Homemade Granola

For those of you who follow this blog regularly, I promised you a granola recipe would be in a future post, so here it is.  Making granola is a great way to cut breakfasts costs without giving up the convenience of pouring cereal and milk in a bowl and being done with it.  Below is the recipe I use, based on a recipe from a favorite restaurant, Mezza Luna, which has since closed.

Combine: 6 cups rolled oats, 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds, 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, mix:  1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 cup honey, 1 cup water, 2/3 cup oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla.

Add wet mixture to dry mixture.  Spread onto two baking sheets at 300 degrees for about an hour.  Stir every 10-15 minutes.

I change the types of nuts to vary the recipe.  You can also change the amount of sugar to match your taste/health preferences.  I also often add 2 cups total of some combination of dried fruits.  The fruits you choose is completely adaptable to your preferences and budget.  Or if it's fresh berry season, leave out the dried fruit and top with fresh berries...even better! 

Make it whenever you have time, and once it cools, throw it in a container until breakfast.  Enjoy!  (I'd add a picture, but this recipe doesn't even last long enough to snap a picture of it in my house.)