Granola Eater

Now while the term "granola eater" usually carries a bad connotation, I am proud to say that I eat granola.  Because it's yummy and it's mighty good for you.  Homemade granola tends to have a TON less sugar than the store-bought variety.  Granola from the store is usually very expensive as well, so making your own is a good alternative (especially because you can use whatever you happen to have on hand).  I have a set recipe that I roughly follow, but feel free to supplement as you wish.  It's very forgiving.

Homemade Granola

• 6 cups oats
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup buckwheat groats
• 1 cup of almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, or whatever nuts you have on hand
• Handful of flax seeds
• Dried fruit, if you wish
• 3/4 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil/olive oil/almond oil, etc.

Note:  Sometimes I don't have all the ingredients, so I just use whatever I have!  Rolled triticale or any sort of rolled grain can be used to supplement for the oats.  You can supplement more nuts for the sunflower seeds, or mix it up as you wish.  The point is to roughly end up with 10(ish) cups of dry ingredients. 

Meet the granola team:

The Oats

The Flax Seeds

The Walnuts

Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

Sunflower Seeds

Instructions:

Step One:  Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl

Step Two:  Melt the honey and the oil of your choice over low heat until it is runny and combined

Step Three:  Pour the honey mixture over the dry mixture until well combined

Step Four:  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the mixture in a thin layer across the sheet

Step Five:  Baked at 300 degrees for roughly thirty minutes until lightly toasted.  Stir a few times during the baking.

Voila. 

That's it!  Wonderful and delicious!  We eat ours just like a normal boxed cereal, or it also works well with yogurt and fruit.  All the ingredients are available at the health food store in bulk for less than they cost at the regular grocery store. 

I'm off to go sledding with my niece, nephew, and husband.  It can get ruthless out there.  They are animals on those sleds.

If I never return, it's been a pleasure.

Happy granola making you-granola-eater-you! 

For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.

Homemade Granola

• 6 cups oats
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup buckwheat groats
• 1 cup almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, or whatever nuts you have on hand
• Handful of flax seeds
• Dried fruit, if you wish
• ¾ cup honey
• 4 tbsp coconut oil/olive oil/almond oil, etc.

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl

2. Melt the honey and the oil of your choice over low heat until it is runny and combined

3. Pour the honey mixture over the dry mixture until well combined

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the mixture in a thin layer across the sheet

5. Baked at 300 degrees for roughly thirty minutes until lightly toasted.  Stir a few times during the baking.