The truth is, there are a lot of recipes and posts I have for you, I just haven’t had the chance to post them. I get these food blogging lulls. There is always something made in the kitchen, the photos have been taken, but the words to get them all tied up together in a meaningful bundle are just not happening. The problem with that is, I sometimes forget where I jotted down the ingredient list, or if I do, I forget to note the procedure and by the time I get around to writing the recipe, it’s gone — POOF! And I do, I really do want to share all the good stuff with you. I really do need to keep a pen and paper in the kitchen so I can write down steps as I go. This aging brain isn’t that reliable anymore.

Just when I started editing the photo below, my heart almost sank. For heaven’s sake I could not remember if I even wrote down the ingredients. When that happens it does feel like I invited people over to my dinner party at an exotic location and I forgot to give proper directions and there’s no way they’re going to get here. Gah! I eventually found the recipe on the last page of my To-Do list steno notebook. I jumped with glee (in my head). This is one granola mix that I really, really love and would like to make again and again. So I do hope you like it.

When Dan and I started hiking in Arizona, I wanted to try making our own granola to bring. I tested a few recipes that contain a lot of oil and I don’t feel too good about that, so I tried to look for alternative ways to ‘soak’ the oatmeal to cook it without using oil. I also wanted it to be clumpy for easier eating on the trail, but I don’t want a bar, just clumps so it’s not too messy to eat while hiking. I also have to put into consideration the nuts and fruits that Dan doesn’t like. He’ll only accept dried cranberries in there. I had to bargain to add the sunflower seeds. Sounds confusing? Welcome to our kitchen! Haha.

This smelled amazing while it was baking in the oven. I wanted to bottle up the aroma. Mmmm! It kept longer than I expected. I’ve read several recipes saying that homemade granola can keep for one week in an airtight container. Others suggested to put the container refrigerated. In my experience, it seems that putting in the fridge is the best — it keeps the crispiness better. Leaving it in room temperature makes it a bit chewy, which other people might prefer. Oh yes, this recipe makes crispy granolas, but not hard. Those small chunks of goodness are a delight to snack on. Yummy!

So here it is. Let us know if you make it. We’d love to hear what you think!

Cranberry Granola

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped pecan
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup wheat bran
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/8 cup honey
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice (you can also use fresh orange juice!)
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Preparation

1. Toast the sunflower seeds and pecans on a baking sheet in a preheated oven (350°F) for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool for at least 5 minutes before adding with the other ingredients.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for later use.
3. Mix together nuts and rolled oats in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix wheat germ, wheat bran and salt.
4. Over medium heat, stir together cranberry juice, maple syrup, honey, brown sugar and ground cinnamon in a small sauce pan. Cook and stir occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved.
5. Drizzle half of the liquid over the oat mixture and stir with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle and stir in the the wheat germ/bran mixture. Pour the rest of the liquid and stir until combined.
6. Spread the mixture on the parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes. Take the baking sheet out of the oven, stir with a heatproof spatula and spread on the parchment again. Bake for another 10 minutes.
7. Again, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and stir in the cranberries. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until it begins to brown.
8. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and onto a cooling rack. You can stir the mixture to get rid of bigger chunks (or keep them if you like).
9. Cool it completely before storing in an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator to maintain crispiness. It will start to get chewy after a week. It definitely lasts more than a week, but the food safety-ista in me would like to tell you to consume it within a week. :)