Steven's Granola Recipe

Yum, yum, yum.  You'd be wise to make a double batch, as this won't last long!

2 1/2 c. oats (Old Fashioned, but Quick would work)
1/2 c. brown sugar*
1/3 c. nuts or sunflower seeds
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. wheat germ
1 t. spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, or other)
1 t. vanilla or almond extract
1/2 c. dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, or apples)

* or 1/2 c. white sugar, 1/2 T. molasses OR 1/2 c. white sugar, 1/2 T. sorghum!

Chop large nuts and fruits down to raisin size.
Combine oats, nuts, fruit, wheat germ, brown sugar, and spices.
Combine melted butter, honey, and extracts.
Toss the oat mixture with the butter/honey mixture to coat.
Bake at 325 for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.  It's done when there is light browning around the edges.
Cool in the pan, stirring for a crispier granola or in a storage container for a chewier granola.

My personal notes:
Don't put hot granola in a storage container or... it melts.  Let it cool for at least 10-15 minutes in the pan.
Parchment paper makes quick work of cleanup.
Don't let the granola cool without stirring or you will have a tasty, rock-hard slab attached to your cookie sheet (and then you can't eat it!)

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.