Five Easy Ingredients

My boys, husband and I really enjoy granola. It is great on top of yogurt, as cereal or snack or just anything else you can imagine. Recently I found this recipe and it just required 5 simple every day ingredients (plus a few add-ins as we desired).

Easy Peasy Granola Recipe
adapted from: http://www.superhealthykids.com/homemade-granola-only-5-ingredients/

6 cups oats (I used a combo of quick cooking and regular)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil (I melted coconut oil)
1/3 cup honey
2 t vanilla

Combine oats and brown sugar. Melt together oil, honey and vanilla.  Pour over oats and sugar. Spread out on 2 parchment lined cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 for 30minutes....stirring occassionally. At 5minutes until it was time up I topped with 1 cup coconut (just to lightly toast it). Cook remaining 5minutes.  Remove from oven and stir in 1 cup craisins and 1 cup raisins. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Breakfast For Champions

This breakfast is delicious; so satisfying and filling on days when eating is limited. I enjoy granola with my yogurt and the boys love it just as cereal.  mmm.  This recipe is over the top good.

Cranberry Almond Granola (without the almonds)

adapted from: http://www.littledairyontheprairie.com/cranberry-almond-granola/

5 cups oats

1 cup honey

1/2 cup butter

2 t vanilla

1 t almond extract

1 t salt

1 t apple pie spice/cinnamon

3/4 cup sunflower seeds, shelled (unsalted)

1 cup coconut

In a large mixing bowl combine oats, salt, cinnamon, sunflower seeds and coconut.  In a microwave safe bowl melt butter and honey together (then stir in vanilla and almond extract).  Pour melted butter mixture over the oat mixture.  Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil - grease it. Bake at 300 for 25minutes. Stir and bake an additional 25minutes. Repeat at least one more time.

NOTE: if you want this to be more bar like, whisk together 3 egg whites before baking. Just bake at 300 for 25minutes. After the allotted time, shut oven off and let the granola cool down (as well as the oven) with the door closed.

Chewy & Yummy Breakfast

I really detest cereal for any meal...unless it is granola.  I have been in search of a favorite recipe for a while.

Granola
adapted from: http://yummysupper.blogspot.com/2010/02/chewy-granola-with-cranberries-and.html

1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup salted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries (I had to use raisins since I unexpectedly ran out)
1/2 cup shredded coconnut
1/2 cup ground oats
1 t cinnamon
1/2 cup dry milk
5 T butter, melted
2 T olive oil
2/3 cup honey
2 t vanilla
2 1/2 cups oats

In a stand mixer combine all ingredients.  Pour on to the middle of a parchment lined cookie sheet. Do not spread around.  Bake at 275 for 20minutes.  Then 10 minutes. Stir and spread out some. Ten more minutes; stir and spread again. Then one last time (10 minutes; stir and spread).  Let cool completely on the cookie sheet. Put in an air tight container. Serve with milk (as cereal) or as a topping for yogurt.

Weekly Staple

When I was younger, Mom would make granola on a weekly basis (or so it seemed at the time).  I have tried to make it myself on multiple occasions but never had it tasting just right. However recently I tried another new recipe, and it seemed about perfect.  Even though I forgot the vanilla extract it is quite tasty. My boys love this too.

Granola

adapted from: http://www.tammysrecipes.com/granola

6 cups oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup coconut (did not have)

1 cup chopped nuts (I used sunflower seeds and flax seeds)

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup dry milk

2/3 cup oil

2/3 cup honey

2 T water (oops, forgot that too)

1 1/2 t vanilla (as I said I forgot)

1 cup raisins (I figured we could add our own if we wanted them)

In a large bowl, combine oats, sugar, wheat germ, coconut, nuts, sesame seeds and dry milk.  In another bowl (glass measuring cup works well) combine oil, honey, water and vanilla.  Pour these wet ingredients over the dry.  Toss well to coat.  Transfer to 2 well-greased sided cookie sheets.  Bake at 300 for about 40minutes until slightly toasted (stirring a few times during baking).  Cool for 15minutes.  Stir again.  Remove to an airtight container.