Berry Granola

Granola.  Probably the greatest breakfast cereal of all time.  Healthiest?  Not so much. 

I'm fairly certain I can eat my weight in these crunchy clusters.  Give them to me with yogurt or oatmeal, in a bowl with almond milk,  even straight out of the box. 

The latter tends to have disaster written all over it.  It usually begins with one harmless handful, leading to two, then losing count, only to put the box away 'significantly lighter' than when I first took it out.  Hmmm, why is it half empty?  I blame 'settling' from when the package was shipped....they're never really full?  Right?

As such, I wanted to see if there was a way I could make granola a little healthier, thereby allowing me to eat more of it.  Genius.  So here it is...no oil and a little less sugar (it still has to taste good after all)

We have a winner.  Now you'll have to excuse me while I grab some milk...

 

Berry Granola

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1  1/2 cups bran flakes

1 cup sliced almonds, crumbled

1/2 cup flax seed meal

1/3 cup coconut

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp vanilla

3/4 cup strawberry puree (any berry would work)

1/4 cup honey

Method:

Preheat oven to 250F.  Set aside two cookie sheets.

In large bowl combine first 7 ingredients.  Mix well.

Using food processor, blend strawberries until pureed.
In small bowl, mix honey, vanilla and strawberry puree.  Pour over oat mixture.  Tossing to coat.  Spread mixture evenly onto baking sheets.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, till golden brown in color.  Tossing every 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven, and allow mixture to cool. 

Store in air-tight container.

Go on, get your hippy on....

Enjoy!

LOVE JS

**Note: Add any dried fruit you like once granola has cooled from the oven.  Blueberries, cranberries or mango's are excellent in this.  I tend to add my fruit right before serving, that way I can change up the flavours without making a new batch. 

Bowl. Check. Granola. Check. Spoon. Check.

Just add milk.

Nothing but crumbs...perhaps a 2nd bowl?