Crunchy Granola Recipe

I prefer to use organic ingredients, but if you can't get them, just feel good knowing you're making a better, fresher granola than anything you can buy at the market.

Granola Ingredients
4 cups rolled oats (or 2 cups oats plus 2 cups barley)
1/2 cup honey or pure maple syrup
1/4 lb (1 stick) melted butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp salt (sea salt is best, or can be omitted)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Extras - add as many or few as you like

1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup each of any dried fruits: I use cranberries, raisins, cherries, chopped dried pineapple, blueberries

To make this more of a snack food, I add 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips after the granola has completely cooled.

Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix oats and barley together in large mixing bowl; season with salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Mix melted margarine with honey or maple syrup, pour over the oats and mix well until the flakes are coated.

Spread mixture on cookie sheet lined with foil.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, checking and stirring every 10 minutes until flakes are light golden brown. Don't over cook or you'll burn the honey.

Remove from oven, cool slightly and return mixture to large mixing bowl. Mix in nuts and dried fruits, then immediately transfer to an airtight container. We like to store our granola is a large glass jar canister with a scoop inside. If you have granola lovers in the house, it won't last long ...

I first discovered and fell in love with this delicious crunchy granola at a quaint bed and breakfast in Maine many years ago. The innkeepers of The Maine Stay published a newsletter for former guests, and one issue included the recipe for Carol's Homemade Granola.

When I make this granola, I omit the salt and add lots of dried fruit, nuts and seeds. You can add those or not, depending on your preferences and dietary needs. When I make this granola as a holiday gift, I often add dark chocolate chips and call it Granola Trail Mix.

I've always cooked "from scratch" - I even made my own baby food more than 40 years ago. I learned to prepare healthy, fast meals and treats for my family when I was a teenager, and I continued that practice as a working single mom with two daughters. As a grandmother with an eye on cardiac issues on both sides of my family, I still refuse to buy most prepared foods and I avoid most prepackaged mixes.