When I was living in Canada with a full-time job I used to think, 'Who the f are these people that have time to make their own meals?' At that time I was working 50 - 70 hour weeks and my grocery lists consisted solely of things that could become a meal at the push of a button. Frozen burritos? check. Insta-soups? check. Giant tubs of peanut butter? check. But now that I have a bit more time and live in a country that doesn't always provide me with what I consider to be staple products (there are no pickles here for god sake), I have started to get a little more crafty in the kitchen. Which is how I ended up making my own granola.
If I had known how easy and delicious home-made granola is I think I would have made time for it even in my work-a-holic years.
Here is one recipe that produces delicious results from the Susan Mendelson cookbook - Let Me In The Kitchen (I've had it since I was a kid):
Crunchy Granola
Ingredients:
5 cups rolled oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup wheat or rye flakes
1 cup raw sunflower seeds (hulled)
1 cup coconut
1 cup raw nuts (whatever floats your boat)
1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
1 cup liquid honey
1/2 light oil
2 cups raisins
Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F
2) Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl (except the raisins)
3) Add oil and honey and mix well
4) Spread mixture evenly on a large cookie sheet
5) Put in oven for approx 45 minutes (or until desired crunchiness has been achieved), stirring the granola every 15 minutes so it doesn't burn
6) When it has reached your desired crunchiness, pull out of oven, cool and add the raisins.
Voila! Granola.
It will last a little over a week.
