Poor man's granola

AKA "student loan granola".  Okay, so here is a very (and I mean very) basic recipe for homemade cereal.  Most people add lots of stuff to their own versions of granola.  I like mine very simple. And crunchy. And that's about it.



Basic Granola


You will need:

• 3 1/2 cups of rolled oats (not quick oats)
• 1/2 cup almonds, sliced or smashed
• 1/2 stick (4 tbsp) of butter
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Allspice

1. Melt together butter and honey in small saucepan over low heat.  Once the butter is melted and the mixture is warm, add vanilla.
2. Mix together dry ingredients.  I don't measure the spices; I just add them until they smell yummy.  I usually only give the nutmeg and allspice a few shakes, since they have pretty strong flavors.
3. Pour honey butter mixture over the oats mixture and stir well with a rubber spatula.
4. Spread mixture on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake on 250 degrees for about an hour. (You may wish to stir the granola a bit at 30 minutes, but you do not have to do this.)
6. Remove from the oven and let cool 30-45 minutes, or until it crisps up.
7. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

I like to put raisins over my granola right before eating it.  I wouldn't recommend mixing the raisins into the cereal in the container; this seems to make the cereal lose it's crunch faster.  This granola is also a delicious topping for yogurt.  Enjoy!