From Alaska: Recipe for the best granola ever (and 21 ways to eat it)

Our B&B guests say, “This is the best granola ever!” It’s eaten by the handful and packed into Ziploc bags for hikes, fishing trips, and inflight snacks. You might think of granola as a normal food today, but it does have a quirky history. Did you know that granola was invented in the 1890s? It was served at New York’s Jackson Sanitarium health spa. Then, in the 1960s, granola enjoyed a revival as an alternative cereal. Hippie food. Quaker Oats, Kellogg’s, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods… many companies jumped on the granola bandwagon.

There’s just one problem. Okay, two.

Storebought granola usually crumbles all over the floor.

And it’s too sweet.

As for mouthfeel, imagine sawdust. (If you added water, you could patch holes in concrete).

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]You could be a woman in Alabama who’s a conservative Christian, or you could be a total crunchy-granola woman in Seattle and 20 years old, and both of you would watch Oprah. — Shonda Rhimes[/perfectpullquote]

Your taste buds–and your body–deserve better

That’s why I’m sharing this recipe.

Your health matters. Without good health, your quality of life suffers. Plus, you deserve to enjoy what you eat.

Once you taste this granola, you’ll be making extra batches to take to work and give away at Christmas.

Give it a try, and let me know what you think. If you’ve never eaten much granola or you’re bored with commercially made stuff, look through this list:

Kodiak Island Granola

The granola that keeps on giving!

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil (optional)
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1 cup nut butter (add more if not using oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla
8 cups regular (not quick or instant) rolled oats
1 – 2 cups brown sugar
1 cup raw wheat germ
5-1/2 cups wide-stripped unsweetened coconut
2 cups shaved (slivered) almonds
2 cups cashews (pieces are fine and less expensive)
3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup ground flaxseed (as in flaxseed meal), sesame seeds, or teff grain

Mix the five wet ingredients together in a saucepan and place on low to medium heat. Stir occasionally. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate large bowl.
When the liquid mixture begins to boil, pour it over the dry ingredients and toss with a spoon or rubber spatula until well mixed and the dry ingredients are evenly coated. Spread onto two or three large cookie sheets or jelly roll pans and bake at 250 to 275 degrees until light brown and toasted; this could take a couple of hours. (I turn the oven off occasionally). Stir occasionally for even browning. It’s tempting to turn up the heat and hurry the drying-cooking process. But don’t do this, because you runt the risk of over-toasting the granola which makes it bitter. Allow to cool thoroughly before storing it in airtight containers.
GOOD NOTE: You can substitute peanut butter with cashew butter, tahini (sesame butter), almond butter — you name it.

21 ways to eat granola

1. Eat it by the handful, of course!
2. Sprinkle on pumpkin pie
3. Enjoy it as your morning cereal, topped with yogurt or milk
4. Add more crunch to fruit and yogurt
5. Top your favorite ice cream (reduces the guilt factor)
6. Sprinkle on salads
7. Add texture to a bowl of pickled beets
8. Add crunch to rhubarb sauce (you might like my pickled rhubarb recipe)
9. Serve on honey-glazed carrots
10. Sprinkle on pancakes and waffles
11. Add to crepes before rolling
12. Add to your favorite dosa recipe? What’s a dosa?
13. Top muffins and quick bread batter before baking
14. Spoon granola on to inside peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (add apple slices, too)
15. Serve it with warm rice or tapioca pudding
16. Fold it into brownie or muffin batter before baking
    

    Rhubarb muffins made with granola. Tip: Fold the granola into the batter before baking.

     

17. Use as croutons on a tossed salad
18. Create your own hiking snack by adding dried fruits and chocolate chips
19. Make Granola Ice Cream Pie. (Recipe by Leigh Anne Wilkes)
20. Dip apple slices in peanut butter and then in granola
21. Sprinkle on to fruit and squash soups

Give this recipe a try. You’ll be shocked, stunned, and pleased at how good it is.

Thank you for stopping by. Drop me a note with your granola report.

Cheers and blessings,

P.S. I include this granola recipe in my annual custom calendar. Check out the link in the sidebar to the right.

Marion Owen is on a mission to help busy people survive day-to-day life by condensing topics such as photography, cooking, and organic gardening into bite-size pieces. Get Marion’s free 4-page “In Good Light: Photo Tips for Busy People” to feel confident and recharged when taking pictures.