preheat oven to 300 for both versions

first you have to carefully measure your ingredients …   

FREE FLOWING

3 cups old fashioned oats

3/4 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 tbsp wheat germ

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp cinnamon

(oh what the heck, not many oats left – just dump them ALL in …)

2 tbsp canola oil or unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, apricots, blueberries)

Toss all dry ingredients together (except the fruit).  Heat the oil/butter and maple syrup together and then mix well with dry ingredients.  Spread on baking sheet and bake until toasted nice and brown – just the way you like it.

Stir every 15 minutes or so until it is all toasty and crunchy.  Let cool before adding the dried fruits.

Now if you like your granola even crunchier, and in big chunks, this is the one for you ….

CHUNKY GRANOLA

3 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup sliced almonds

1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup sesame seeds

1/3 cup ground flax seeds

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup honey

Might be a good idea to taste and make sure you have the right mixture of dry ingredients ….

Again – toss all your dry ingredients together.  Heat up the sugar, oil and honey until bubbling merrily and mix with dry ingredients.  Bake for 45 minutes – only tossing it in the pan once at the 20 minute mark and then let it be still for the rest of the baking.  When you take it out of the oven just let it sit – undisturbed – on a cooling rack until completely cold.  Break into whatever size chunks you want!  So good you may have trouble keeping it until you can get it safely stored …..

Go ahead and try with your favorite seeds, nuts, seasonings and have some fun!