Bake up a Batch

Amy at i food is having a baking event. The deadline is March 31st and the only requirement is that you turn on the oven. There will be a roundup of some great recipes for us to check out. Y'all know we have been trying to cut back the calories~ so no carrot cake this time around. Instead, how bout some crunchy, nutty, granola? This is yummy enough to eat by itself, in a yogurt sunday, or on a salad.

Nutty Granola
1/4 cup sunflowers
1/4 cup chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, or pistachios)
2 Tbs sesame seeds
2 Tbs flax seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups oats
Pre heat oven to 350°
Combine the nuts, sesame seeds, and flax seeds in a pan and lightly toast to bring out the flavor. Cover raisins and cranberries with orange juice and set aside. In a large sauce pan, melt butter sugar and syrup over low heat. Combine until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Stir in nuts and raisins with juice. Next, stir in oats and mix until well blended. Spread out onto a sil pat or cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes. When cooled, break into chunks and store in an airtight container. This adds a nutty crunch that you'll love. I sprinkled it on my yogurt with mandarin oranges. Not bad for healthy eatin'.

Y'all enjoy!
Sandi