Granola, Maple Granola

a rainy day in May is good for granola making and garden growing

Cereal is expensive, good for you cereal is crazy expensive. Funny thing is the less refined crap they put in the cereal the more they charge. Imagine that, good whole grain cereal with little added sugar and minimal processing costs more than Fruit Loops or Count Chocula with all its refined grains, preservatives and a cornucopia of sweeteners and food coloring. Excellent plan Mr Cereal Man. Your mother must be very proud

Homemade granola requires a little patience but not much else. Ingredients should be pretty handy and it's pretty easy to swap things around to suit your taste. Trial and error after you get the basics down is pretty standard self taught cooking. This is no different.

You will need a roasting pan and your oven set to 350

• 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 3 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 cup coconut
• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup golden raisins (golden ones are way better)
• tiny pinch of cayenne pepper only if you like the sweet and hot combo

Melt butter and honey/maple syrup together in large roasting pan

Put remaining dry ingredients except raisins in a steel bowl and mix thoroughly

Add dry ingredients to melted butter and mix thoroughly

In the oven for 5-7 minutes, mix and back in the oven for 5-7 minutes

Repeat 2 more times.

Turn oven down to 250 and cook additional 15-20 minutes mixing a few times.

Add raisins, let cool and serve. Makes about 7 cups

Optional ingredients could be but are not limited to..... dry bananas or any dried fruit, different nuts, wheat germ (only cook for last 20 minutes in 250 oven), flax seeds or even mixed with Wheat Bran cereal.