Saturday Morning Granola

Wow, where did the weekend go ??? Sure wish Mondays and Tuesdays went by as quickly as Saturdays and Sundays. I think if I had my choice my very favorite time of the week it would be Friday evenings. The whole weekend is ahead of us, a clean slate to do with what we will. I am never as relaxed as on Friday evenings.

I love routine. It makes me feel safe and secure. I imagine it makes me sound boring as well, but that's okay too. On Saturday mornings I make a double batch of granola and toast up the weeks left over bread into croutons. Next I plan my menu for the week and make a grocery list. All this while I am still running around in my "jammies". I remember a song from about 1969 called "Saturday Morning Confusion" by Bobby Russell, it was a cute song about chaos in a house with twins and a hung over Dad. We certainly had our years of Saturday Morning Confusion when Lacy-Jay was growing up. There was always more places we needed to be than we could possibly appear. There are times I miss those crazy days.....

Now back to the granola, this is a food blog after all. This is the simplest granola you will ever make, and in my opinion the very best. This is one of those recipes that you can personalize as you wish. Leave out anything your family doesn't like, use any variety of nuts you have on hand, substitute any dried fruit you enjoy. Eat it by the handfuls, top your yogart with it, eat as cereal with milk, hot or cold, you get the picture. It will keep well for at least a week, but it won't last that long, I promise.

Saturday Morning Granola

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter
2 cups quick oats (not instant)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
5 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup almond slivers
1 cup natural unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup Craisins

Heat oil and butter in large skillet, add oats. Cook over medium high heat 2- 3 minutes or until oats start to brown a tiny bit, stirring constantly. Add salt, maple syrup, brown sugar, almonds and pumpkin pie spice. Cook and stir 3 minutes or until golden brown. Add vanilla. Spread on a large baking sheet and add Craisins. Allow to cool and store in an air tight canister.

So, Until Tomorrow.......
S~~~