Homemade granola

As mentioned before, I decided to make granola...only I did it last night instead of a week ago.  I found the recipe from this site here and was pretty satisfied with the results.  Perhaps next time I'll add a bit more honey and less salt.  (Not sure why, but there was a big call for salt in the recipe.  Though, my mother always told me never to add as much as the recipe calls for in regards to salt.)  O well, lesson learned once more and for next time. 

It makes me happy to know that I won't have to buy super expensive/gourmet granola anymore since I can easily make it on my own.  Thom and I had this conversation last night on people being sustainable vs buying everything at a supermarket.  And while I still choose to buy things like laundry soap and shampoo, I have found some blogs of people who actually go the whole nine yards and make things from house cleaners to their own deodorant!  Perhaps in some small ways, I have been a little bit less consumer dependent and more home-savvy.  (Examples include my small potted garden of herbs and tomatoes)  It would be interesting to see how far I could go before my neighbors start the jokes about me being a crazy hippie...


Recipe for homemade granola:
(From "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking" by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito via www.amateurgourmet.com)


Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt (I would add a dash or pinch, not a tsp!)
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey (Add a bit more for a better hold)
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole almonds

Preheat the oven to 315 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, toss the oats with the cinnamon and salt.

In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined.  Thom and I bought this honey locally at an apple farm in Victor, NY.

Pour the honey mixture over the oats mixture and use your hands to combine them: Gather up some of the mixture in each hand and make a fist. Repeat until all of the oats are coated with the honey mixture.

Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, but leave a few clumps here and there for texture.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola.

Sprinkle the almonds over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven. Bake for 5 min. more. You can later add any dried fruits of your choice afterwards. Just add, stir granola around again and bake for 5 min. more. I added some craisins here.

Allow granola to cool completely and then store in an air tight container. Granola should keep for about 1 week.