I LOVE homemade granola!  This has been my hand’s down favorite recipe.  We make this every other month (kept in an airtight container) it is perfect!  I make half the batch with dark chocolate and half without (hubby is allergic).  It does make a lot of granola I promise, it won’t last long  Perfect for yogurt parfaits for breakfast.  Top ice cream for dessert or just eat a handful when you need a snack.  This is also a wonderful gift idea for friends or during the holidays.  Totally addictive!

Ingredients:

8 c of rolled oats
1.5 c of wheat germ
1.5 c of oat bran
1/4 c of chia seeds
1/4 c of flax seed meal
1 c of sunflower seeds
1 c of slivered toasted almonds
1 c of cashews
1 c of chopped walnuts
1 tsp of sea salt
1 1/4 c of maple syrup
1 tbl of raw honey (or processed honey or agave)
1 c of vegetable oil
1 tbl of ground cinnamon
1 tbl vanilla extract
2 c of dried tart cherries (or blueberries, raisins or craisins)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Combine the oats, wheat germ, flax, chia, oat bran, sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, walnuts and salt in a very large bowl.  In a separate bowl (or you can use your sauce pan) combine the maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon and vanilla.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Whisk until completely blended.  Then remove from the heat and pour over dry mixture.  Mix well and then spread on 2 baking sheets.  Make sure you have one layer in each pan. You can bake additional cookie sheets as needed.

Bake until crispy and toasted brown.  1 hour and 20 minutes.  Cool and then add your mix-ins.  Chocolate, dried fruit etc.  Store in an airtight container or ziploc baggie.

— Knead to Cook

As most of you know, my husband and I are training for our second marathon.  This training program we are utilizing is totally different than the first and it is daunting to say the least.  With all of the running, we eat a lot.  I’m always looking for great, low sugar options that are high in protein.  He is also, allergic to chocolate, so when making recipes, that is a concern.

Every morning, Bill eats something before our run.  I eat nothing.  I know this isn’t good.  But with short or medium runs, it never bothers me.  Tomorrow we are slated for a15 miler and I know that my ways need to change and I need to start adding fuel before we head out.  We also run super early… so I’m not in the mood to be whipping up any kind of breakfast at 5 a.m.  Last time we trained, I would eat a tablespoon of peanut butter, a bite of a banana and have my gel for my runs.  Today I thought it would be fun to whip up a low sugar bar that we can both eat prior to heading out the door.  This turned out to be perfect and I made half with chocolate chips (for myself and my girls) and half w/o for Bill.

Ingredients:

4 cups instant cooking rolled oats
3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tbl of flax seed meal
1 or 2 pinches of salt
1/2 c peanuts, chopped
1/2 c agave syrup
1/4 c of raw honey (you can use regular honey as well)
1 c of natural peanut butter, melted in the microwave
1/3 c of dark chocolate chips

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  In a your mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, mix the oats, chia. flax, salt and nuts.  Then add the agave & honey.  Mix until combined.  Add melted peanut butter.  If using chocolate chips, add them until incorporated.  If your mixture doesn’t seem moist enough (try pinching it in between your fingers to see if it sticks together) – add a tsp of agave or honey until it reaches the right consistency.

Spray non stick spray in a 13×9 glass pan.  Pour the prepared ingredients into the pan and flatten with the back of a wooden spoon until flat.  Bake for 25 minutes or so, until golden.  Remove and cool for 30 minutes then cut into bars.

— Knead to Cook