Megan's Granola

Megan's Granola   8 C rolled oats 3/4 C wheat germ 3/4 C ground flax seed 1 1/2 C oat bran 1 1/2 C finely chopped almonds 1 1/2 C finely chopped pecans 1 1/2 t salt

1/2 C brown sugar

1/4 C maple syrup

3/4 C honey

1 C vegetable oil

1 T ground cinnamon

1 T vanilla extract

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil. Combine the oats, wheat germ, flax seed, oat bran, almonds and pecans in a large bowl. Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes. Stir once halfway through. Cool, before storing in an airtight container.

**Just ANOTHER granola recipe....it's because if I just could pick one food to eat the rest of my life, it would be granola....and Greek yogurt.  So I'm always trying new recipes.  Most don't delight me, but this one was a keeper.

**Adapted from Megan's Granola from allrecipes.com Next time I'll try it with way less oil.

Breanna's Granola

Breanna's Granola - adapted

3 C old-fashioned rolled oats
1 C shredded coconut
3/4 C chopped almonds
3/4 C chopped pecans
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
4 T butter
1/3 C honey
1 t vanilla
 
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
 
In a large bowl stir together oats, coconut, almonds, pecans, cinnamon, and salt.  In a small saucepan melt butter with honey over low heat, stirring.  Add vanilla and pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined.
 
On a large baking sheet, spread the granola evenly in a thin layer.  Bake, stirring every 5 minutes to keep from sticking or burning, until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.  (Do not overcook; the granola will crisp more when cooled.)  Cool granola on the pan.  Granola may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

*The only thing I do differently, is Breanna likes walnuts...she adds 1/2 C of each kind of nut. Check out her original blog post here.
*I usually just like to go to her blog for the recipe, but it has become a big enough favorite that it needs to be on this blog too! Thanks Bre, you're the best! 
*Awesome kept in the freezer and so amazing on parfaits....I buy Greek yogurt from costco and mix in honey or truvia or agave nectar and vanilla (vanilla bean for special occasions). Add any fruit, so yummy! That's what the picture was set up for....."Everybody loves a parfait!" -Donkey on Shrek

My Muesli

My Muesli

1 C oats
2/3 C Uncle Sam Cereal (wheat berry flakes)
1/3 C Quinoa Flakes (also a cereal)
4 T wheat germ
4 T ground flaxseed
1/4 C chia seeds
1/3 C golden raisins

Combine all ingredients and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat with yogurt or as a hot or cold cereal.

** 1/4 C serving is 141 calories, 4g fat, 5g fiber and 5g protein.
**When I lived in England, I loved muesli....Alpen Muesli to be exact.  You can buy it here now and it's delicious, but not particularly healthy.  So I made up my own version with less sugar and a little more umph!  I eat it mixed in greek yogurt and then topped with a little vanilla soy milk and fruit. I add the soy milk because it get's quite thick.  Traditionally, Europeans mix it with their yogurt or milk the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator over night. I like it both ways, but usually I don't think about it the night before.
**You could add anything you want to muesli...nuts, dates, dried fruit...no limit.  I change mine up all the time, but this is my base!

Granola Perfection

Granola Perfection (at least in my mind)

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 C wheat flakes  (All Bran)

1 cup shredded coconut

3/4 C cup chopped almonds (or sliced)

3/4 C cup chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl stir together oats, wheat flakes, coconut, almonds, pecans, cinnamon, and salt.  In a small saucepan melt butter over med-low heat and continue cooking until butter browns. It should be a caramel color, not dark brown.  Remove from heat and add honey and vanilla.  Stir to combine.  Add vanilla and pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined.

On a large baking sheet, spread the granola evenly in a thin layer.  Bake, stirring every 5 minutes to keep from sticking or burning, until golden brown and crisp, about 20-25 minutes.  (Do not overcook; the granola will crisp more when cooled.)  Cool granola on the pan.  Store in an airtight container.

**This in my opinion is my favorite combo of granola recipes....and believe me, in the last month, I've made several!  Breanna introduced me to this masterpiece, which is salty and has a few more nuts.  I have always loved this one, which is sweet, but light and crunchy from the wheat flakes.  So, I combined the two and I'm in parfait heaven!

**I prefer chopped almonds, but in a time pinch, the pre-sliced are nice.

Pecan Almond Granola

Pecan Almond Granola 

1/2 C honey              
1/2 C canola oil
2 t vanilla              
2 t almond extract
2 t cinnamon              
5 C bran flakes
2 1/4 C old fashioned oats     
2 C sliced almonds, lightly toasted
2 C chopped pecans, lightly toasted      
2 C shredded coconut

Cook honey, oil, vanilla, almond extract, and cinnamon until almost boiling.  Pour over rest of ingredients and stir well.  Spread out mixture onto two large cooking sheets and bake at  375 for 15-20 minutes or until lightly toasted (stir after 10 minutes).  When done cool on cookie sheets and then store in airtight container.

**So amazing on yogurt! Add berries and you're in parfait heaven!
**I also like to add golden raisins to the granola in the last 5 minutes of cooking.