//DELIGHTFUL GRANOLA//

I am not a rule follower when it comes to cooking. This gets me in trouble a lot. I'm sure improvise is a big part of a good cook's kitchen, but too often my compromises end up sabotaging my best intentions, and the end result is less than the recipe promised.

Sometimes, it works out and I end up with a delicious granola that I can-not-stop-eating.



This recipe is adapted from here, and I did follow it to the letter for the first few batches. Ten plus batches later, I think it's safe to write it down and call it a recipe. Following the rules would mean measuring the same amount every time to get the same crunch every time, and while I did measure carefully for this post, I usually eye it up and when I am done mixing, adjust ingredients according to texture before baking.

I also make a similar version for the kiddos, leaving out the nuts since they prefer it without and it cuts the cost a bit. The last batch I made for them, I added applesauce to replace some of the peanut butter and honey, also making it a little chewier which they enjoyed.


Preheat oven to 325*.

Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a medium saucepan, then add 1/3 cup raw honey, and 1/3 cup natural peanut butter. (Costco has the best natural peanut butter in my opinion!) 

Add a half cup each of raw almonds and unsalted peanuts. (I prefer more almonds and less peanuts, but again trying to cut down the cost.)

I  like to put these directly in the hot peanut butter mixture before adding oats, to give them a kind of candy coating texture. 

Just heat until combined and melty; I don't like to heat the raw honey too much, which would take away from some of the "raw-ness". Turn off heat. 

Stir in a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  

Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract. I adore this little shot glass measuring cup I recently bought. It measures up to three tablespoons of liquid and is so handy opposed to a regular measuring spoon.(Read : I don't spill as much using this)

Add one cup of quick oats and two cups of rolled oats. I prefer rolled oats in general, but the quick oats help with the crunchy texture I like about this granola. 

Stir until combined. 

Spread on parchment or a handy baking mat like this(totally worth the investment!).
Bake at 325* for 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and let it sit in the oven for as long as you like; I try to have it in there at least a half hour to get the crunch I like.
Put it in a pretty glass jar on the counter and make sure you have enough ingredients on hand to make it again in a few days!

Peanut Butter Honey Granola

2 T. Coconut Oil
1/3 C. Peanut Butter
1/3 C. Raw Honey
1/2 C. Raw Almonds
1/2 C. Unsalted Peanuts
1 t. Cinnamon
1 t. Vanilla Extract
1 C. Quick Oats
2 C. Rolled Oats



Granola aside, I know I said I would try to have a post on our new bedroom this week. Well... I don't know what I had envisioned our bedroom would be looking like by now but it is sorely lacking in the eye candy department. I need to hang a few things, declutter a few things, and buy closet doors so the hanging clothes are not the focal point of the room. Our room is TINY, so I am not sure how I will pull off a cozy, inviting bedroom, but try I will. 
//Do you have a granola recipe you love? I am open to trying new recipes, despite how much I already enjoy this one!//