Once known
as Granula, now called Granola, it’s a healthful (albeit calorie-laden) and
delicious breakfast cereal, or when eaten out of hand, a delightful (and
addictive) snack. I started making granola when I was in the Master Food
Preserver program. One of my early assignments was to teach a class on
dehydrating. All food preservation was new to me five years ago, so I used each
teaching assignment as an opportunity to fully research the subject, equip our
kitchen with all necessary tools and gadgets, and experiment. For this
particular class I purchased a half-dozen excellent books on the subject and a
9-tray Excalibur dehydrator with temperature settings, a timer and automatic shutoff
(all desirable features in a dehydrator). I dried a dozen different fruits and
veggies, made various snack mixes as well as a complete dehydrated meal in a quart
jar. Spaghetti in a Jar was actually quite good when rehydrated and became a
favorite at my classes. I also made power bars, trail mixes, and granola. I
still dry fruit and have continued to make granola, but have switched from
using my Excalibur to baking it in the oven. I prefer the oven method as it’s
faster and the results are crunchier and have a delicious toasted flavor.
I don’t
eat much granola for the two reasons I mentioned above: It’s full of calories
and it’s addictive. Verne never eats
granola. So why do I make it? Also two reasons: it’s a great way to use up bits
and pieces of dried fruits, nuts, seeds, and cereal, and a perfect way to
ingratiate myself with our new son-in-law, Andy McGee. If you’ve seen pictures
of Andy you’ll agree he doesn’t need to worry about the calories. Secondly,
Andy LOVES my granola. You might say he’s “addicted” to it, eating four
1-gallon bags (that’s three batches) in a month. I love this selfie he took eating
granola directly out of the bag.
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| Andy's favorite way to eat granola - straight from the bag! |
Actually,
the title of this blog post is what prompted me to write it. Verne asked me one
morning if I remembered the slogan “Cereal Shot From Guns”. I didn’t, although
my mom did occasionally let us kids eat cereal for breakfast (the unsweetened
kind), such as cheerios, puffed wheat, or shredded wheat. But then I wasn’t
much of a reader. To this day Verne reads everything put in front of him,
including the cereal boxes or milk carton if we’re having a no-frills quick
breakfast of cereal. Even so, I thought the slogan was too weird to be true. We
both Googled it and lo and behold, there’s an amazing story behind the slogan
and the cereal. I’ll let you read for yourself about Alexander Anderson and his invention of puffed cereal shot from guns (of peace).
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| Alexander Anderson's puffing gun in action |
How does
this relate to my recipe for granola? Puffed wheat or puffed rice is one of the
ingredients I always include since happening onto it a few years ago when I was
using up some of the leftover bits and pieces from the pantry. I loved the
textural contrast it offered to the chewiness of the oats and changed the
recipe to include it as one of the basic ingredients. Other additions to the
basic ingredients I’ve made include Bob’s Red Mill flax seeds (also known as
linseeds) and chia seeds, both of which are enriched with plant-based omega-3
fatty acids (similar to oily fish). I always include a handful of pepitas
(pumpkin seeds), a mineral powerhouse and a beautiful addition of color. Actually,
my granola recipe is a work in progress. I’m not sure where I found the
original recipe or how I’ve changed it over the past five years, but am sure it
will continue to evolve as I experiment with other leftover bits and pieces
from the pantry. For now, here’s the recipe for the best ever granola.
Energy-licious Granola
3 cups rolled oats (quick or regular)
1 cup puffed cereal (wheat, rice, corn, quinoa, or whatever else you fancy)
1 cup chopped almonds or other nuts
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 cup mixed dried fruit (all kinds, cut into small bite-sized pieces)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup currants
1/2 cup sesame seeds (white or black)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pepitas
1 cup dried coconut, small flakes
1/2 cup dried coconut, large flakes
2 tablespoons flax seeds
2 tablespoons Chia seeds
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. In a saucepan, mix peanut butter and honey and thoroughly heat. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and vanilla. Set aside.
2. Combine all other ingredients in large bowl. Pour the warm honey-peanut butter mixture over these dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed. Use your hands, if necessary. (Hint: First coat your hands with oil or butter.)
3. Spread mixture evenly on two flat, rimmed baking sheets and bake at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned. I rotate trays mid-way through cooking time.
4. When cooled, place in airtight containers, such as quart jars or 1 quart storage bags.
Note: This is just a general guideline. All measurements are heaping and I vary fruits and nuts based on what I happen to have at the time.
