Fond Granola Memories

When I first started on this path to greater self-sufficiency, one of my goals was to get as far away from processed food as possible, especially boxed cereals. Why boxed cereals? Because, despite the claim to be made of whole grains, you can't take a grain and extrude, hydrogenize, emulsify, pulverize and expect it to be good for you. That cereal is no more whole grain than the box it was packaged in. And don't get me started on the High Fructose Corn Syrup and artificial colors and flavorings. Or the prices.

So in an effort to eat more nutritious, recognizable foods, I started making granola using a recipe that I found from the Dervaes family website (www.urbanhomestead.org). What I love about granola is that it's so easy to 'tweak' to suit your own palate. AND it's wonderful for using up those little dribs and drabs of leftover ingredients such as nuts, seeds, flavorings, oils and syrups. The best part of granola is that it's so easy to use outside of the breakfast cereal bowl. You can top applesauce or yogurt for a little bit of sweet crunch or top cooked apples for a pseudo-apple crisp dessert. It's also delicious served with some warm milk on cold mornings.

So here's the 'base' recipe for homemade granola. Try making substitutions to suit it to your own palate, like using maple syrup in place of honey, pecans instead of almonds, flax seed instead of sesame. I guarantee you'll like it. And once you get used to your own version, the stuff in the boxes will never taste the same!

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 T vanilla extract
1 cup raisins

Combine the oats, coconut, sunflower seeds, almonds and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Combine honey, oil and vanilla and stir into the oat mixture. Spread evenly in a large greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 30-35 minutes til lightly browned, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cooled, break into clumps and add the raisins. Store in an airtight container.