recipe: summer granola

~ ingredients ~
4 T butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1 T turbinado sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 T pure vanilla extract
3 cups thick cut rolled oats or multigrain cereal (here I used rye, barley, oat, and wheat flakes)
4 cups puffed cereal (Kashi makes a great unsweetened mix, or you can buy puffed rice, kamut, millet, and/or wheat)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

~ preparation ~
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a shallow baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, melt butter with canola oil, honey and salt; remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

In your largest bowl, toss together the oatmeal, puffs. and coconut, then pour over the honey mix and toss well to coat. This is a perfect opportunity to get your hands dirty, or enlist the help of wee cooks who like to get involved. Clean hands are a must!

Spread mixture out onto the baking sheet and pop into the oven. Stir after 15-20 minutes, especially if the mix on the outside is beginning to darken. Return to oven and bake another 15 minutes or so (total baking time :30-35 minutes), or until it turns a lovely golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool without touching or moving around. The granola will become crunchy as it cools. If you don’t touch it, it will stick together in yummy clusters.

Allow to cool completely before sealing into an airtight container such as a jar or zip-top bag.

Makes about 8 cups.