Whoa! Granola!!!!

Here's a fun recipe for you to try. 

Peanut Butter Granola (From the Fix-It and Forget-It Kids' Cookbook)

6 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup wheat germ (I used milled flax seed)

1/2 cup toasted coconut (I omitted)

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (I omitted)

1/2 cup raisins (I omitted)

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter (I cut this down to 1/4 cup and used oil instead, next time I might use 1/2 cup)

Mix the first 5 ingredients together in your slow cooker.  Microwave peanut butter, sugar and butter until melted.  Stir.  Pour over oatmeal mixture.  Mix well.  Cook on low for 1 1/2 hours.  Stir every 15 minutes (we stirred ours every 30 minutes).  Scoop onto a greased cookie sheet lined with waxed paper to cool.  Break into chunks and store in an airtight container.  Eat with milk.  I doubled this recipe and it fit (barely) in my regular sized crock pot.  Next time I may use the large one so it's a little easier to stir. 

We liked it.  I actually used some of this granola in the granola bars I made.  They were good.

One of my favorite granola recipes is from Family Fun Magazine.

 

I omit all the extras (like wheat germ, fruit and nuts), usually because I don't have it on hand, or my kids don't like it.  Omit the water as well.  It's not necessary. Add a teaspoon of vanilla to the oil and honey mixture.   

I like to quadruple the recipe, and use an entire big container of oatmeal, then we can eat it for more than one breakfast.  I also like to add powdered milk (about 1 cup for my quadrupled recipe) to add some more nutrition to the granola. 

Since there are so many changes here is my modified version:
My Favorite Granola

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Whisk together oil and honey over medium heat on the stove.  Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.  Pour over dry ingredients.  Spread onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake in a 300 degree oven for 40 minutes stirring every 10 minutes.  Cool and store in an airtight container.  (Or put it back in the oatmeal container if you will eat it in the next couple of days).  One of my favorite things about this recipe is the smell.  As it is baking in the oven the warm smell of honey, cinnamon and vanilla is heavenly.  That alone is worth the effort to make it.

My friend Kera sent me this granola bar recipe.  It was really quick and easy to make.  I used corn syrup instead of honey, and my pb granola instead of plain oatmeal (I didn't want to have to dig into my food storage to find more).  My kids loved them!   I will be making these again.  They are almost like the ones I bought for our trip to our family reunion.  Only fresher.  And tastier.

Granola Bars

Makes 16 bars (I doubled the recipe and saved the extras for lunches)

1 ¾ c quick oats

1 ¼ c crispy rice cereal

1/3 c brown sugar

1/3 c oil

1/3 c honey (I used corn syrup)

½  c mini chocolate chips (these are optional, but delicious)

Spray 8 x 8 inch baking dish. (If doubling the recipe use a 9 x 13 baking dish).

Place oatmeal and rice cereal in large bowl and combine.

In a saucepan, heat brown sugar, oil and honey bring to a gentle boil and cook stirring for 1 minute.  Pour over oatmeal mixture and mix.

Evenly pour oatmeal mixture into baking dish let cool for a few minutes, sprinkle with chocolate chips when cool to the touch press down into pan. (Next time I will let the chocolate chips melt onto the bars, then I will spread out the chocolate).  Let cool to room temperature.  Cut into 16 bars. 

If adding dry fruit add it in to oatmeal mixture at the beginning.

~Lena