Homemade Granola

I love commuting on the train, but it's days like these that make me really wish I drove to work.  Or that I owned a car.  My imaginary car would have a fancy remote starter so that I could warm up the car (and of course its heated seats) while I finished primping for work. 

Instead, I pile on layer after layer of sweater, jacket, scarf, earmuffs, hats, gloves and mittens.  Yes, it takes me at least five minutes to get ready to go outside.  This is funny actually, because I spend as little time outside as possible.  NJTransit has this fancy "departurevision" section on their website.  It tells me how much longer I can stay in my warm apartment before the train rolls into the station.  Love it.

So what has this winter brought me?  A smaller pants size!  Seriously.  I spent two months out of this winter completely ill.  Bronchitis, sinusitis, cold after cold.  I spent two months eating soup and orange juice, or nothing at all because "eating takes too much energy."

The cold weather has helped me keep those ten pounds off.  How you might ask?  It's too cold to go out for lunch!  Why leave my cozy office and go outside to pick up a (fill in your favorite unhealthy lunch here) when I could stay in front of my (illegal) space heater eating a salad I threw together at home.  I'm thinking I'll put back on those pounds I lost during the summer, when it's warm enough to go and get piles of Thai food for lunch.

A girl does not stay full on salad alone though.  Around four o'clock, after running around the lab for a few hours, I indulge in... yogurt!  I know, I'm so bad.  But you should totally get yourself some yogurt and make this granola. 

Can you believe that in my year of homemade everything challenges, I'm only now making my own granola!  I feel like you can throw anything in with a whole ton of oats and you've got granola.  You could be all - "Hey, I made this macadamia nut, coconut and dried jalapeno pepper granola, it's so good for you!"  Or "What?  You haven't tried the new beef jerky and fried plantain granola?"  Just put some oats with anything and BAM - granola.


I've been enjoying this delicious granola (no beef jerky involved) all week long with my CHO.  Mix some granola and chia seeds into a container of yogurt and you won't find yourself gorging at the fridge door as soon as you get home. 

And as a perfect completion to Chobani week...  Boyfriend got an interview!  Now it's all up to him, all my love and good vibrations being sent his way!  Thanks everyone for stopping by during Chobani week!  You would not believe the amount of yogurt I ate last week.
One Year Ago: Marshmallow Fondant & Classic Fondant
Two Years Ago: Orange Chiffon Cupcakes & Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Homemade Granola with Yogurt

A Wilde Original

Seriously, granola = oats + other stuff.  If you don't like coconut, just replace it with something else!  Hate almonds?  Why not change them up for a bunch of chopped walnuts or pecans?  No one's judging you!  Most of the recipes I found told me to add sunflower seeds, which I think are super gross.  You'll notice there are no sunflower seeds in this recipe.
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons agave syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1/2 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 250 F.

In a large bowl, mix together rolled oats, sesame seeds, coconut, almonds and salt.  In a glass bowl, whisk together canola oil, maple syrup, agave syrup, vanilla extract, almond extract and golden syrup.  Pour this over oat mixture and stir until everything is moistened.  Spread mixture out on a baking sheet and put in the oven.  After 30 minutes, stir the granola.  Bake for another 30 minutes.  Stir again.  Set timer for 30 more minutes.  After the timer goes off, turn off oven and let granola sit in there until the oven is cool. 

Transfer granola to a bowl and mix in dried cherries.  Store in an air-tight container, at room temperature.  Granola will keep for about 3 weeks, if it is around that long!