Why do I make my own granola?

Because.......if I were to box my homemade granola, the ingredient label would read: Organic old fashioned oats, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, brown sugar, honey, vanilla extract, canola oil, cranberries, dates, apricots.

Any similar factory produced granola would have the following ingredients: Oats, sugar, blueberries, almonds, xanthum gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan, guar gum, dextrose, alpha tocopherol acetate, niacinamide, Vitamin A palmitate, natural and artificial flavors, caramel color, BHT.

Period.

Crunchy Homemade Granola:

Makes about 6-7 cups

Ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats

2 cups combined nuts and seeds of choice*

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup honey

1 TBS vanilla extract

1 cup mixed dried fruit**

Pinch of salt

Method:

Mix the oats, nuts, seeds, brown sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the oil, honey and vanilla extract in another bowl. Pour over the oat mixture and combine with dry hands to coat thoroughly.

Bake at 325 deg F for 30-40 minutes. Toss a couple of times during the baking process to ensure even browning.

Cool completely and then add the dried fruits. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 -2 months.

Serving:

Serve about 1/2 cup of granola with milk or yogurt. Top with fruits and/or berries.

Notes:

*I used a combination of 3/4 cup chopped almonds, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup chopped pistachios, 3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds.

**I used 1/2 cup sweetened cranberries, 1/4 cup chopped apricots, 1/4 cup chopped pitted dates.