Granola? Yes, Granola!

If you're anything like me, you're running around like a complete crazy person trying to get all of your Fourth of July festivities in order. 

My menu looks pretty solid, but I need a dessert. Something cheap and easy and something I already have all the ingredients to make here at home. No reason to fight through the crowds at Meijer if you don't have to, right? 

Hmmmm ... how about granola?!

Now, I know what you're thinking, "Granola? I'm bored already." But, not so fast my foodie friends. I have good reasons for making boring granola the subject of my very first food blog. Granola is cheap, easy, delicious, fast, versatile and healthy. Does it get any better than that? Granola is also one of the first foods that I Lori-fied. (Lori-fy, verb. - To take a recipe and make it yummier and/or healthier; to make it my own.)

My passion for granola began several years ago. My husband and I splurged for our anniversary and decided to head downtown for a romantic dinner and a play at the Fisher Theatre. At the end of the night we got a great room at the Renaissance Center. We had done similar excursions like this before, but this was the first time we has ordered room service for breakfast. I ordered Homemade Granola Parfait. I waited and waited and waited some more. It had to have taken close to an hour and I was getting irritated, to say the least. I mean, it's just granola, right?! What the heck could be taking them so long?! I'm hungry!! My lovely husband answered the door to protect the room service guy from my wrath, and then ... it happened. He placed this adorable little glass in front of me and the aroma ... well, it knocked the morning irritability right out of me. It was gorgeous layers of warm granola (yes, I said warm), creamy vanilla yogurt and perfectly sweet and plump, fresh blueberries. It sounds simple, I know. But this little parfait glass changed my life and began my journey as a Foodie. I desperately needed to eat this anytime I wanted and so, the quest began.  I spent a good month reading, researching, learning and trying various different fancy recipes and nothing seemed to compare.  It was too crunchy, or too sweet, or too salty or whatever!  It just wasn't right! Then I decided to just get back to to the basics of granola, get rid of all the gourmet crap, and keep it simple.  It worked!! So, here for you now (drum roll, please) is my basic formula for granola, shared in public for the very first time!! 

My Granola

Created by: Yours truly

Serves: Several

Cooking Time: About an hour from start to finish, if nobody's bugging you.

4c. Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (the quick oats do not cut it)

1 1/2c. various nuts and seeds (I use sliced almonds and chopped hazelnuts)

1/2c. packed dark brown sugar

1/2t. salt

1/2t. cinnamon

1/4c. canola oil

1/4c. honey

1t. real vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine oats, nuts, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a very large bowl.

Over low heat, combine oil and honey. Stir until warm. Do not boil! Whisk in vanilla. (*Cooking for dummies tip #1:  if you measure your oil first and then measure your honey is the same cup, the honey will slip right out. You're welcome.)

Pour oil and honey mixture into bowl with the oats. Mix well to combine.

Pour mixture into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Bake 45 minutes; stirring every 15 minutes until finished.

Remove from oven and let cool, stirring from time to time to keep the granola loose.

So, now what? Well, now that you have the basic formula and your ratios of wet to dry ingredients, you can change it up and do whatever the heck you want. You can make this recipe as healthy or as Paula Dean as you want. For example, you're a psycho health freak (like me): throw out the brown sugar, switch agave nectar for the honey, put some flaxseeds and wheat germ into the oat ratio, put some raw sunflower seeds into your nut ratio and Wa-La!  Breakfast of champions!! I also love to switch the canola oil for coconut oil. So yummy and good for you!!

But, let's get back to the Fourth of July. Well, I'm making parfaits, of course! Granola with layers of yogurt, strawberries and blueberries. Red, white and blue (clever, eh?). "But, Lori..", you say. "I need a dish that can travel, I'm going to a friend's party." 

No problem! Chop up your strawberries, grab your blueberries, yogurt and some appropriate serving vessels and let people make their own parfaits! (*Entertaining for dummies tip #1: for warm granola, put your 9x13 dish on a cute towel with a heating pad underneath it. Your friends will think you're a genius!)

Well, I hope you enjoyed my first blog, and I wish you all a wonderful Fourth of July full of fireworks, friends and yummy food! Until next time.