Hippie Granola

When I was a kid, my class went of a field trip to Yosemite.  It was 3rd grade.  Many things happened on this trip.  A bear broke into our camp and ate our chocolate. It poured rain one night and all the water pooled under the girls tent, right under my sleeping bag.  We had to pack all of our stuff over a river balancing on a log and some kid...I don't remember who...dropped their sleeping bag in the water.

 But what really stands out for me is that we had Granola.

Now...I remember there being a big kafuffle because for one of the breakfasts we were going to have on this field trip was Granola with Milk.  I distinctly remember one child actually being angry that we had to eat granola.  I think he was hoping for Froot Loops.   I remember thinking to myself, I LOVE granola. (I also love Froot Loops, but I was only ever allowed to have those at my Grandma Padilla's house.  She would buy us Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, and Coco Puffs and make us bacon and eggs and waffles every time we spent the night at her house.  She felt bad for us because my parents fed us granola and brown bread and we were hippie kids.)

I can even remember that though it was a cold, wet morning and I was still wet from my wet sleeping bag debacle, that granola was the best thing EVER!  It had almonds and coconut and the milk was whole.  Be still my beating heart...

I still love granola to this day.  I can't remember the last time I ate it with milk, let alone Whole milk.  Oh the luxury...

When my kids were little, I would buy the stuff in bulk and we ate it all the time.

These days...I make my own.  I will never go back.  Never Ever I tell you!

Why would I ever go back?  This is so easy...and yummy and simple...and healthy!

Gather up some of this stuff, I forgot to put my coconut out for the picture and I had no sesame seeds.

Mix everything up..spread it on a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper...

Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes...stir...pop back in the oven for another 15 minures.

Stir in dried fruit...I used turkish apricots because sometimes they lead me to tears of joy and redemption.

And these days, I don't do much milk, especially whole.  So I eat my granola just like this.

But my kids eat it with milk, on yogurt and even on ice cream.   Sometimes I make it into granola bars  for an easy lunch box snack.  It is a great energy fix for active kids!

I hope you like granola, and I hope you like this recipe.  

If not, there is something clearly wrong with you.

Hippie Granola

3 Cups rolled oats

1/2 Cup flaked coconut

1/2-1 Cup chopped nuts (like almond and pecan personally)

1/2 shelled sunflower seeds

1/4 sesame seeds/pumpkin seeds

1 Cup dried fruit

1/4 Cup maple syrup

1/4 Cup molasses 

1/3 Cup oil, not olive

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Mix maple syrup, molasses and oil together.

Pour maple syrup mixture over oats and nuts and seeds, mix thoroughly.

Spread out evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake in 300 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Stir granola and spread out again.

Bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and stir in dried fruit.

Let cool.

Enjoy!

I store mine in quart glass jars with screw on lids. The Granola can be frozen between uses. I suggest it actually because of the oil and all the oils in the nuts and seeds, it will keep it from going bad.  Oil goes rancid easily.  Rancid oil in no good for you, even if it comes from delicious granola.  I keep all my nuts and seeds in the freezer and my oil (not olive) in the fridge.

Remember that this is just a basic recipe...change it up if you like to suit your likes and dislikes.

Combos I like...Almond/Cherry

                         Pecan/Cranberry 

                        Walnut/Rasin

                        Almond/Apricot

                        Bacon/Froot Loop