HOMEMADE GRANOLA

Oh, granola. If there was ever a health food that could be labeled a vice, this is it. If you've known us for any length of time, you know we are were avid cookie eaters and lovers of all things sweet. But we've been working on cutting back on refined sugar for a while now and we've taken some real strides in improving our overall diet. We feel better mentally and physically, and most important of all, it's one small step towards treating our bodies as the temples that Christ has so graciously made them to be {1 Corinthians 6:19-20}. So granola is our new "dessert", and boy is it good. I started eating a lot of it about a year ago, and I used to go through tons of the Bear Naked brand until my deployment-roomie from last year decided to start making a homemade version- go Sam! Obviously there's still sugar in this and it's still a high calorie food, so you have to have it in moderation. But I can tell a huge difference between eating this as opposed to a regular dessert with lots of empty carbs and refined sugar. This doesn't lead to an energy crash the same way the other stuff does, and it's packed with protein and healthy fats and nutrients. I do my best to make it through the whole day with extremely little refined sugar, and then this- with a handful of dark chocolate chips- is my evening treat.

I'm sure a lot of you already have your own granola recipes, but if not, give this one a try! Once you get the hang of it, it's the easiest thing to make and it's so much less expensive and fresher tasting than what you buy at the store. Not to mention a great, nutrient-rich snack for kids.

INGREDIENTS 

The Granola

6 cups raw Old Fashioned oats

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup Canola oil 

The Extras {adjust according to taste!}

1/4 cup each of unsalted nuts like almonds, walnuts, & pecans

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Non-stick cooking spray

Raisans, craisans, and/or dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Pour your raw oats into your baking dish and heat them in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and add the honey and canola oil to the oats, being sure to stir and coat it evenly.

Place back in the oven and set your timer for about 20 minutes. Halfway through, stir the oats to prevent the top layer from browning unevenly.

Once your oats are golden {about 20 minutes}, take them out, stir them again- don't forget that or they may harden and stick to the pan!- and then let them cool.

Add the nuts, sesame seeds, raisans/craisans and/or chocolate chips and stir.

Enjoy!