Hunker Down Day

By this time last year, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself after weathering (no pun intended) one blizzard and snow storm after another.  That is not the case this year.  It is almost March and this is our first "Hunker Down Day" of the winter.  Have you seen the weather?  The whole state is in the path of a blizzard set to hit tomorrow and last through Wednesday.

And what did I do today to prepare for the big storm?  I went all natural and made my own granola.  Yep, that's right.  I was paging through a cookbook as I was drinking my mid-morning coffee and found a couple recipes for granola.  I had all of the ingredients, so why not?  I combined the two, added a few of my own ingredients and--wallah--homemade granola.  There are so many things you could add to this: raisins, craisins, dried apples . . . . I'm not saying this is the best granola recipe in the world, but it is pretty tasty!

Granola

5 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup flaked coconut

2/3 cup sunflower kernels

2/3 cup almonds

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup canola oil

dash or two salt

2 T cinnamon (I used apple pie spice)

1 T vanilla

Lightly oil a large roaster and combine the dry ingredients.  Bake at 300 for 20 minutes, stirring several times.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan, simmer sugar, honey, oil, and spice.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Pour over baked dry ingredients and stir.  Bake for 5 minutes more.  Stir again and bake 5 more minutes.  Cool and crumble apart.  Stir in an air tight container.

And, with that, we are ready for the snow!  In addition to our yummy granola, we have enough Wheaties, milk, Pepsi, and the Golf channel to keep my husband happy for a couple of days at least.  After that, it will be time to dig out again!