Food Storage Friday Guest Post: Granola

Today we're making granola in a guest post by Aleasha.


Aleasha gave me some granola to taste test, because that's my job and all, and I just have to say: DELISH. It lasted two days and I hoarded it all to myself!--Abs


Ingredients: Oats, salt, powdered milk, oil, brown sugar, vanilla, water, dried fruit, nuts



Combine the dry ingredients-make sure you have a little helper!




Granola is one of those things that you can add what you like and leave out what you don't like.



Then add the wet ingredients





Stir it all together til it's all combined.


I like to add cinnamon and coconut for some extra flavor. Some people add extracts as well, such as almond.



Spread it out on baking sheets. You need to press it down a little onto the cookie sheets.



Bake in the oven until lightly toasted, stirring every 20-30 minutes. I take mine out of the oven and give her a flip with a spatula. Sine my oven is not big enough to place them side by side on the same rack, I rotate them after every stir or flip or turn or jooshz or whatever you want to call it!



Add the dry fruit AFTER the baking. I know this from experience. The things that are already dried just get all hard and crusty in the cooking process. If there is anything that would be good toasted, add before baking, such as the coconut or nuts.





I store my granola right back in the oat container! I also keep mine in the freezer. I don't know why... I guess because my mom always did!

I don't store mine in the freezer, one, because there's no room and two, because it never lasts that long. So where you store it is personal preference. Unless of course you let it sit on your counter for 3 months, and in that case, you should just send it to me.--Abs





Granola

14 cups rolled oats (old fashioned)
2 tsp. salt
1 cup powdered milk
2 cups brown sugar
1-2 Tbs. vanilla
1 cup water
1 cup oil
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients. Mix well. Cook at 300 degrees F for about 2 hours. Stir every 20-30 minutes. After granola has cooled, stir in dried fruit if using. Store in an airtight container.



Aleasha is a stay-at-home mom of 2 little girls. She loves to cook and try out new recipes. Aleasha recently started incorporating a strictly food storage meal in her family's weekly menu and has been pleasantly pleased with the tasty meals that can be made.