Everyday Granola
March 13, 2003

I love to exercise almost as much as I love to eat, and my Everyday Granola Recipe is the embodiment of both passions.It wasn’t until I started riding a bicycle seriously that I began to appreciate the body’s need for a good breakfast.This perfect fuel stays with me all morning long: it is crunchy, healthful and delicious!I start each day with a bowlful topped with antioxidant-rich blueberries and vanilla soymilk.A nice benefit of this satisfying cereal is that I don’t crave cookies and sweets as much, which keeps me on track with my fitness goals.Toasting releases the natural oils and aromas of the ingredients and adds fantastic flavor and complexity to the cereal. This makes a wonderful hostess or holiday gift for friends and family.

Play with the proportions to your liking:

- 1 42-ounce container Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
- 2 14-ounce packages of sweet flaked coconut
- 2 10-ounce packages of slivered almonds
- 3 cups whole almonds
- 3 cups pecans, lightly crushed
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 1-cup sesame seeds
- Dried fruits: raisins, cherries, blueberries or cranberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, spread oats out evenly, toast for 25 minutes.Pour into a very large mixing bowl.Toast coconut until light brown in color, watch it carefully, and stir half way thru toasting. Add to oats.Toast nuts about 20 minutes, stirring half way through.Repeat with sunflower and sesame seeds.Combine mixture along with the optional dried fruit.It should smell delicious.Cool mixture, then fill 1-quart freezer bags with granola and store in freezer until ready for use.

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008