Homemade Granola

I am trying to shy away from processed foods as much as possible. It is not so much a calories thing, or a refusal to eat junk food thing, it is just not knowing what I am putting in my body and what the TRUE ingredients are.

I am not above chips, crackers, easy grab-and-go snacks by any means, but I want as much as possible to make from scratch any foods that I can and have time for.

Today I whipped up a batch of granola, and let me tell you it was super easy and worth it!

So yummy!

Maybe the granola at the store has truck loads of sugar and salt, I don't really know, but I know for a fact mine doesn't, and that is comforting in a way! To know exactly what I am eating is freeing.

Granola is one of those things you can dress up any way you like, but mine is simple and to the point.

Ingredients

4 cups rolled old fashion oats

2 cups sliced almonds

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup honey
optional: dried fruit or raisins

Prep: 5-10 mins

Bake: 45 mins

Add coconut, dried fruit, cashews, raisins, etc if you want!

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Measure oats and dump in a large bowl

Chop and measure almonds and toss them into the bowl with the oats

In a small bowl combine the oil and honey and whisk together

to make things easier, I dumped my oat and almond mixture into a gallow sized freezer bag and poured the honey and oil on top.

Seal the bag and shake and roll it until all the oats and almonds are coated.

Spread granola out onto a cookie sheet and place in the oven

set timer for 30 - 45 mins (depending on how hot your oven cooks) and bake until oats are golden brown. Stir or flip granola occasionally with a spatula.

Place granola in an airtight container or in a tupperware. One down side of non-processed foods is that they don't last super long, but I will take that over not knowing what I am putting in my body any day! It just means more time to try new recipes and constantly having different snacks in your home!

YUM!