Little by little at our house I am trying to find good recipes made from single, natural ingredients to replace packaged items from our pantry. I have a long way to go. The convenience factor of a frozen pizza or macaroni & cheese often wins. But, even with small steps we are improving and it makes me so happy! I like the challenge of discovering recipes for foods that have been packaged for so long now that it seems unheard of to make yourself. I mean who makes their own cereal? I would like to take this to the extreme in the years to come and hope to eventually become somewhat sustainable; making my own breads, jelly, growing vegetables, etc. (I guess we’ll keep on buying milk though because Dan doesn't think he would ever choose to milk a cow. Ever. Sigh.)
What I am finding out is that when I make something myself:
1. Grocery shopping is easier and faster because you can get almost everything you need by shopping the perimeter of the store!
2. I save money3. I eat healthier foods and in turn maintain a healthier weight
4. It tastes better
5. I appreciate it more
I’m sure there are even more reasons out there. I’m hoping to post under the "My Recipe Box" label more often, and especially this summer as we discover new favorites. This one we call “Crunchies” at our house and Hannah loves it along with helping me prepare it. Oh how great she is at “helping” me stir the ingredients together (Yes, it flies out of the pan more often than not, and for that reason our puppy Max is also a fan).
I have always loved granola cereals but usually pass on them at the store because they always seem expensive. The ingredients for this recipe are very simple and inexpensive. Hannah eats this often for breakfast with milk and fruit or she also loves a spoonful stirred in with her yogurt. It goes well with fresh fruits: blueberries, raspberries, bananas, peaches, raisins, and even chocolate chips as I discovered during a late night craving when I was pregnant with AJ!
Granola Cereal
5 C. Oats (we prefer “Old Fashioned” but you can use anything)
½ C. Brown Sugar¼ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/3 C. Honey
1/3 C. Vegetable Oil
1/3 C. Water
1 tsp. Vanilla
Mix oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon together in a lightly greased roasting pan or baking sheet. In a separate bowl stir liquid ingredients. Pour over dry ingredients mixing until well coated. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes total, taking out to stir every 10 minutes. Cool and then store in an airtight container. I don’t know how long this preserves, we never let it sit that long!
