granola.

I love granola. Whether I put it in some yogurt or grab a handful right as I'm running out the door, it always tastes good. And it's super easy to make. I found this particular recipe over at Weelicious, a website that focuses on food for young families. I've already made two batches of this stuff. And I'm making a third right now. The first time I made this granola, I added the dried fruits that Catherine originally called for. While I think they taste delicious, I've now been making the granola without any fruit at all. I like doing it this way because then each person in the household can personalize it to their liking.

Classic Granola
Adapted from Weelicious

Makes 4 1/2 cups

2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 cup Almonds*
1/2 cup Cashews*
1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds*
2 tablespoons Wheat Germ
2-3 teaspoons Cinnamon (or, if you're like me, just pour it out until it looks like enough!)
1/3 cup Honey (I bet Maple Syrup would be a tasty replacement if you're out of honey)
1/3 cup Canola Oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 275ºF.
2. Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl, making sure to combine until entire mixture is evenly coated.
3. Pour mixture onto black baking sheet (if you choose to use silver, I'm willing to bet the baking time will be longer.) and evenly disperse over entire sheet.
4. Place granola in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Take the granola out and redistribute the mixture evenly over the sheet.
6. Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown.**
7. Take the granola out of the oven and allow it to sit on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes so that it gets a little crunchier.
8. Store in a cool, dry place. Add your favorite dried fruit (cranberries, blueberries, apricots, raisins, cherries, mangoes, etc.)
• Will keep for about 1 week.

*The type of nuts you choose to use is entirely up to you. The batch I'm making now has 1/4 cup Pepitas and 1/4 Almonds instead of just the almonds. This recipe would also work well with walnuts or pecans.

**At this point, I would keep an extremely close eye on your granola. You might even want to set the timer at 5 minute increments. This stuff burns really quickly. Cashews can be your best friend. Keep an eye on them — as long as their tops aren't burning, then the rest of your granola is probably still okay. As soon as those tops look golden brown, take the granola out of the oven for good! Also, the mixture probably won't seem super crunchy right away. Give it time after baking, and I promise the crunch will come!

Hope you enjoy this tasty treat!

-The Florida Sister