Homemade Granola

I love granola like you wouldn't believe, but lately I've had trouble finding any I can eat (what with the whole, low-carb healthy-eating thing). So I was quite happy to learn it's not impossible to make your own! While I don't know whether this is actually healthier than the store-bought versions, it was a nice thing to do while post-tropical storm Irene raged outside but did not steal my electricity. I like chopping nuts -- oh, comforting rhythm! -- and I like baking slowly in the oven. It was, all in all, a very relaxing thing to do. The craisins were a little overdone though: next time I'll put them in just before the last time I stir it so as not to end up with burnt craisin bits. I got the original recipe from the blog Honeycomb, but has to alter it since I couldn't get all the ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2cups rolled oats (I used a blend of oats, barely flakes, wheat flakes, rye flakes and kamut flakes)

rounded 1/3 cup chopped pecans

rounded 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

rounded 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 tablespoon Splenda brown sugar (or 2 tablespoons brown sugar)

1 really healthy dash cinnamon

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

generous pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

rounded 1/3 cup cherry-flavored craisins

you'll also need:

baking sheet lined with foil

wooden spoon (or other mixing spoon)

medium-size mixing bowl

large microwave safe mixing bowl

metal cooling rack

1. preheat oven to 250 F.

2. in the medium bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, brown sugar and cinnamon. Make sure everything is well distributed. (I also added the craisins at this stage, but I won't do that again!)

3. in the larger bowl, combine the corn syrup, oil, salt and vanilla. Stick it in the microwave for 10 seconds and then stir it.

4. dump the dry ingredients into the larger bowl and stir until it looks like everything has been coated and looks a bit glossy.

5. spread the mixture evenly over the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 1 hour and fifteen minutes. Every fifteen minutes, stir the granola so that it cooks evenly. The last time you're about to stir it, add in the craisins.

6.once it's done, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool completely on the rack, still on the sheet. When it's completely cook, break it up with the wooden spoon and store it in an airtight container. Enjoy your yummy and simple granola!

This granola is based on the original recipe from the blog Honeycomb.