Well worth it Granola

The roar of the grinder, click of a heating oven, bustle of washing dishes and sweeping floors, mixing ingredients. First trimester ickiness is so last month.

And we're eating real food. Fresh veggies and homemade bread. I even made ricotta cheese yesterday (yummy). I haven't felt this "normal" in months.

I got some terrific cookbooks for Christmas, books I'd eyed for months. My book this week is Alana Chernil's Homemade Pantry. Here I was jonesing for cereal, and she reminded me that I can always make my own. Delicious, gluten free granola. We've tried the store bought variety. Dried fruit and nuts stuck to corn chips(!). Huge disappointment. And really once you've had fresh from the oven, cinnamon smoldering granola, you never reach for a box again. Plus it takes about 10 minutes of undivided attention. That's less time than I take reading ingredient lists at the grocery store.

Best of all, this recipe is flexible. If mine doesn't come out clumpy enough, add sugar and oil. The fruits, seeds and nuts are completely your preference. Even the baking time can be adjusted to suit. So make it yours.

Well worth it Granola

Ingredients
8 c rolled oats (gf if need be)
2 c seeds (sunflower, sesame, amaranth, flax, chia, pumpkin, buckwheat/kasha - use what you have)
2 c chopped nuts (use your favorite)
1/2 t salt
1-2 T cinnamon

1/3 c oil (I use coconut or sunflower seed)
3/4 c applesauce or canned pumpkin
1/2 c maple syrup or honey
1-2 T vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease two large casserole dishes.

Mix all dry ingredients in your largest mixing bowl until evenly incorporated. Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl until mixture is smooth. Poor wet ingredients over dry and stir until evenly coated.

Lay raw granola in prepped dishes and spread evenly. Cook for 30 minutes. Stir and rotate. Repeat twice. When granola is golden and crunchy throughout, turn off oven and allow granola to cool in the oven for a couple hours.

When cool, transfer to canisters. If you want dried fruit in your granola, you can add it now or when you serve it.

Enjoy in handfuls, in yogurt, over ice cream. Any time really.