Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Wecipe Wednesday - Honey Almond Granola

I have a confession to make.  I have become a granola lover.  No, I am not a health nut and I won't sit here and tell you that it is a healthy breakfast, a tasty topping for yogurt and even ice cream.  Generally, granola is just yummy!

I have even turned my kids onto granola!  That is a HUGE thing, especially when little man HATES anything relatively healthy.  (Basically if it grows it is out of his diet, but if it bleeds it is in.)  Even he requests granola and yogurt for lunches.  And I figured that if I can get my kids to eat this stuff, maybe you might want to get your kids to eat it too.

I prefer to make my own because then I can control what goes in it.  Little man doesn't eat fruit in his so I can make a big batch and then divide it up so some has fruit and others do not.  You can also decide if you want more or less of one of the add ins, or even leave an add in completely out.  You can total control!  (With a 2 year old in my house sometimes it is nice to feel like I have control over something)  So here is my go to granola recipe:


 You will need:
3 cups rolled oats (not instant or 1 minute cooking) 
1 cup flaked coconut, unsweetened 
1/2 cup  honey 
1/4 cup wheat germ  
1/2 cup slivered almonds 
2 Tbsp unsalted butter (may substitute oil of your choice) 
1 tbsp vanilla
How to:
In a small pan mix the butter and honey.  Bring to a boil.  While this is warming mix everything else but the vanilla in a large baking dish.  Once honey mixture boils remove from heat and add vanilla.  Pour over the oat mixture and stir thoroughly.  Place in a preheated 300 degree oven.  Bake for 45 minutes stirring every 15 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before eating.

You can add dried fruit after it comes out of the oven and you can add different nuts if you wish

Until next time,