Making granola

I make a big tray of homemade granola about once a week. It looks like more work than it is, although the process is a little bit fussy until you get it streamlined. But it's worth the trouble and costs a fraction of what you pay for a fancy bag at a place like Whole Foods. We both eat granola for breakfast Monday thru Friday-- me with plain yogurt and John with milk. I don't get bored with it, maybe because my "recipe" changes from week to week. So that is pretty darn healthy. (Although on the weekends we look forward to eggs and pancakes, and if we're really lucky some bacon!)

There are many recipes for granola, but it isn't like baking so you can improvise according to what you like and have on hand. Nuts, for example. When you throw a bunch of tasty ingredients together, it's pretty hard to mess up.

My basic recipe goes like this:
1 (small) container rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped or whole nuts
1/2 cup dried fruit
1/2 cup "healthy-type" margarine (or butter, if you're still living the good life)
1/4 cup honey


Mix together the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts. Melt the margarine and honey over low heat, then pour it over the oats mixture and mix it in. (You can do this in a separate bowl, or right on the cookie sheet.) Bake in a slow oven (about 300) for a half hour or so, until light brown. You may have to stir it with a spatula so the edges don't burn. Right before you take it out, add the fruit or raisins.

P.S. Hi April! Thanks, sweetie for following my blog.