Homemade Granola

There is absolutely no reason to buy the insanely expensive packaged granola from the grocery store. Granola is incredibly easy to make, you can put anything you want into it and it is delicious over yogurt or eaten on it's own. Once you have the basics down, you can pretty much add what you want and change the flavors to mirror your tastes. (It also makes a great gift.)

My big helper :) Though he eats more than he stirs....

Ingredients:

9 cups organic rolled oats, uncooked (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup organic wheat germ or ground flax seed
2 cups sliced almonds, pecans or walnuts
1 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds raw or toasted (definitely unsalted)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pure maple syrup (I have used a combination of maple syrup and honey before)

3-5 cups mixed dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, diced pineapple, diced apricots, chopped dates, really it's the mixture of your choice).

Directions:

• In a very large bowl, combine the oats, wheat germ or flax seed, nuts, and seeds. Mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, salt and maple syrup. Pour over the dry mixture in the bowl, stirring and tossing till everything is very well combined.
• Spread granola over a couple of  half-sheet pans. Bake in a preheated 250°F oven for about 90 minutes, stirring the mixture with a heatproof spatula every 20 minutes or so. You want to bring the granola at the edge in towards the middle, so it all browns evenly.
• When the granola is a light–to–medium golden brown, remove it from the oven and cool completely on the pans. Transfer the granola to a large bowl, and mix in the dried fruit*. Store in a tightly closed container at room temperature for several weeks; freeze for extended storage.

* I don't mix in the fruit unless I'm giving the granola as a gift or am taking it on the road. I prefer to add whatever dried fruit I want at the time of serving. It works well either way.