My Winter Addiction

I want to tell you about my current addiction.

No, not Downton Abbey. That addiction is SO over. As of last night. When I finished watching the last episode of Season Two. For the second time. Hey, my husband wanted to watch it again, too. I justified watching the same episode two days in a row by mending clothing while I watched, and we called it Family Home Evening.

My current winter addiction is this homemade granola:

It's chuck full of nuts, sunflower seeds, coconut, and dried cranberries. I got this recipe a dozen years ago. I can't remember where it came from exactly, but probably from a co-worker.

I sometimes go years without making it, but now I'm on a roll and have made it 3 times since Christmas. I sent much of the first 2 batches away with my son who likes having real food to eat when he's away at college, but I've been eating most of the 3rd batch myself. I've had some every day for the last week: breakfast, mid-afternoon snack, and/or a bedtime snack. A little goes a long way. I tell myself it is full of good, wholesome ingredients like whole grain oats, nuts, and honey. But it is mostly a bowl full of carbs. So much yum!

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What's your recent or current addiction. . . . food or TV or otherwise?

Here's how to make this homemade granola recipe if you want to give it a try. I forwarn you that I can't guarantee the results if you don't have good honey. I use only raw honey I get from my relatives, the Beekeepers. I don't know what this granola will taste like if you make it with honey from the store.

Orange-Cranberry Granola

What you need:
for the dry oat-nut mix:
4 cups oat flakes (I use old-fashioned oatmeal flakes, but quick-cooking flakes should work too)
1/2 cup (or more) shredded coconut
1/2 cup (or more) chopped nuts (I use a combination of pecans, walnuts, and almonds)
1/4 cup (or more) raw, unsalted sunflower seeds (roasted, salted seeds work OK too)

for the honey-butter mix:
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

for after it is cooked:
about 1 cup (or more) dried sweetened cranberries (like Craisins)

What to do:

1. If the nuts aren't chopped yet, chop the nuts. Set aside.
2. Grate the orange peel with a fine grater, or use a zester. If you need to use a large grater, chop the grated orange peel into tiny pieces. Set aside.
3. Get out a large baking pan, like a jelly-roll pan, and spray it with non-stick cooking spray, like Pam.
4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
5. In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, chopped nuts, and sunflower seeds. Mix well.
6. In a small microwave-safe bowl or 2-cup measuring cup, melt the butter in the microwave.
7. