Granola

My Aunt's Aunt Susan and I have bonded via Facebook and a few weeks ago she sent me "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution"!  Love, love, love his style and these recipes.  He is all about fresh, healthy cooking here.

The family recipe always delicious, but since I rarely had bran or other of the ambiguous ingredients on hand....I always had an excuse for not making it.  Excuses no more.

So, his recipe combined with my Grandmother's has proved to be a smashing success! That is why my granola jar is nearing the E mark again two weeks in a row.

His recipe is a reminder that making granola is more like flower arranging than an exact science....its about mixing textures and flavors that please you more than it is about following a recipe exactly. His recipe also assured me that using olive oil for granola is fine and the outcome was delicious!

So below is my version!  Hope you enjoy this as your wellness dining treat!  This stuff is great morning night or noon!  Eat it alone.  Eat it over oatmeal waffles or pancakes with a dollop of  home-flavored vanilla yogurt.

8 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pecans/ almonds/ walnuts..chopped (total nuts abt. 2-3 cups)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt

Chop and combine nuts in a large bowl.

Add oats.

Add cinnamon and salt.

Heat/do not boil ( a minute or so in micro or on stove top):
3/4 cups olive oil
3/4 - 1 cup honey
1 TBS Vanilla

Pour over oat mixture coating well.

Bake @ 325 for about 20 - 30 minutes stirring every 10 minutes or so...until lightly browned.  Please set your timer....it is a very sad thing to burn a batch of granola:-/

After browned transfer to large bowl to cool.

Add 1 cup raisins or other dried fruits after finished cooling.
Option: date pieces, papaya, raisins (total fruit about 1 1/2 - 2 cups)

Your kitchen will smell wonderful!!!  

Such a feeling of satisfaction to place the refilled jar back into the cabinet....knowing the family will be delighted to eat such a fine treat!

Granola Recipe

8 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pecans/ almonds/ walnuts..chopped (total nuts abt. 2-3 cups)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
Heat/do not boil ( a minute or so in micro or on stove top):
3/4 cups olive oil
3/4 - 1 cup honey
1 TBS Vanilla
 Bake.
Add 1 cup raisins or other dried fruits after finished cooling.
Option: date pieces, papaya, raisins (total fruit about 1 1/2 - 2 cups)