Healthy Breakfast

Here's another one of my favorite recipes to make - Healthy Granola! I like to add Craisins, cinnamon and sometimes coconut. We eat it as a breakfast with milk and never as a snack - I've seen people do that but it seems too messy. We try to have this once a week. Remember to store it in an airtight container or heavy ziploc bag. I made some this afternoon and my kids thought I was making cookies because it smells so good. Enjoy!

In a very large bowl combine:

8 cups old fashioned oats

6 cups crispy rice cereal

2 cups wheat germ (found on the top shelf by the boxes of instant oatmeal)

In a separate medium bowl combine and mix:

1 cup water

1/2 cup oil (I prefer canola)

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup honey (local is best since it will help with your allergies, cool huh?)

2 tsp salt

1 Tbs vanilla (I love the real stuff we got in Mexico)

2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Pour this over the dry mixture then toss till everything's nice and coated. Spread onto 2 cookie sheets and cook at 225 degrees for 1 hour, then use a spatula to stir it up and spread out again. Bake for another hour. Let cool then add:

2 handfuls of Craisins per pan

2 handfuls of shredded, sweetened coconut per pan

1 handful of crushed nuts like almonds or pecans per pan