Having a granola day!!

Granola is the type of recipe you add anything yu like to it. I never follow a recipe because there is always something I do not like in it.
So just have fun and toss in a handful of this and a handful of that.

Ingredients:
•
2/3 cup Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter
•
2/3 cup honey
•
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•
4 cups uncooked rolled oats
•
1 cup raisins I added Banana chips
•
1 cup peanuts I added Chocolate chips
•
1/2 cup dried figs, snipped I did not add these to mine
Directions:
1.
HEAT oven to 300ºF. Combine peanut butter, honey and cinnamon in small saucepan; heat through. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
2.
PLACE oats in a large, shallow roasting pan or a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan. Pour warm peanut butter mixture over oats and stir gently until oats are coated. Spread evenly in pan.
3.
BAKE 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. TURN OFF OVEN.
4.
While granola is baking: PLACE raisins in small bowl; cover with boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes; drain well.
5.
REMOVE pan from oven. Stir raisins, nuts and figs into baked mixture. Return to oven and let dry 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Store in covered containers

Peanutbutter Granola before chips
I just felt it needed something else so I kept thinking what goes good with peanutbutter...Chocolate so I added chips.

Banana Granola

INGREDIENTS:
2 bananas, peeled and diced
1 1/4 cups dates, pitted and
chopped
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 cups quick cooking oats
Almonds
Pecans

I also added some tropical fruit to get it to taste better. It was just too bland for me.

DIRECTIONS:
1.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
2.
Puree the bananas and dates in a food processor. Add the brown sugar, hot water, vanilla and cinnamon; mix well.
3.
Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl, add oatmeal and mix well.
4.
Spread onto large baking sheets and bake at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours stirring frequently. Cook longer for crunchier if desired. Once cooled add the dried fruits and nuts, as little or as much as you want, and mix.

Mapel, fruit and nut? Picture follows the recipe

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup blanched slivered
almonds
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 (14 ounce) package flaked
coconut
seeds (optional)
6 tablespoons pure maple
syrup
6 tablespoons packed dark
brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
I added dried cherries and orange cranberries.
I also added pecans and Almonds
DIRECTIONS:
1.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet with sides, or a large cake pan with cooking spray.
2.
In a large bowl, toss together the oats, almonds, wheat germ, coconut, and sunflower seeds. In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, water and salt. Pour the liquid over the oat and nut mixture, and stir until evenly coated. Spread out on the prepared cookie sheet. If you want some chunky bits, squeeze some small handfuls into little clumps.
3.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally until evenly toasted. Mix in raisins. Cool, and store in an airtight container at room temperature



This is my favorite of the three I made. I have not come up with a name for it yet...
Maybe Maple fruit and nut.


We adopted a Soldier and are getting a box ready to be shipped off to him. We are adding things he would need for everyday care and some homemade as well as store bought goodies. But most important is going to be a Bible and a tract for him to read. We pray if he does not know the Lord he will open up his heart and read the tract and come to know the Lord as her personal Saviour.


His name is Frank and he looks like a little kid. His wife's name is Savannah and his son's name is Cameron.


I will post some pictures and recipes as I bake them. I am also going to be making cookies and other goodies for my Mexican Fiesta tomorrow.