BREAKFAST ANYTIME...

One of my favorite things for dinner is....breakfast! Who doesn't like being a little mischievous by having pancakes for dinner? And of coarse, so many of us love the quickest, easiest meal of all: cereal!

My search for the perfect granola has ended miserably. I have tried so many with very dim results: too much sugar, not enough raisins, too much crunch, not enough crunch and the list goes on.

The granola recipe I offer to you has an incredible amount of ingredients which can be modified as needed for your own personal tastes. I admit that this granola can be a bit pricey but once you have the ingredients you're good to go for a few batches. This recipe asks that you make the full batch the recipe calls for and if you wish, some can be frozen for later use.

I promise you one thing: you will love this granola for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Enjoy!

Crunchy Yum Granola

(adapted from an adaption of La Brea Bakery's orignal recipe)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Mix:

4 c. old fashioned rolled oats

¾ cup raw pumpkin seeds

¾ cup raw sunflower seeds

1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped

½ cup almond meal (check Trader Joe's brand)

½ rice bran (see Bob's Red Mill brand)

1 Tbsp cinnamon

2 tbsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

Stir together then heat in a saucepan:

(do not boil)

2 tsp vanilla extract

¾ cup safflower oil

½ cup pure maple syrup

½ cup honey

In large bowl, pour hot mixture over granola mixture and toss until well mixed. Spread on cookie sheet and bake 30 minutes, checking every 5-10 minutes. Be careful because it can go from browned to burnt in a few minutes.

After mixture has cooled, remove from pan and add any variation or all of the following dried fruits:

½ cup dried apricots, chopped

½ dried figs, chopped

½ cup raisins

½ cup Craisins or golden raisins (or check Trader Joes mixed raisin snack)

Store in zip lock bags. Can be stored in the bags or in the freezer.