Good Eats

*This recipe has been Peanut Approved. He LOVES this as a snack or even as a quick and tasty breakfast. (The Head Nuts do too!) Yummy!!! Since dried fruits can get pricey pretty quickly, we recently purchased a brand new food dehydrator from Craigslist (for $8) which will allow us to buy fresh fruits and dehydrate our own 'til our hearts content...

-Gotta Have Granola-

4 c. Oats (NOT quick cook or instant)

1 1/2 c. Whole Almonds (shelled but skin on)

1/2 c. Flax Seeds

1/2 c. Lt Brown Sugar (we use Splenda brown sugar)

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 c. Canola Oil

1/4 c. Honey

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 c. Dried Cranberries*

1 c. Dried Apricots* (cut in halves or quarters)

1/2 c. Dried Banana Slices*

*(substitute dried fruits of your choosing)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Mix oats, almonds, flax seed, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. In a saucepan warm the oil and honey. Wisk in the vanilla extract. Pour the honey, oil and vanilla mixture over the oat mixture and mix well. I find a spatula works best. Spread granola out on a sheet pan and bake for 40 minutes (stirring half way through). Cool and break up any clumps. Mix in dried fruits (I actually add the fruit before it goes in the oven, but sometimes the apricots can get a little brown). Store in airtight container. Yields 9 cups.