Gwanola

This one is for you, Leanne. Because I like you a lot, and because it's the little things that make our days doable. I used to try to be secretive about this recipe, but I have found that life is too short to keep good recipes to yourself. I love this granola recipe. It's been an old friend for over 2 years now. It is simple and delicious and some of the best in my humble opinion. But I am a pretty simple gal. If you have any kiddos hanging around, this a fun recipe to make with them. My nephew Jon Thomas loves "making gwanola with Aunt Cawoyine." He loves "stiuh-wing (stirring) the oats, salt, cimanon, and bwown sugah all togethuh. It's vewy fun."

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. In a large and roomie bowl, mix...
-4 cups oats
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/3 cup brown sugar
-This is also where you can add nuts or flax seed if you are into that kind of thing.


3. Over medium heat, heat:
-1/4 cup canola (vegetable oil works too)
-1/4 cup honey
-A dash of vanilla

4. Mix all together. Spray 2 cookie sheets with nonstick spray. Spread granola over 2 pans in thin layer.

5. Cook in heated oven, stirring every 10 minutes for 30-40 minutes until golden and crisp. This is especially important to keep an eye on, as the edges can burn quickly.

6. Remove from oven and add a few handfuls of Craisens and mix together.

7. Enjoy! Especially delicious warm and fresh out of the oven.