Granola

Yay... Winter is here!!!!

Its a nice change to wake up to a less than 10 degree Celcius every morning... I can tolerate cold days but not the hot sweltering heat.

The lawn and garden are greener... beautiful... Days like these makes me want to go out and soak in the winter sun with a cup of tea and a book or magazine in hand, or just potter around the vegetable patch... do some weeding...

Not only winter sun in Perth is gorgeous and beautiful... but the cold weather tend to make me go lurking in my larder, looking for my 'Comfort Food' too... I would snack a lot in winter.... Larder is my best friend when I am feeling peckish...my worst enemy to my waistline...

See what I found... while rummaging through my larder...  a packet of sunflower seeds, pepitas, hazelnuts, almond, unfinished packet of dried cranberries and some oats. Looking at all the ingredients ...  homemade granola seems like a brilliant idea!!

It is so easy to make granola... measured everything by the cup... mix everything in a mixing bowl. Microwave honey and oil.... and pour into the raw ingredients... good to go into the oven...set the timer and voila...

I thought that I was doing OK with time... so I ventured out into my garden... with my ears trained to listen out to the oven's beep...
And the oven did beep... but....

I burnt my granola... what a bummer!!!

If only I'd listened to my mom's advice... to stay put in the kitchen, whenever I am cooking....

Tipped the whole pan into the rubbish bin.... quickly onto making my second batch... This time I stay put in my kitchen... eyes practically glued to the oven...

And the second batch turned out nice... golden, crunchy GRANOLA... healthy winter breakfast... as well as Healthy SNACK for me...

Granola Recipe (adapted from Healthy Cooking ~ Fiona Hunter)

1 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup hazelnuts

1/2 cup almonds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup cranberries

1/4 cup sultanas

1. Pre heat the oven to 140C.
2. Roughly chopped almonds and hazelnut.
3. Mix seeds, oats and nuts in a mixing bowl. 
4. Add canola oil and honey in a bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds.
5. Pour the honey mixture into the seeds mixture.
6. Stir and mix well.
7. Bake the granola for 20 minutes until its golden. Keep a close eye on your granola in the oven...
8. Mix in cranberries and sultanahs (optional).
9. Leave it to cool.
10. Store in an airtight container.