way through until mixture is an even golden brown. Be careful to watch granola: it will quickly turn from golden to burnt and will continue to cook as it cools when you take it out of the oven. Mixture will be moist when it comes out of the oven but will crisp and clump as it cools. Keeps for 1-2 weeks.

Variations:
• Substitute any of the nuts for other nuts such as cashews, walnuts or peanuts (it’s nice to leave some of the nuts whole as it varies the texture)
• Add additional dried fruit such as apricots or dates
• Add 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• For extra-nutty granola increase proportion of nuts

I always add the 1/2 tsp vanilla. I think next time I will add some chopped dried apricot.