I have always loved cereal and have especially loved granola. In the last two months I’ve started making my own. It made great Christmas gifts for some friends and family poured into mason jars.

Some of you have asked for the recipe, so here goes.
The first one is baked low and slow and is well worth the wait.
I got the recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, 100 Days of Real Food. You can find it here. Below are the things I chose to add in it:

• Oats – I prefer Bob’s Red Mill Thick Cut or Trader Joe’s Rolled Oats.
• Almonds, walnuts, pecans and pumpkin seeds. I left out the sunflower seeds.
• Get the unsweetened coconut from Whole Foods (or other similar store). It’s worth it. Much better than the other.
• Add in some raisins, cranberries, cherries or any other dried fruit you like after it’s cooled a bit.

Then there are those mornings where you’d really like granola, but haven’t made it yet. That’s where this one comes in. You make it on the stove top and let it cool for a few minutes. Voila! Fast granola from scratch.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oats
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons raisins or cranberries
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, toast oats over medium heat until golden brown. Careful not to burn. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, cook and stir the honey and butter over medium-low heat until bubbly, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Stir in the almonds, raisins, coconut and oats until coated.
4. Pour into a large bowl or tray to cool.
5. Enjoy with milk or yogurt!