Crispy, nutty granola

My latest goal is to be able to feed myself using 100% homemade meals, with the exception of bread (we’re getting there!), butter, milk, cheese, etc. One morning I was enjoying a bowl of granola-type cereal and milk, and I thought to myself: I could make this! This has been happening to me a lot lately. I finally learned to make a good buttery pastry crust for quiches and tarts that are 100% me, and 100% tastier. I no longer need to go out to eat at Indian restaurants or buy sub-par supermarket or frozen naan bread because I can make my own. I’ve even mastered the gyro/kebab, perfect homemade pizza, and McDonald’s has got nothing on my fries.

The obvious reasons for making your own whatever are that it’s usually much cheaper, it usually tastes better, you know exactly what’s in it, and you can adapt it to fit your specific tastes. I love sunflower seeds. So I threw a bunch of them into this granola recipe, and it was divine. This recipe is 100% customizable, so feel free to use it as a base and throw in whatever makes you happy in the morning (or in the afternoon).

Crispy, nutty granola
Ingredients:
The base recipe:
2 C oats
1/3 C brown sugar
1 t allspice
1 t cinnamon
1/4 C butter
3 T honey
My personal add-ins:
3/4 C almonds
1/2 C shredded coconut
1/4 C cashews
1/2 C sunflower seeds
1/3 C walnuts

This is so easy. Preheat your oven to 300°. Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan. Once combined, add the honey. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine everything else. Pour the butter/sugar/honey mixture over the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the granola evenly over it. That’s it! The classic granola clusters will happen all by themselves as it bakes (you may even have to break it up once you remove it from the oven). Bake for about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the mixture is deep golden brown. Keep a close eye on it from 10 minutes on, as there is a fine line between deep golden brown and almost burnt ;) Enjoy with milk in the morning, with yogurt anytime or by the handful as a delicious snack.