granola!

Look what I made in the crock pot. Granola!

It's true. I got the recipe here, at a blog I recently discovered. It turned out pretty great! Here's what you need, though the ingredients can certainly vary.  I'm learning that granola is really a "use whatever you have on hand" kind of situation.

You need:
5 cups oats
1 T. flax seeds
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 c. unsweetened coconut
1/4 c. slivered almonds
1/4 c. craisins
1/4 c. raisins
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. honey

This is the easy part: put all ingredients in your crock pot and mix. Cook on high for about 3 hours. Try to stir every 20 to 30 minutes. It works best if you vent the lid with something.

I like this granola quite a bit. It's not too crunchy and only a little sweet, and it has craisins, which I consider a huge bonus! Don't get me wrong; I like raisins, but raisins are just so...blah. I like the addition of craisins. It gives the granola a little zing.

I found the crock pot method a little fussy, though. Next time, I'll probably just bake it in the oven on 350 and stir every five minutes or so. Granola in the crock pot can burn (though it takes a lot longer than in the oven), and I thought the frequent stirring was kind of a hassle -- a lot more of a hassle than keeping a careful eye on granola in the oven. But that's just me.

Anyway, here's what I did with my granola!

Who needs a restaurant for a fruit & yogurt parfait? I make my own. They're tastier. And they come in a pretty glass.

Pretty glasses: it's how I roll. (Also, it's how I use glasses that otherwise sit in the cabinet and collect dust. Somebody should've told me I'd never use fancy dinner- & glassware.)