Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

I want to go everywhere I haven't been, and back to everywhere I have been.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Homemade Granola...and Granola Butter???

Homemade Granola: Delicious, healthy, and economical. Mixes up in a few minutes | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #granola 

Are you a creature of habit when it comes to what you eat?

I am, sort of...
 I have oatmeal every morning for breakfast, in winter, 
and cold cereal in summer.
90% of the time, my lunch is yogurt and granola.
The other 10%, it's either avocado toast, or jelly beans.
Don't judge :)

I wish I could be as disciplined for dinner as I am for breakfast and lunch 
(except for those occasional jelly bean benders),
which is why this cracked me up when I saw it on Facebook.

Source Unknown

Up until the last few months, 
I was the only granola-eater in the family, until one day, 
when Junior Goo Shoes looked at my bowl of yogurt and granola, and said, 

"What IS that? It looks disgusting."

Knowing that the mere suggestion to try it would guarantee the opposite result,
I kept my mouth shut...in between spoonfuls, that is. 

Not a half-hour later, JGS was sitting at the table
eating a bowl of that "disgusting" concoction.

"This is a-MAY-zing! 

From that moment forward, I couldn't keep enough granola in the house.
It was gone faster than a toupee in a wind storm.
He was eating it morning, noon and night. 
Making up for lost time, I suppose..

I was going granola-broke.

Enter my friend, B., to save the day, when she came to visit back in December.
Guess what she brought me?
 Homemade granola, along with the recipe,
which she calls, "Sort of" Mark Bittman's Granola.

Homemade Granola: Delicious, healthy, and economical. Mixes up in a few minutes | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #granola

This was a win-win, since I love both granola, and Mark Bittman's recipes
(remember this awesome tart?).
It's the perfect solution for ensuring that granola is
in the house at all times,
and, it's healthier than anything I've been buying at the store.
Cheaper, too. 
Let's make that a "Win" to the fifth power!

Homemade Granola: Delicious, healthy, and economical. Mixes up in a few minutes | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #granola

Speaking of granola -- this conversation JUST HAPPENED.
It is 100% true, I pinky swear.
Mr. Goo Shoes just told me we need more "granola butter."

Huh?

He speaks Brooklyn-ese, and I have to work hard sometimes 
to figure out what he means.

"Granola butter... there's none left."

Ohhhhhh....CANOLA butter!
Yikes. 

Source

Anyway, back to the granola...
I've made it a few times...I don't think I will ever stop making it. 
Ev-uh.

It's so E.A.S.Y.
I tried to time it for you, 
but dropping the oatmeal all over the floor, 
and trying to get to it before the dog did, set me back a few minutes. 
Let's call it 5-10 minutes to measure and mix everything together...

Homemade Granola: Delicious, healthy, and economical. Mixes up in a few minutes | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #granola

and spread it evenly on a rimmed baking sheet.  

Homemade Granola: Delicious, healthy, and economical. Mixes up in a few minutes | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #granola

The browner it gets, the crunchier it is.
The hardest part is making sure it doesn't burn. 
The first time I made it, it did come out a little overdone,
but it still tasted great.
I find that stirring it after the first 10 minutes, 
and again in another 10 minutes, and then taking it out after another 5 minutes, helps to keep it from burning.

You can use either honey or maple syrup as your sweetener,
but I definitely prefer the syrup.

Homemade Granola: Delicious, healthy, and economical. Mixes up in a few minutes | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #granola

The nice thing is that you can vary the ingredients to your liking.
 Oh, and it smells H*E*A*V*E*N*L*Y* when it is baking!

Homemade Granola: Delicious, healthy, and economical. Mixes up in a few minutes | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #granola

Homemade Granola
(Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman's original recipe, here)

All measurements are approximate, and ingredients can be varied as you like.

3 cups whole oats (not quick-cooking or instant)
1/4 cup white sesame seeds
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1 tbsp. chia seeds
1 heaping tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 - 1 cup maple syrup or honey

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Spread over rimmed cookie sheet line with parchment paper or non-stick aluminum foil.
Check after 10 minutes, and mix.
Check again after 10 minutes, and mix. 
Remove from oven after another five minutes, baking for about 25 minutes (all ovens vary, so times are approximate).
Cool on a rack, stirring occasionally.  
If adding dried fruit, wait until cooled.
When cool, place in airtight container and store in refrigerator, indefinitely. 

