Granola

Boyfriend once asked me how easy granola was to make because he wanted to eat it regularly with his vanilla yogurt.  I had to think about it for a moment, and thought it should be very easy considering a close family friend of mine often brought us her home made granola.  So after some experimentation, here it is, my granola recipe.  If you like granola, I recommend making it yourself instead of spending a ridiculous amount on the store-bought stuff.  The farmers' market sells it for $8!

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats (make sure they're the right kind!  Trader Joe's stocks it next to the steel cut oats)
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup walnuts/pecans/cashews (or any other nut you like, you can even add some seeds)
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar (I only had light, but dark will make it tastier)
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp. honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup dried cranberries and/or raisins

Preheat oven to 250 degrees

Step 1: Take out a giant jelly roll pan and grease lightly or cover in parchment paper
Step 2: Combine oats, nuts, cinnamon, and brown sugar in one bowl
Step 3: Combine maple syrup, honey, oil, vanilla, and salt in another bowl and mix well
Step 4: Consolidate both mixtures and spread on pan, and put in oven
Step 5: Cook for one hour and ten minutes, stirring every 15 minutes
Step 6: Take granola out, and mix in dried fruit

You can adjust this recipe in so many ways with more or less sugar and cinnamon, add nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, etc.