Before the word “granola” conjured up any other mental image, it was food. Crunchy, slightly sweet, energy-filled food.

In its most basic form, granola is rolled oats, nuts and honey, baked until crisp. Other delicious variations include dried fruits, nuts and other grains. While basically nutritious, granola can cross the line and be a little too high-fat if one is not careful - and that’s a great reason to make your own. You can control the fat and control the sweetness. If you have a good basic recipe and the technique down, experimenting until you find an ingredient combination that you like best is fun.

Once you’ve made your granola, what do you do with it? Granola is equally good straight as it is stirred into yogurt. It’s even tasty sprinkled over ice cream.

Homemade granola and muesli recipes

Basic granola

3 c rolled oats
1 c slivered almonds
3/4 shredded coconut
1/4 toasted wheat germ
2 tbsp canola oil
1/4 c honey
1/2 c raisins

Heat oven to 250 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, coconut and wheat germ. Drizzle the oil over the mixture and toss to coat. Do the same with the honey. Spread the mixture out on a baking sheet with a lip. Put it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Stir up the mixture on the cookie sheet, then bake another 15 minutes. Repeat until the granola is evenly browned, between 1 hour and 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Stir in the raisins and store in an airtight container or bag.

Variations and additions

My favorite variation has hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, dried cherries and dried apple. But try a combination of any of the following ingredients:

sunflower seeds
toasted cashews
toasted hazelnuts
toasted pecans
roasted peanuts
sesame seeds
maple syrup
just about any dried fruit you can think of
cinnamon
brown sugar

Muesli

Muesli is related to granola in ingredients, but it is not baked. It’s best made at the last minute. This is my husband’s favorite breakfast.

1/2 c rolled oats
Handful of blanched slivered almonds
Handful of raisins
1 apple, grated
Splash of milk (or to taste)

Place all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy.

Variations and additions

mashed strawberries, blueberries or raspberries
sliced banana
chopped toasted hazelnuts

PointsandPrizes.com Keyword: OATS worth 50 points good through 08/17/08.
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