Granola

I am on a journey.  An "I want to be healthy" journey.  I have been in the process of steering my family away from processed foods.  It hasn't been easy, but it is totally worth it.  At the same time, I am very overweight. Yep.  It's true.  I treat food as my drug of choice.  It's good - but it is not something that you can quit cold turkey.  A girl's gotta eat!  Amiright? 

Me and my beautiful sister, Mary.

Anyway.  Right now I am choosing to not eat carbs.  I can have anything I want.  But, today, I am choose to not eat carbs and I am choose to watch my sodium and fat, too.  I have also chosen to follow the Medifast plan.  I have lost 19.8 pounds in two weeks.  Wow.  My 18 year old daughter has lost 19 in 3 weeks (she started this eating transformation) and my 13 year old daughter has lost 6 in two weeks (she's on a teen program that encourages healthy carbs).  We are all feeling better and have more energy.  It is amazing what a little change in cooking will do for the whole family.

However, I  do have a family.  This includes 3 teenagers who DO eat anything and everything and a husband that does choose to eat carbs.  My barely 17 year old 6'4" boy - also the healthiest eater of us all (he doesn't like junk food or processed food.  I, on the other hand love fat and sugar like I love my own children.  Hence the problem.) - is hungry ALL THE TIME.

sigh

One of his favorite snacks is Greek yogurt with granola.  Here is my favorite recipe for it.  You can leave out the M&M's if you want (I know that they are not healthy.)

Granola

4 cups rolled oats
1 - 1 1/2 cups mixed grains (wheat germ, oat bran, flax)
2 cups nuts (pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup (the real deal, not flavored corn syrup)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 - 1 1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, craisins, dried cherries, etc.)
M&M's or chocolate chips (optional)

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the oats, grains, nuts and salt in a big bowl.  Mix it up.

Combine the sugar, syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon and vanilla in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

As soon as the sugars start to boil, remove from heat and pour over the oat mixture.  Stir it up.

Spread the oat mixture on a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.  Stir once during baking.

Let the granola cool completely.

Stir in the fruit and chocolate.

Store in an airtight container.