Munch, munch, munch! This is the sound I make whenever my hands and mouth both have free time, which sometimes is way too often.
I know some of you can relate when it comes to snacking. We all have good days and bad days, the cheese puff days are the bad and the fruit and veggie days are the good. I seem to constantly find myself trying to find that balance of sweet and salty versus chewy and crunchy.
Dried fruit or yogurt can be a simple fix when it comes to craving something sweet but what is a person supposed to do when all you can think about is salty chips? Nuts by themselves can be boring, and personally, I eat around the raisins in the trail mix, of course being sure to devour every chocolate piece I can find first. I even struggle with the mid-day belly growl and my body looking for a pick-me-up. I’d prefer to keep my hand out of the crappy snack bag and give myself something my body might appreciate more.
Granola. I love granola. Give me any kind of granola and chances are it will not have much of a lifetime. Put granola and fruit on top of some yogurt and, boy, am I in heaven. The only thing that keeps me from buying granola in the grocery store is well, price, sometimes too ridiculous for one to imagine and well I never really know what some of those funky ingredients are or how processed it is.
Well lo and behold making granola at home just became the highlight of my month. Basically you take a bunch of your favorite things and bake them until golden brown, let cool and mix with chocolate and dried fruit. Seriously, how could you go wrong?
The hardest part is choosing which ingredients you want to use. For my first batch I went with cinnamon and nutmeg for spice, almonds and pecans for nuts, dried cherries for some tart fruitiness and chocolate covered raspberries just for the sake of having chocolate.
The plus side to making granola at home is that odds are you have most of the essential ingredients at home and there is so much freedom that you could have any kind of granola your heart desires.
Oh and did I mention how great the smell is? It smells like I have been slaving over the kitchen counter baking pies and cobblers for days. Time to throw out that air freshener and start baking up some granola!
Homemade Granola
Yields: 5-6 cups
Ingredients:
3 cups grain (Old fashioned rolled oats)
1 ½ cups raw nuts, chopped is necessary (almonds, pecans, walnuts)
¾ cup sweetener (honey, agave, maple syrup)
½ cup oil (neutral oil is best such as canola, grapeseed or sunflower but a good extra virgin olive oil works just as well too)
1 ½ cups seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, flax, sesame)
1 cup dried fruit, chopped if necessary
1 t spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom)
1 t salt
¼ chocolate chips
• In a large bowl mix together the grain, nuts, seeds, salt and spices. Stir to combine.
• Add the sweetener and oil. Mix very well.
• Spread the mixture out onto a sheet pan that has deep sides. Parchment paper is not necessary but if omitting some or all of the oil the granola will stick and it is recommended.
• Bake in a 300 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes. Stirring the granola every 20 minutes. Ovens vary which may result in lesser cooking time. Cook until just golden brown.
• Let granola completely cool on baking sheet. Granola should harden once fully cooled. Pour granola into a large mixing bowl. Toss with dried fruit and chocolate pieces. Store in an air tight container. Serve on top of your favorite yogurt, with fresh fruit or on its own as a snack!
