flog: easy granola

it's kind of silly that i've waited this long to try making my own granola considering a) the rate that i go through store-bought stuff and b) how truly easy it is. there are tons of recipes out there, but they all boil down to the same basics and are easy to customize for your own tastes. i used a recipe i found on everybody likes sandwiches and tweaked it just a little.


check it:
6 c organic oats (not quick)
1/2 c millet (regular, uncooked millet)
1 c dessicated coconut
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1/4 c flax seeds or ground flax
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 c walnuts
1/2 c almonds
1 generous T cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
dash of salt
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/2 c raisins
1/2 - 1 c maple syrup
orange juice

heat oven to 300F. in a large bowl, combine all the ingredients from the oats down to the salt. drizzle in the maple syrup and stir well with a wooden spoon to get everything coated. needs more liquid? add in some more maple syrup or a bit of orange juice.

spread the mix out into a large baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally so that nothing burns. add in the raisins and cranberries and bake until the granola turns golden and crisp, again making sure things don't get too "golden". remove from oven and cool. store in a sealed container. serve with yogurt and fruit, or as a garnish to boring flax flakes or whatever.

almost all of the ingredients can be found in your grocery stores' bulk section and i've found that the commercial breaks during LOST are the perfect time to stir the granola. mad men works too.