Easy Granola

Adapted recipe from the  100 days of real food website

Hopefully you have been following my previous posts about eating more "real" food.  My husband and I have challenged ourselves to whenever possible eating only unprocessed no refined or modified anything foods.  We already didn't eat "processed" food that often, but we had no clue how many seemingly healthy foods in fact aren't. Label reading woke us up! One of the main packaged foods we did eat A LOT of is cold cereal. We wake up early for work and so anything quick for breakfast is a heaven send. {ok and sometimes for dinner too} No more cold cereal. Ouch.  So I am madly in love with the 100 days of real food website. Its probably the most useful site I have come across with recipes that are actually good.  Anyways, since we are on a no more cold cereal kick that means I needed to make something in its place.  I found Winco bulk foods just in time! I stocked up on nuts, dried fruits and all sorts of other stuff which all go great in granola.  Here is the recipe I use from the site {with a few of my own adaptions of course!}

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups rolled oats 
• 1/2 cup steel cut oats
• 1 cup raw sliced almonds
• 1 cup raw cashew pieces
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds or kernels
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg or allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• parchment paper or foil

You can also add in dried fruit to replace the nuts if you have allergies.  I love nuts, so I love this recipe.  I like to add a little handful of dried fruit and milk to this for breakfast.... or just munch on it for a great little snack.

Step 1:

Add the butter, honey, and vanilla to a microwave save bowl. Heat on high for about a minute or until the butter is melted.

Step 2:

Add all of the remaining ingredients into a large bowl then add the melted butter and honey.  Stir ingredients until evenly coated.

 Step 3:

Line 2 sheet pans or cookie sheets {any shallow pan} with parchment or foil. Divide the mixture evenly between the 2 pans and press it flat into a thin, even layer.

Step 4:

Bake at 250 degrees for about 1 hour and 15 minutes {should be a light golden brown}.  Do not stir while its cooking.  

Step 5:

Once again, don't stir it.  Just let the granola cool in the pan.  It will harden and get crunchy as it cools.  Once it is completely cool, break it into chunks then store it in an air tight container.