Abe's Granola

Mmmmmm….Granola. Pure crunchy goodness when mixed together with yogurt & fresh fruit. How delicious it makes the leftover milk in the bottom of your cereal bowl taste…. even just as a snack all on it’s own it’s such a tasty treat!  It’s an easy fix for a quick breakfast on the go, or is a great go to trail/travel snack. You can bring granola along with you anywhere…even with all of our current travel restrictions. J

Now of course has to come the bummer part… With it being so delicious & it’s travel plus qualities it’s got to have it’s problems right? Yep.  For those who are pinching their pennies store bought granola is super expensive, especially for how little you get in each container. If you can past the $$ issue, then here’s the sticker that in my humble opinion is granola’s biggest strike against it. It tends to be really, really high in calories per serving. Most store bought granolas will run you between 200-300 calories per a ¼ cup serving. Boooo! Such a small portion with that high of a calorie count makes this girl, someone who pays attention to the calories she’s putting into her body, not willing to indulge in the crunchy granola deliciousness on a regular basis.

What to do? Well since my husband LOVES granola & I LOVE my husband, and want to have something on hand that is not only quick and tasty but also healthier for him to boot (and me too), I decided to do my granola recipe homework.  After much searching and testing I found a recipe from Cooking Light that I’ve tweaked to my & my hubby’s liking. Per ½ cup it’s 155 calories unless you add in the flaked coconut (which my husband says is worth it but I don't really care for flaked coconut), and then it’s only 169 calories per ½ cup. Enjoy!!

Abe’s Granola

Serving Size: ½ cup

Serving Per Recipe: Approx. 10

Ingredients:

2 cups regular oats

1/3 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ

¼ cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup chopped slivered almonds

2 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp allspice

1/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp olive or canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup dried cranberries or craisins

1/3 cup raisins

½ cup flaked coconut (optional)

cooking spray

Tinfoil

Directions: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Place the first eight ingredients in a bowl together. If you are adding in coconut mix it in as well at this point. Stir to combine so that seasonings are evenly spread throughout.

In a small saucepan combine the orange juice, honey & brown sugar. Stir mixture over medium heat just until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the oil & vanilla extract.

Pour liquid mixture over oats & stir until oats are coated evenly. Spread the mixture out onto a tinfoil covered cookie sheet that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes; take out and stir well. Return to oven and bake in 10-minute intervals until golden brown, or to your liking. It usually takes around 30 min max when I make it. Remove from oven & stir in raisins & cranberries. Cool completely and place in individual serving sized zip lock snack bags, or in an airtight container. Use with in a month of making…if it lasts that long! J

Recipe adapted from: CookingLight