Megan: Homemade Granola

happy february!

while our white northeastern winter is here to stay, i have devoted my spare minutes to cozy nooks, comfort food, hot cups of tea and good books. this month, I have been consuming green tea (with a drop of honey and a squeeze of fresh lemon) by the gallon while pouring over my new gifted copy of julia child's my life in france. julia child is simply adorable. i can't help but fall a little more in love with mrs. child with each page turned. while my new food heroine captures my heart, i also can't help the growls that erupt from my stomach as i read in great detail of her journey to concoct the perfect hollandaise sauce, her discovery of the best method to cook the most succulent coq au vin and her hunt for aged cheese wheels to accompany her fresh strawberries. o, julia...

well, needless to say, reading can make you hungry. the perfect cozy-nook-tea-in-hand-whilst-reading-snack? sweet, crunchy, fiber-filled and packed with protein - granola! one of my favorite personal creations is a very simple, tried-and-true granola recipe (i mentioned i was from oregon, right?) this time, i tweaked it slightly, adding dark chocolate, dried cranberries and pomegranate seeds to make it valentine's day ready.

i hope you enjoy it. stay warm, well-read and cozy this month!

ingredients:

2 tbl olive oil

2 cups rolled oats

1/3 butter

2 tbl honey

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup raw almonds

1/2 cup salted and roasted cashews

1 cup dried fruit (i chose to use a cranberry and pomegranate mix).

1 cup dark chocolate chips

heat oven to 350.

heat oil on medium heat in large deep skillet. add rolled oats and almonds stir (about 5 minutes) until oats and almonds are toasted and starting to brown. empty into deep baking dish and set aside.

melt the butter on medium heat, add the honey and brown sugar. stirring constantly for 5 minutes, until bubbling.

mix oats and almonds and cashews into the butter mixture and stir well. add fruit.

empty contents into the baking dish and bake for 8 minutes. remove from oven and let cool. once cool, add chocolate chips and mix well.

happy snacking!