It was a beautiful day for the Camas Health Fair, this past Saturday, that was held in conjuction with the Camas Plant and Garden Fair. Thank you to those of you who stopped by my booth. It is always good to see old friends and meet some new ones. If you are considering hosting a workshop for your friends and family, please contact me if you have any questions.
I had one friend come by and the discussion of breakfast came up. She told me her typical breakfast is cereal ranging from Total to Captain Crunch. A simple remedy to store bought breakfast cereals (which either have too much sugar or the vitamins are fortified, i.e. synthetic versions of the real vitamns stripped from the grain to prolong shelf life) is making your own granola.
Granola is made by mixing oats with a combination of seeds and nuts, and sometimes coconut, then stirred with a sweetner and oil. Once this mixture is baked in the oven at a low temperature you can mix in a variety of dried fruits. They are endless combinations and variations which is why it is so much fun to make your granola. Your kids will love it! Here is a basic recipe to get you started:
Hollyhock Granola
6 cups rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup unhulled sesame seeds
2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup sunflower or safflower oil
2/3 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
2. In a sacuepan, heat the oil and the honey at low heat until the honey melts. Don't allow the honey and oil to boil. Take the honey and oil off the stove and add the vanilla. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and toss them well until the granola is shiny and well coated.
3. Spread the mixture onto 2 baking sheets and bake until golden, stirring every 20 minutes. It takes about an hour to bake at 250 degrees and less time a a higher heat. The granola may still be slightly soft when it comes out of the oen but it will crisp up as it cools. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Variations - try different combinations of the following ingredients:
Seeds: Flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame
Nuts: Almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts
Sweetners: Honey, maple syrup, brown sugar
Spices and Flavorings: Cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, orange zest
Dried Fruit: Apricots, cherries, cranberries, raisins, pears and/or prunes - cut larger fruit into bite-size pieces
Granola is made by mixing oats with a combination of seeds and nuts, and sometimes coconut, then stirred with a sweetner and oil. Once this mixture is baked in the oven at a low temperature you can mix in a variety of dried fruits. They are endless combinations and variations which is why it is so much fun to make your granola. Your kids will love it! Here is a basic recipe to get you started:
Hollyhock Granola
6 cups rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup unhulled sesame seeds
2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup sunflower or safflower oil
2/3 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
2. In a sacuepan, heat the oil and the honey at low heat until the honey melts. Don't allow the honey and oil to boil. Take the honey and oil off the stove and add the vanilla. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and toss them well until the granola is shiny and well coated.
3. Spread the mixture onto 2 baking sheets and bake until golden, stirring every 20 minutes. It takes about an hour to bake at 250 degrees and less time a a higher heat. The granola may still be slightly soft when it comes out of the oen but it will crisp up as it cools. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Variations - try different combinations of the following ingredients:
Seeds: Flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame
Nuts: Almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts
Sweetners: Honey, maple syrup, brown sugar
Spices and Flavorings: Cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, orange zest
Dried Fruit: Apricots, cherries, cranberries, raisins, pears and/or prunes - cut larger fruit into bite-size pieces
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