Just call me granola head

I had a request yesterday for my granola recipe, which is another relic from my mother. She made the stuff throughout my childhood and still eats it today. Back in the fall when I did an interview with Sally Fallon, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, she suggested that oatmeal (particularly if it's made with oats that have been soaked overnight, which I have yet to bother to do) as a gentler breakfast option for the digestive system. But I’m kind of a granola addict, so I just cut back to every other day and join Will for oatmeal on the off days. (Will, by the way, is addicted to oatmeal – a relic of the long-ago era when he was afraid to poop and I was trying to make sure he had enough fiber in him that he wouldn’t get himself constipated. Now he insists on oatmeal every day).

So now that I’ve whetted your appetite with tales of Will’s potty training, here’s the recipe. It’s perfect for me: not too sweet, but if you’re used to the store-bought stuff you might want more honey.

Mom's granola

8 cups whole oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
*1 cup roasted, ground soy beans (roast on cookie sheets in oven; grind in blender)
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup honey
*3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup raisins

*(I omit the soy beans now, partly out of laziness, partly because I'm not sure I want to be eating too much soy. And when I heard Canola oil actually wasn't so good for you, I switched to just a half cup of olive oil. I like it fine but there is the faintest hint of olive oil in it -- so vegetable/canola oil's probably a better bet for flavor.)

Mix all dry ingredients (except raisins) in a 13x9 pan. Mix honey and oil in a small bowl then stir it in with the dry ingredients. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (rough estimate), checking and stirring every 10 to 15 minutes. After it cools, add the raisins (or any other dried fruit you like).

Will likes to get a spoonful or two thrown in with his oatmeal or Cheerios now and then – but mostly this is a breakfast for mom in our family. (Rob likes it fine for a leisurely morning but most days he thinks it takes too long to chew the stuff down.)