Homemade Granola: Delicious, healthy, and economical. Mixes up in a few minutes | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #granola

I can't seem to keep my hands out of the canola granola jar.
At least, when it's empty, I can whip up a batch in no time.  

 

Linking with:
Wow Us Wednesday
Let's Get Real
Idea Box  
Share Your Cup Thursday
Home Sweet Home  
Simple and Sweet Fridays
Share Your Style  
Foodie FriDIY
Tweak It Tuesday 


21 comments:

  1. Amy, this looks awesome - I am a granola junkie for sure and I am so excited to try this!!

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  2. That looks so good - I think if I had it on hand I would eat it more. Going to whip this up this weekend - I have all of the ingredients except the chia seeds Just yesterday I was thinking about making some energy balls / bites so now I can just use this granola recipe!! Pinned!

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  3. Hello Amy, OGM!! That looks and sounds amazing. Now I really want to try it. I bet this does taste great with yogurt! Thanks for the recipe. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.
    Julie xo

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  4. Oh, so happy to have this recipe. I used to make a fabulous granola but that recipe is long lost. I will be adopting this one in it's place. Thanks!

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  5. So funny how. even food goes in cycle turnarounds. My mom made homemade granola in the 70's.Have the recipe somewhere in this house?! Gonna use yours,as I know is very similar to yours. Are right about the aroma in the house. Mom was only an OK cool, but the granola and her homemade bread?! Come home starving, and the aroma?! KILLER!

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  6. So funny how. even food goes in cycle turnarounds. My mom made homemade granola in the 70's.Have the recipe somewhere in this house?! Gonna use yours,as I know is very similar to yours. Are right about the aroma in the house. Mom was only an OK cool, but the granola and her homemade bread?! Come home starving, and the aroma?! KILLER!

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  7. Thanks for sharing. I am going to pin this and make it!

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  8. This looks so good, I am going to try it! LMBO on what you saw Facebook. Thanks for sharing!!

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  9. Saw it on FB too - I'm not sure what's funnier, that or the 'granola butter' :)

    Recipe looks great, pinned!

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  10. You are so cute in the way you write!! :)

    I've been making granola for anybody and everybody for a long time and my recipe is spot on with yours. We like it mixed with yogurt and for a real treat, bake a few bananas, whole with peels on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes. Split open and sprinkle some granola on and then a splash of warm milk or cream. Wow...great breakfast or dessert. I also add chocolate chips or mini M&M's to my granola for a sweet trail mix.

    Jane x

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  11. Good thing I am sick and just barely hanging in my lounge chair, otherwise I would head straight to the kitchen and make a batch (well, I would not be home and reading this, if I were not sick)!

    Is plain oatmeal bad for dogs?

    Cheers from sunny Vienna,
    Merisi

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  12. I love the fun menu you found on fb - so true! Jelly beans are good too - right? We love homemade Granola. My recipe is an oldie and has some oil and molasses in it. I sometimes also like to add some whipped egg white so that it gets "clumpy". Like you said - so much cheaper than buying it. Here is recipe I follow: http://rhubarbandroses-rosella.blogspot.ca/2013/01/crunchy-granola.html Have a great weekend Amy!

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  13. I love it but have never made it. Your recipe sounds easy though! The nice thing is you can put in only the stuff you love! Buying granola is a lottery.

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  14. Omg! My husband eats granola on his yogurt too! Granola can get expensive too. I've had to buy it alot lately. Thanks for this recipe. I will show it to him and see if he wants to make it. Notice I said "him". Ha!

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  15. Yum and the photos are gorgeous as always!!! I would love to see a "behind the scenes post" of how you do take your photos and what you use to make your cute collages!!!

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  16. "It was gone faster than a toupee in a wind storm."
    LMAO! :)

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  17. Yum ... this looks delicious! I love granola, too. I'm kind of sad because I thought there was going to be a recipe for granola butter, too. ;)

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  18. This looks so good! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!

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