Granola

My sister posted the perfect basic granola recipe on her Facebook page. I made it for Chris to take to work, and now he's hooked. As soon as his supply runs out, I make another batch. It's delicious and very, very versatile. Here's the basic recipe followed by the things I added to make this Rocky Road granola. Yum!

Ingredients

18 ounces of old-fashioned oats (not quick-cooking)

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

a few dashes of your favorite spices

1/3 cup veg. oil

1/2 cup honey (more or less depending on your desired level of sweetness...I tend to use less)

4 T. molasses

4 T. maple syrup

2 T. vanilla

In a microwave-safe dish, heat the oil, honey, molasses, and syrup until it is thin enough to stir and combine. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients over the top, and stir to combine. Bake at 300 degrees on a foil-lined baking sheet (or a heavily sprayed sheet - it'll stick) for about 30 minutes. This is the hardest part, as sometimes it cooks faster/slower, so check and stir every 5 minutes or so. It will not be crunchy when it's done, just lightly browned. Allow to cool, and it will become nice and crisp!

For the Rocky Road, add 1/4 cup of peanut butter to the wet mixture. After baking, stir in 1/4 cup of marshmallows and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips stirring to combine.

Other variations: dried cherries and chocolate chips, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips, candied or dried fruits.