Cozy Comforts of November... in June :o)

I FINALLY made my own granola!  I made a "traditional" type first, but after trying to make a cranberry-orange clove bread (yeah, it was delicious, but somehow was uber dense... perhaps the lack of eggs and large amounts of Greek yogurt...  I have to keep working on it!) was hooked on the flavors.  So, I thought I was being really original thinking of a cranberry-orange granola.  Nope.  Not so much.  So, I perused some of the recipes I saw to get the basic how-to and then wrote down what I wanted to put in it.

So, before I give you the ingredients and the quick how-to, I just want to show you how beauuuuuuuuutiful it was at 10:30 that night!  Especially since it had rained all day!  So yes, at 10:30 pm, I went out to the grocery store to buy an orange and some cranberries so I could make this.  :o)

View from my kitchen window while I was making this granola.

Cranberry-Orange & Clove Granola

Ingredients:

• 3 c. rolled oats
• 2 c. rice cereal (I used Kashi Puffs)
• 1/2 t. salt
• zest of one orange
• 1/4 t. cinnamon
• pinch of clove
• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. apple plum baby food (or applesauce)
• juice of your zested orange
• 2 T. maple syrup
• 1/4 c. oil (I used a olive-canola oil blend)
• 2/3 c. dried cranberries
• 2/3 c. chopped pecans

Get out a large bowl and get ready to dump in lots of stuff.

I used Kashi's puff cereal, but you could probably substitute it for whatever you like/have.

 First combine all of your dry ingredients (except the brown sugar).  Then in a smaller bowl, combine your wet ingredients.

Such as your fresh squeezed orange juice.

Instead of buying a big thing of applesauce that will mostly go to waste, I'm a fan of getting baby food.  This stuff was on sale for 50c and I LOVE the jars.  Great bitty size for things.  :o)

Whisk the juice, apple sauce, maple syrup, oil, and brown sugar.  I don't know exactly the true use for this spirally whisk, but I really like it and rediscovered it recently.  Anyways, whatever whisk you want, whisk away!

Mix it all together to make sure the oats and cereal are coated in the liquid mixture.

Bake at 325*F for about 25 minutes (keep an eye on it to make sure it gets golden, but not too dark!) on a sprayed pan (or sprayed foil, or parchment paper).  For the last few minutes, add in the chopped pecans.  Let your granola cool for just a bit then put it back into the bowl.  Add in your cranberries, and voila!  All done!  I really really really really like it.  I kept a small mason jar for myself, and packaged the rest for gifts.

Even though these flavors are usually reminiscent of fall, I think they taste gosh darn fantastic in the summer!  I think on a bit of yogurt it will be deeeeeeeeeeeeelicious!  :o)