Granola Breakfast "YUM"

There's granola then there's G R A N O L A.  I am thinking this is the best I have ever found and the aroma when it is baking....WOW!  For years I made granola for snack food.  I know my oldest son Chris and one of his girlfriends must have eaten several of pounds of it one winter!

It was a recipe I had adapted from the Deaf Smith Country Cookbook which I have given to someone or loaned out.  Thus I couldn't find the recipe.  It was great in that thre were variations and I made one with honey and walnuts and the other and my favorite was with maple syrup and pecans.  If anyone has that cookbook it is good granola so try it!!

Anyway......I went on a hunt for granola ideas and recipes as I had the bug to make some.  Any I have ever gotten that was store bought tasted like "excuse me" cardboard so that wasn't an option!

One of my favorite foodie blogs is called,  "Orangette" and I found this wonder there.  She credited her adaptation from The Rancho La Peurta Cookbook: 175 Bold Vegetarian Recipes from America's Premier Fitness Spa.

My adaptation is as follows:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and spray a rimed baking pan (I used a half sheet pan) with cooking spray and set aside.  I made a trip to a whole foods grocery and assembled and ingredients I was missing and wanted to sdd to this lovely mix.

3 C. organic old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 C. sliced raw almonds or pecans
1/2 C. sunflower seeds
1/4 C. organic whole wheat flour
1/4 C. oat bran, or you could use wheat bran
1 T. ground cinnamon, I prefer Vietnamese
3/4 t. ground ginger
3/4 t. ground cardamon
3/4 C. organic honey
1/2 C. unsweetened, unfiltered organic apple juice
1 T. vanilla
2 t. canola oil
2 t. fresh orange zest
2 T. fresh orange juice

Using a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients and mix it well.  In a small pan over very low heat melt the honey and add all of the remaining wet ingredients and zest, stirring together gently and well just till warned and melted together.  Pour the wet over the dry and mex well.  Spread it evenly over the prepared baking pan and bake 2 hours stirring at least every 30 minutes.  It will be beautifully browned.  When you remove it from the oven stir it again and allow it to sit in the pan until it is cold.  Store in air tight container and refrigerate.  Again I say yum.

I layered with fresh sweet nectarines and organic Greek yogurt for a breakfast parfait.  If you like it sweeter drizzle with a bit of additional honey for a sweet treat!!

Truth......if I didn't need the photo to show here I would have thrown it all together in a earthenware cereal bowl and been done with it.  Ha ha.