I admire those who make their own granola. It always tastes better than the packaged stuff sold in grocery stores. Furthermore, anything homemade has a story behind it. When I probe further, I learn it’s not mysterious at all. Sometimes it requires a simple gift, such as a comment, to realize I could make it myself. “It’s not that hard. Here’s my recipe.”
My simple gift to someone who admires anyone who plays a music instrument is the same as the comment that moved me to get my own ingredients and make my own granola.
“It’s not hard. Here’s how.”
Simple Healthy Granola Recipe
First get the ingredients. You’ll need a good instrument. Music stand. Sheet music.
- Zest of fresh oranges
- Coconut oil
- Maple syrup (or honey)
- Vanilla extract
- Egg white
- Dried fruit: craisins (dried cranberries), raisins, dried figs, dried dates, goji berries
- Nuts and seeds (in alphabetical order): almonds, brazil nuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, hazelnuts, macadamian nuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts
- Ground cinnamon, ground ginger, salt
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
Then, chop and mix everything up.
Zest the oranges. Melt the coconut oil. Mix maple syrup and/or honey and vanilla extract into the coconut oil and egg white (wet mixture). Chop everything up. Mix the orange zest with the dried fruit with half of the wet mixture. Mix the chopped nuts, sesame seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, rolled oats, wheat germ, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt. Mix the dried ingredients thoroughly with the remaining half of the wet mixture. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (wax paper). Preheat oven to 325 F (163 C).
Now, that’s hard to read, isn’t it? That’s what happened when I taught myself to play the ukulele and the organ. Too much time. Too much information. It’s easy to get lost. And the journey gets lonely.
The faster and easier way is to find a teacher. Get lessons. Take a class. Get classmates. Learn short cuts. Organized content leads to clarity. It saves time. You don’t need all the ingredients. There are short cuts.
The WET STUFF
Melt the coconut oil. Chop the dried fruits so all the pieces are about the same size. Zest the orange. Mix the oil and orange zest with vanilla extract and maple syrup. Use half of this mixture with the dried fruit. Let sit to soak.
The DRY STUFF
Chop the nuts until all are about the same size. Mix the nuts, sesame seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds, with the coconut oil/zest/vanilla extract/maple syrup mixture.
Preheat the oven to 325 F (163 C).
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (wax paper).
Fill the lined cookie sheet with the DRY STUFF up to about half-inch or a centimeter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the WET STUFF. Mix thoroughly. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Add shredded coconut and mix thoroughly. Bake for 15 minutes.
The result should look brown and feel (taste) crispy.
Let cool overnight.
Store in glass containers that can be sealed tight. I like to add a packet of “drier” into each jar. No need to refrigerate.