homemade granola

wil’s ability to butcher meats has started to come in handy…you’ve previously read about us buying whole chickens for significantly less to get the most for our dollar. a few days ago, rather than spending $7 per pound for a fillet of salmon, he was able to buy a partially dressed fish for about half the price. while we pay for the weight of the bones/skin, it’s still significantly less, and allows total utilization by making fish fumet (stock) with the bones. ‘inconveniencing’ ourselves by doing some of the labor at home to save money and give that homemade touch is a gratifying feeling for us.

when we sit down and think about what we want to do with our free time together, it more often than not revolves around food. our recent topic of conversation is the idea of spending an entire day once a month (maybe even twice, based on how ambitious we are!) to stock ourselves up on ‘inconvenience foods’, premade dinner components and homemade goodies. basically turning our house into a seriously productive kitchen all day to stock up and fill the freezer and pantry. making things like a gallon or two of chicken stock, a huge pot of marinara, few batches of homemade pasta, loaves of bread, granola bars, etc.

our hope is that these staples can save us money, save time on certain midweek meals, and give us control over our ingredients (on what could just as easily be store-bought processed meals and snacks). we like to put our own spin on things, as well as know that the things we make won’t have high fructose corn syrup, ‘propyl gallate’ and other things we can’t pronounce. and homemade granola definitely just got added to this list. i don’t think it qualifies as a money saver up front…i guess it depends on how you look at it…when you have to buy a bunch of the ingredients all at once, of course, the bag on the grocery shelf seems pretty appealing, but if you’ve got most of these things on hand, it’s fun to whip up a big batch for what seems like pennies.

this recipe also gives you the flexibility to make it up and be inspired by what you’ve got in your pantry at the time, or omit what you don’t like. you could eat it by itself, with milk, or my recent favorite, with greek yogurt. it’s just sweet enough to balance with the tartness of the yogurt, and of course, you are in control of how sweet it is…i had to nibble it a couple times as it baked and add some agave while on the sheet pan. a perfect way to start your day!

granola crunch

3 cups instant oats (i threw in a handful of steel cut oats too just because i had a random amount left in my pantry)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (not salted)
1 cup chopped nuts (i used equal parts almonds, walnuts, and pecans)
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seeds (whole or ground)
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup agave, honey or maple syrup (i used agave, as i was out of the others)
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/8-1/4 cup brown sugar (depends on your sweetness preference)
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup water
1 cup dried fruit (i used 1/2 golden raisins and 1/2 dried cranberries)

1. mix all ingredients except fruit chunks and water. make sure everything is evenly incorporated and and distributed before adding the water and then mix until it starts to get chunky. *

2. spread out in large cookie sheet with lipped edges.

3. bake at 300 degrees for about an hour or so, mixing the pan every 10-15 minutes. granola will be golden brown when ready. be careful…it will continue to cook and dry out a little after being pulled from the oven, so don’t overdo it! (i have a hard time making bacon for the same reason…!) add dried fruit.

4. cool by laying out on a flattened brown paper grocery bag. store in an airtight container…will last for a few weeks! or not.

*note: if you decide to use old fashioned oats instead of the instant, and still want to attain some good chunks, you’ll need to cook it on low-med heat on the stove, stirring until it starts to forms clumps. this may cause it to need longer time in the oven as well.