Easy peasy granola recipe

Aside from being a kick-ass zombie love machine, I'm also a dandy little granola chef. While writing for the now-defunct Hippie Sounds blog on b5Media, I ran across the ultimate recipe for satisfying those *urges* one gets while listening to 60s music.  I've adapted the recipe for my family's tastebuds and kicked out the healthy stuff, leaving it moist, delicious and too stupid to screw up.

Since I wax poetic occasionally about my granola to friends, many have asked for the recipe and I am happy to oblige.  This is the basic granola, please add whatever you like to make it your very own family favorite.

6 cups oats (not quick oats)
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup veggie oil
2 tsp Vanilla
Nutmeg

Set oven to 300 degrees and mix ingredients in a high-sided pan.  Bake for 30 minutes, turning oats every ten minutes. Remove from oven when the dinger goes crazy and turn one more time so it doesn't harden, then let cool.

Variation:
Chocolate granola: Add two tablespoons of cocoa powder to oat mixture before baking and stir in well.

Chocolate chip granola:
Let granola cool in the pan for five minutes, then stir in handfuls of chocolate chips. This way the chips won't melt too much, leaving you with clumpy and hard granola -- just lovely melty noms.



This never lasts for more than a few days in my house, so I can't tell you how long of a shelf life it will have. I keep mine in the fridge to reduce chance of it drying out because dry, sticky granola is nasty. Just sayin'.

Mix in additional ingredients or add them to your individual bowl for extra flexibility.

Things the Grahams like in their Graham-ola:

• chocolate chips
• cranberries
• coconut
• nuts
• apricots/dried fruit
• carob chips
• banana chips
• cinnamon

What do you like in your granola?