Bites: Granola with Dried Cranberries, Cherries and Apricots

Here’s a special recipe from a cookbook that my mom wrote, Cranberry Cooking For All Seasons. My mom has perfected this recipe to very last nut- as she’s been regularly making it for over forty years. It’s a great recipe in that you can mix it up with different grains, dried fruits, seeds and nuts based on your tastes. Granola gets its groove back!

Preheat Oven to 300 °
In a large bowl, combine the grains, seeds, nuts, cinnamon and brown sugar. Stir well. In a small bowl, combine the honey, oil and water. Pour the liquid into the oat mixture, stirring until evenly combined. Spread the batter onto a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool and toss in the dried fruit. Serve with yogurt or milk and fruit.

Ingredients (Makes About Ten Cups):

5 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup oat bran

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw sesame seeds

1 1/2 cups raw cashew or pecan pieces or sliced almonds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 vegetable oil

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots