Healthy Granola with Lucky Charms
Ingredients:
- 5 cups rolled (not instant) oats
- 1 cup wheat germ
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds.
- 1 cup honey or brown sugar
- 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
- 1 cup powdered milk (1 3.2 ounce envelope)
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup water
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250° F.
2. Combine all ingredients (or as many of these as you can put together) in a huge bowl.
3. You will probably have to use your hands to turn the mixture over until it is thoroughly combined.
4. Divide mixture between two jellyroll pans and toast in pre-heated oven for one hour.
5. Stir the ingredients well every fifteen minutes, turning them over to be sure that nothing burns on the bottom.
6. Remove pans from oven and allow mixture to stand for about one hour, until it has cooled completely.
7. Pack into decorative jars for gift-giving or store in other airtight containers. The mixture keeps for eight weeks.
8. If you want to be really cute, add cashews. They look like horseshoes! (Well, flattened horseshoes, maybe.)
9. Sprinkle your bowl of granola with marshies, and just add milk. Easy!
Make this recipe on St. Paddy’s Day, so you can begin the day with a little dignity, before you end up on some sawdust-covered floor, trying impress a green-beer-swilling lad by pretending you know the words to “Danny Boy.” Have yourself a wholesome, lucky-charm breakfast before you get lucky. They’re GRRRRREAAAAAAAT! (Oops, wrong cereal.) Anyway, they’re magically delicious! But stay away from leprechauns, they’ll only break your heart …
Photo of undipped chocolate marshmallows courtesy of marshmallowtemptations.com
