Jeremy's Granola

My husband has become a foodie.  Unless I am out of town, then he eats turkey dogs and mac and cheese from the box.  But the point is, he has high expectations when it comes to my cooking.  He now won't eat boxed granola, so I make it for him.  I really don't mind though, because it ends up being less expensive and it is definitely a healthier option.  It took me a while to get the proportions of what he/the budget like.

Jeremy's Granola

1/2 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
9 c. oats (not the quick cooking kind)
1 c. almonds
1 c. craisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together the brown sugar, syrup, and oil in a large bowl.  Add cinnamon and vanilla.
3. Stir in oats.
4. Spread over two sheet pans in an even layer.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating half way through to ensure even cooking.
6. Stir the granola around with a spatula when it is still hot to prevent it from sticking to the sheet pan.  Allow to cool completely.
7. Once cooled, add almonds and craisins (Jeremy prefers the almonds to be raw because they are healthier that way, but if you prefer to have them roasted, then mix in with the granola in step 3.

Of course, you can add just about anything you want to the basic recipe to cater it to your needs.  My favorite part - the super cute jar that I found to store it in.  Doesn't that look so much nicer than a cereal box?


Oh - one last thing...your house will smell AMAZING all day when you make this!