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! Read the full story
