Granola Fit for a Green Diva (Piglet approved)

My dear friend, Nadia Chait gave me this recipe and I have been experimenting with it ever since. It provides a great foundation for adding your favorite nuts, dried fruits and spices. Granola is not only a great road-trip snack, but it also makes a great breakfast, birthday present,  or a simple way to make your house smell absolutely amazing. While this recipe itself is delicious, feel free to experiment. We made ours extra delicious by adding semi-sweet chocolate chips, coconut, nutmeg and using coconut oil instead of olive oil. Yum! Yum! Here’s my homemade granola recipe . . .

Here’s What You Need:

• 3 1/2 c rolled oats (not quick oats)
• 1/2 c wheat germ
• 1/2 c pecans
• 1/2 c walnuts
• 1/2 c almonds
• 1/2 c sunflower seeds
• 1/4 c veg or canola oil
• 1/2 c maple syrup (you can also use honey, but use a couple tbsp more and a little more oil also.)
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 c dried fruit (i use cranberries, apricots and raisins, but you can use whatever you want)

Ready? Set? Mix, Pour, Spread and Mix Again!

1. Mix together the oats, wheat germ, and nuts.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup. If you are using honey, heat it up a little bit to make it easier to mix.

3. Pour wet ingredients over dry, mixing with a large wooden spoon or spatula until the oats appear evenly coated.

4. Spread granola onto two baking sheets.

5. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 1/2 hour. Stir by bringing the granola into the center of the pan, then back out, so that it gets evenly browned. Reverse the baking sheets each time you stir. If you do not want clusters, bake at 250 for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes

6. Once it is light to medium golden-brown, remove from oven and let cool completely.

7. Once it has cooled, put it back into the bowl and mix in the dried fruit. Package it up tightly–it will stay good for several weeks in a tightly sealed container.

This will make about four quarts of granola, so share with friends! Piglet went a bit overboard . . .