I wish I had been in California during the ’60s and ’70s. My aunt (who’s sometimes a big sister, other times a third mother) tells me about weekends away in Mendocino at a gorgeous cabin on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific. She and her friends used to rent the cabin every year for Thanksgiving. The morning after the holiday, they would go into town for breakfast at the infamous Café Beaujolais. Although that culinary institution no longer serves breakfast, my aunt still makes granola using a recipe from its cookbook every month. She doubles the recipe, so my uncle can have his granola fix every morning and I get a Tupperware-filled container at each visit. The granola is perfect to make in large batches, put into festive tins, and give as a gift. With all the nuts and raisins, it’s great with a little bit of milk or yogurt, or topped with some sliced banana. This granola gives your body what it needs in the morning and is hearty enough to fill you up until lunch.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups regular oats (do not use instant or quick oats)
- 2/3 cup wheat germ
- 2/3 cup unsweetened large-flake coconut
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, almonds, or both
- 1/2 cup flax seeds
- 2/3 cup corn oil
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, raisins, or both
Directions:
1. Mix the first six ingredients in a large bowl.
2. In a saucepan, combine the corn oil, honey, vanilla, and salt. Cook it all over low heat until the honey is
melted.
3. Pour over the dry mixture in the bowl and blend.
4. Pour into a lightly greased Pyrex pan and bake at 300º F degrees for 35–45 minutes, stirring every so often.
5. Store in an airtight container.
Photo courtesy of EasyFunSchool.com
