this is why some have called me "granola crunchy"

I have always sort of loved the term "granola" when it is used in reference to people who love the outdoors and all things "natural." in fact, i once heard someone off handedly say "oh, you're from chapin? that makes sense. people from chapin are granola."  maybe i like using this as a descriptive term because i love the actual granola cereal SO much. i buy it regularly and it constantly sits in my pantry, snuggled tightly between the cocoa puffs and lucky charms.  well, now that i'm obsessed with this blog called "orangette" and SHE makes her own granola, i decided to try it out.  i know this may make me at total hippie wanna be, or one of those girls who is too cheap to buy stuff store bought (chicken stock is my next undertaking) but after making this bag of beautiful goodness, i might never go back.  

so true to recent form, i will include the recipe for all of you. mine is adapted from orangette's which is adapted from nigella lawson.  the greatest thing about granola is that you can totally work it how you wanna work it. like dried fruit? add a ton! hate sesame seeds (like me)? leave them out! wanna add coconut or chocolate chips? i bet it would be great! just remember to add wet ingredients with wet, and dry with dry. ok. here we go!

Granola Crunchy Granola

Dry ingredients:

5 cups rolled oats
2 to 3 cups raw almonds or pecan halves, or a mixture
1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt

Wet ingredients:
¾ cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/3 cup brown rice syrup*
¼ cup honey
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, such as canola or safflower

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and put racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.  Get out two rimmed full sheet baking sheets. 

In a HUGE bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients. You can also add sesame seeds (3/4 cup) but i didn't. And if you accidently got roasted and salted sunflower seeds that is ok too. i did that and it turned out fine.  In a smaller seperate bowl mix together all the wet ingredients. If you can find the individual cups of apple sauce they work really well and they keep longer than buying one giant thing. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients in the HUGE bowl. 

Spread the mixture on the two baking sheets and put 'em in the oven.  Bake them for about 35 minutes or until light golden brown.  Set a timer for every ten minutes to stir them.  Stir them one more time when you take them out. It'll be soft but don't worry, it'll get crisp as it cools.  

After it cools you can add dried fruit if you want.   I added cherries and raisins and it's perfect.  I also sent my dad a batch with no fruit and it was tasty as well. And that's it! store in a freezer bag in the fridge and it will keep a long time. enjoy morning after morning (or night after night) with yogurt or milk. and think of me as you're feasting on hippie food.  

*brown rice syrup almost caused me to give up this endeavor. then i accidently found it at a health/organic food store.  it's sold in a jar in a section with syrups and sweeteners. it's a gluten free sugar substitute and they would probably carry it at your local whole foods or organic market. and yes, its actually made of brown rice. i don't understand it. it's weird, but makes a mean granola.