formula

How to make granola -- or not.

Ok, what do I know about making granola. I am good reading recipes, but not too good at following them. Mostly.

Daughter Arline makes wonderful granola, and one day I got her recipe. (when I worked in a bakery when I was in high school, products were made from a “formula” and not a “recipe”. I still follow that warped view).

10 cups of quick cooking oats. That one I never mess with.

1 cup of shredded Cocoanut. (OK, if 1 is good 1 ½ would probably be even better, so I use 2)

1 cup of nuts/seeds. (Now hang on: big hand full of roasted peanuts; another hand full of almonds, chopped; the same of walnuts; any other handy nuts, hand full or more; then a whole bunch of sun flower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and even sesame seeds.

We have had a jar of cake decorating sprinkles in the cupboard for decades (plus or minus), so I put a fist full of those in.

½ c of oil. I used olive oil and did not cheat

½ c of honey. Often add some molasses, but did not this time.

1 ½ t of salt

2 t vanilla.

I use our largest stainless bowl to mix it all in, and I get in there with my hands. Sticky, yes.

Put it all in a big pan of some sort, and put in the oven at 170 degrees. Every hour turn it over for about 4 hours or until it tastes “cooked.”

Cool totally.

Add another really big hand full of chocolate chips (or two), any dried fruit you can locate (chopped), and a fair bit of cinnamon.

With that chocolate and dried fruit and nuts you can hardly taste those "healthy" oats.

When Arline comes to visit, I will hide the tupperware container, lest she think that was HER formula!

Next time should I try some Worcester sauce?