Crunchy Granola . . . . . Sweet!!

I love Greek yogurt.  I love it so much that I try to find as many things to eat with it as I can.  Today I decided I need to make some granola.  I searched around, reviewed some recipes, asked friends, and came up with the following.  It is very important that the song at the bottom of the page be played sometime during the making of the granola.  In fact, it is almost critical if you are over the age of 50.

I made this in two large batches.  You can cut it in half for one large baking sheet or 3.5 cups of granola.  I like to cook in bulk so I made two batches of 7 cups and added different things to each batch.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients:

2 cups of rolled oats (Bob’s Red Mill)

½ cup of chopped nuts (I used pecans)

6 tbsps of pumpkin seeds

4 tbsps of sesame seeds

¼ tsp  salt

1 ½ tsps. Cinnamon

6 tbsps. Ground flax meal  (Bob’s Red Mill)

Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl:

6 tbsps of maple syrup

6 tbsps of unsweetened applesauce

1 ½ tsps. Vanilla ( I always use real vanilla – it is well worth it).

1 tbsp. of light oil (not olive)

Combine wet ingredients with dry and mix thoroughly.

Spread over two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  The parchment paper is important because it soaks ups any oil and keeps your granola from oven frying. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes stirring every five minutes (you can clean the kitchen, vacuum, do laundry, and dance in the minutes between stirrings).  I knew it was almost done and all dried out when my glasses stopped steaming up each time I opened the oven.

Pour the granola into a shallow pan or bowl and let it cool completely before adding other ingredients.

I added dried blueberries to one batch (right) and a mix of dried cranberries, golden raisins, cherries, and blueberries (left) that I found at Ocean State Job Lots to the other. 

Yummy!!