Sunday 20 March 2011

Guest Blog~From my dear friend Michelle

Hi...my name is Michelle and I am a friend of Sarah's. She's asked me to share my homemade granola recipe with you and I am happy to do it!! You won't believe how easy it is. My family loves granola...but my budget does not. So I rarely ever buy it...much to family's disappointment. Over time, however, I'd read on other people's blogs that they were making their own homemade granola...and I was surprised that it sounded quite easy! So...I decided to give it a try. I searched online recipes...I looked in cookbooks...and then I sort of combined several different recipes and came up with one that we really like. (After a flop or two...that were still actually good and edible...just not "the one".) It's a hit every time...and does not last long at all. (I have doubled the recipe...and it still doesn't last even a week!) My family (which includes two teenage boys, hence the reason it doesn't last long.) likes to eat it with milk like a bowl of cereal while I prefer it sprinkled on blueberry yogurt. Mmm...I might have to make some myself today! Keep in mind that the recipe I came up with can be used as a guideline. You can add whatever nuts you like, don't care for almonds? Add walnuts or sunflower seeds instead. Not a fan of dried cranberries? Add raisins or dried currants...maybe some dried apricots. You can add more honey and omit the brown sugar, you can add less oil and add a splash of apple juice. The possibilities really are endless...you can create a custom recipe specifically for your family's tastes and health needs!


Homemade Granola
• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flax and/or wheat germ (optional)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 T. honey
• 1 T. cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, flax and brown sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, honey, cinnamon and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.
Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add cranberries and mix until evenly distributed.
Once it's completely cool, store in an airtight container.


1 comment:

  1. I love homemade granola. The recipe I use is from an old cookbook called "Make a Mix". I am not sure if it's still in print, but if you ever happen across one, GRAB IT! It has from scratch mixes for EVERYTHING. It's a book every woman in my family for 3 generations has owned.

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