Hi there! Today I thought we'd do another installment of my "You Can Do It!" series. (Trademark pending). Every time I work on one of these posts, I start humming "you can do it all by yourself..." and it makes the time go fast. Also: granola. Granola makes the time go fast. Granola is one of those things that is insanely expensive in the store, and it's pretty cost-effective to make it yourself. It's also nice to be able to customize your blend according to your nutrition druthers, allergen requirements, and, you know, taste.

The best part about making your granola is its flexibility. You can work with what you have and things'll turn out alllllllright. I like to work from a base recipe - my favorite being Alton Brown's - and then add or subtract at will.

Easy & Delicious Homemade Granola (Recipe built upon from Alton Brown's)

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats (use Gluten free if necessary)
1 cup or so of nuts (Alton calls for slivered almonds. I use a mixture of whole roasted, slivered and whatever else I have on hand)
1 cup additional nuts (Alton calls for cashews; I use whatever I have)
3/4 cup coconut (Alton calls for sweetened, shredded; large flakes and unsweetened work fine too, as does omitting if it's not your thing)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey or liquid sweetener of your choice)
1/4 vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt (I tend to add a full teaspoon, or use salted nuts in one of my nut choices. I like the salty/sweet)
1 cup dried fruit or chocolate chips (raisins are always nice, but whatever you like works. A mix of cherries and chocolate is especially yummy)
whatever else you feel like?

That's the basic framework, but feel free to use almost whatever. I tend to raid my nuts/seeds/grains cabinet - it could easily be called my granola cabinet - for whatever's around. In the granola pictured here, I added some raw trail mix I'd had hanging about that wasn't quite yummy enough to eat on its own, and - surprise - coating it in sugar and salt really gave it a boost. I also threw in a couple tablespoons of chia seeds, the last of a container of pepitas (another couple tablespoons, I'd say) and some sunflower seeds.

Yep, those sheet pans are still not shiny and silver! I put a couple new ones on my Christmas wish list :)

Mix your dry ingredients, including salt. Then, in a measuring cup, add your oil first, followed by syrup and brown sugar. Stir to combine, then pour over the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon or your hands until things are combined. Spread out over two cookie sheets and bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring every fifteen minutes and rotating the pans halfway through.

This stuff is the best. We all love it and plow through a jar a week. We're big on eating with yogurt, but we eat it plain as a snack, and sprinkled on top of oatmeal too. I know, it's redundant, but a little crunch is so nice!

So there you have it. Granola: It's easy, it's a nice way to use up tiny bits of things you have around, and it's freaking delicious. Do you make your own granola? What's your favorite combo?

See ya tomorrow for the One Room Challenge update!