Granola topping

I can never quite get rid of the snack urge.  I love crunchy things, or sweet things, or salty things...you name it.  I've done a pretty good job of eliminating junk from our diets, and our cupboards, but that doesn't mean that every day, shortly after Calvin slips into nap time sleep land, I don't get that sudden desire to start munching.  So my goal has been to find things to munch on that satisfy those cravings without blowing the day's sugar or sodium intake right off the chart (aside from carrot or celery sticks, which just don't do it).  I know I've also mentioned, umpteen times before, my complete aversion to pre-processed over-packaged foods, and I think that we belong to a society that supports the notion that many foods are a mystery and are not creatable in our own kitchens.  So much the better for companies like Kraft and Keebler (or are they the same company?).  But a quick and simple search on the internet, and a relatively short amount of time, is all it takes to break through the unfair force shield protecting those commercial interestes; we can make just about anythign we need in life with a handful of naturl and basic ingredients.

But that's a big topic.  For the moment, let's just start with granola.  What I really wanted to make was a crunchy snack, and this most certainly was not it, but this version, which is soft and sweet, does make a great topping for Greek yoghurt!  And it was a lot of fun for Calvin to help cook and then eat with lunch.  Down side?  Way too much sugar, as far as I'm concerned.  Back to the drawing board.

Granola topping

Dry Ingredients:
  ● 5 cups rolled oats  (you can also use a combination of rolled grains)
  ● 2-3 cups of raw almond halves or slivers
  ● 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  ● ¾ cup sesame seeds
  ● ½ cup wheat germ or ground flax seed (I used flax)
  ● 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  ● 1 tsp ground ginger
  ● 1 tsp salt

Optional
  ● 1/2 - 1 cup unsweetened coconut
  ● ½ cup dried fruit—(add after cooked)(I used raisins)

Wet Ingredients:
  ● ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
  ● 1/3 cup agave nectar, brown rice syrup, honey or maple syrup (I used honey)
  ● 2 Tbsp canola oil

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2.  Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix the wet ingredients together, and then stir into dry ingredients.  Stir well to mix thoroughly.

3.  Spread the mixture into two baking dishes. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until evenly golden brown.  Stir every 10 minutes to ensure even browning.  Stir again when removed from oven to keep it from cooling into a solid mass.  The granola will crisp as it cools.  If you use fruit, stir once it is cooled.

Yield: 10 cups
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.