Homemade Granola
There is nothing quite like the smell of a home where granola is made. In my heart if “slowing down” had a fragrance, it would be this exact combination of oat, vanilla, nuts and maple syrup.
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This is the best recipe to involve your child in the kitchen. Aside from the microwave and oven use, your child (age 2 and up, and with your guidance) will be thrilled to accomplish this recipe. From measuring the oats, nuts, dry fruits and seeds to mixing and incorporating wet ingredients, this is total play yard for your child. Try not to stress too much if the portions are not perfect; if you have too many dry ingredients, just add a little maple syrup. Encourage your little ones to use their hands and to try the different tastes/flavors they are working with. They will feel empowered and connected to you during this experience.
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When looking to offer a homemade present to a friend, teacher, or for a holiday host gift, Granola is the perfect present to offer. Head to your convenience store and purchase mason jars and labels. Involve your children in every step: from making the granola, putting them into jars, and even creating a label. This is the perfect gift to spoil your loved ones or simply to say 'thank you' to someone who has guided you.
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Make sure you clearly state that the granola contains seeds & nuts. Label the bag or container you will transport it in to prevent any allergic reactions.
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Did you laugh? Because there is no way, this is too easy. But what if, in fact, that was perfect? When we think of feeding new parents, we often envision providing a diner. It does not have to be complicated. This granola is great for vegan families. Bring a jar of oat milk or almond milk & it will work in perfect harmony with the nutty flavors of this recipe. Many nursing babies react to dairy and tomato product while they are breastfeeding, so this is a great way to avoid those problematic ingredients while incorporating ingredients that supports a healthy diet and increase milk supply. You can bring granola along with milk, a loaf of locally made bread with jam or a bowl of fruits. You may want to stop and grab espresso at your favorite local coffee shop! What a treat for new parents!
Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup of maple syrup,
1/2 cup of coconut oil
1tsp of vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
4 cups of quick oats
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup of shredded coconut
1/2 cup of walnuts
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
a pinch of salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups of your choice of dry fruits. I prefer cranberries and cherries. You can do blueberries, chopped Medjool dates, apricots or others. You will add the dry fruits at the end, after the granola as cooled off.
I like to add 2 tbsp of chia seeds & 2 tbsp of hemp seeds once everything is cooled off.
Steps:
Set your oven at 300 degrees and place parchment paper on 3 different cookie sheets, you will need them all.
In a microwavable dish, scoop 1/2 cup of coconut oil and microwave for 30 secondes. Stir and return to the microwave for a few more seconds if the coconut oil has not completely reduced to a liquid form.
Add maple syrup and vanilla extract to the coconut oil, stir gently and set aside.
Using a big mixing bowl, Incorporate and mix well together all of your dry ingredients. Do not forget to keep the dry fruits to the side until the very end.
Empty the content of your wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and give it a good stir.
Lather your mixture on to the cookie sheet, do not over pack the cookie sheet.
Your granola will be in the oven for a total of 35 minutes. I put an alarm every 10 minutes to stir the granola to make sure that all of the pieces are roasting, Look for Gold, because it is!
You can keep the granola for 3 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.