Sam's granola

I'm a firm believer that how you start your day sets the tone for the rest of the day. That includes what I eat for breakfast.

If I have something healthy and low in sugar, my brain stays clear and I don't get hungry before lunch.

Here's my recipe for homemade nut-free granola. The main reason I started making my own, is because I have a son and a brother with an anaphylactic nut allergy. 

So many store-bought granolas contain nuts.  I thought, "Why should Sam and Bill be left out of enjoying something so delicious?" As often as I can, I'll make my own take on a popular dish that contains nuts like granola so they're not left out of enjoying it too.

I'd argue that my granola is better than anything I've ever bought in a store.

As long as you have oats and seeds in the house, you can make granola. Most of the other ingredients are in your cupboards and fridge.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. 

Ingredients:
large flake oats (4 cups)
pumpkin seeds (1 cup)
sunflower seeds (1 cup)
hemp seeds (3 tablespoons)
flax seeds (3 tablespoons)
chia seeds (3 tablespoons)
maple syrup (1/3 cup)
brown sugar (1/2 cup)
pure vanilla extract (2 tablespoons)
cinnamon (1 tablespoon)
raisins or dried currents or dried cranberries or dried blueberries (handful)
kosher salt (a couple of pinches)

Basically I do my granola to taste so if you think you need a little more or less or something, its ok to modify the recipe.

Set your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, all of the seeds, brown sugar and stir together. Then add all other ingredients until its combined and happy together. 

On a large baking sheet pour the ingredients and spread out evenly. Pat the mixture down so that it's somewhat compact.

Once the oven comes to temperature, place the sheet on the middle rack and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden on the edges. Then, take a large fork and break up the mixture and spread down again. 

Return it to the oven for another 5-8 minutes. Take out and cool on the baking sheet. 

Do not break the mixture apart until it has cooled. This will help to set the mixture and give you larger clumps once its cooled. 

Enjoy the granola on top of plain yogurt, as a cereal or snack. 
 

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