Granola Goodness

It isn't often that I eat cereal for breakfast, but recently, when a new cookbook arrived at my door, the granola recipe jumped right out at me.  How hard could it be?  This simple preparation will inspire you to make your own combinations of dried fruit, nuts and seeds.  It's easy, takes only an hour on low heat to bake and kept in sealed glass jars, will keep for quite awhile.   They will be fresher than store bought, and cheaper as well.  Now my husband's daily morning breakfast ritual just got a little more interesting and crunchy.

Granola Goodness
This recipe is with cherries, blueberries and currants, but you could easily add your own faves.  If you like it a little stickier and clumpier, add honey or brown sugar.

4 cups Oats
2 cups Pecans
2/3 cups Dried fruits;  montmorency cherries, currants, and blueberries
Orange Citrus zest from two oranges
2/3 cup Maple syrup
3 TBS Butter
salt

Add al the dry ingredients together with the orange zest.  Set aside.
Melt the butter and stir the maple syrup together until blended.   Pour the liquid around the edges of the bowl and mix with your fingers until everything is blended together nicely.  If you want more clumps, add a little more syrup or honey.

Bake in a 300 degree oven for about 45 minutes.  Be sure to pay attention to the smells.  You don't want to burn the nuts.   Enjoy with fresh nonfat plain yogurt or by itself with a little soy milk or regular milk.