Granola

I just recently started making my own granola and now wonder how I’ve survived breakfast all these years without it. A big batch should last about a week (two adults, two kids), unless you are like me and sneak it as a snack when the kids aren’t looking. Then it lasts about five days and you are stuck eating cherrios until you motivate to make it again.

6-8 cups of oats
1 cup almonds, finely chopped
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
1 cup coconut
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 - 3/4 cup honey
raisins to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
1. Lightly toast oats in large roasting pan over medium heat until fragrant (about 5 minutes)
2. Add nuts and seeds and stir continuously for 5 minutes
3. Add coconut and stir continuously for 3 minutes
4. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey
5. Stir until honey is all the way worked in
6. Bake in oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
7. Continue to stir occasionally while cooling
8. Add raisins (I let the kids add their own raisins at breakfast)

Having the girls scoop the granola into tupperware is a great activity. We get about 30 minutes of quiet cooperation with this task… especially if I give them little spoons.

Then they get to sweep… which quickly turns into a fight over who gets to sweep and who gets to hold the dustpan.

To settle the broom/dustpan dispute, I bribe promise a trail mix treat to girls who can sweep without fighting. (I set aside some almonds, walnuts, and seeds, and add a few raisins and chocolate chips.)