Mom's Granola

I made my favorite granola today. Yum!! It is my go-to snack when I'm in a hurry and my favorite breakfast, too. Because it has fat, carbs and protein, it keeps you filled up for a while. I love granola, but it is so expensive and often has questionable ingredients. By making my own I save a ton of money and I know exactly what is in it. Plus, it is really easy. This recipe is adapted from my mom's recipe from the 70's. Her recipe called for twice as much oil and honey. I've cut both of those. Also, I've substituted flax seed meal for the wheat germ. (You should probably use both, but I don't always have time to go to Whole Foods or Granny's Pantry and I can get flax seed meal at Trader Joe's.) And I need the Omega 3's from the flax seed. My brain needs all the help it can get! Here's the recipe:

Mom's Granola

1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup water

5 cups (or one whole container) oats

3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup flax seed meal
1- 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts or seeds (I use walnuts, almonds and pecans)
1/2 cup coconut

dried fruit (optional -- any kind. I like chopped dried apricots, apples and cranberries.)

Preheat oven to 350.
Wisk together the liquid ingredients.
Put oats in a big bowl and then add the liquid. Stir to conbine well.
Then add the next four ingredients and stir to combine.
Bake on a large, lipped cookie sheet or two 9 by 13" pans for 30 - 40 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes or so and watch it closely at the end because it can burn.
Leave it on the counter to cool and get crispy.
Add dried fruit, if desired.
Store in an airtight container.
It makes enough to almost fill my 3 quart container. That's a lot of granola!

Great over yogurt with fresh fruit or just with milk. Also, here is a recipe for our new favorite dessert:

Faux Peach Cobbler

vanilla ice cream
fresh, ripe peaches
granola

Heat up a grill pan over medium heat.
Cut the peaches into quarters.
Grill the peaches, cut side down until slightly soft, turning to do the other side. (Look for the grill marks.)
Serve ice cream in a bowl. Top with peaches and granola. So tasty!!

Enjoy!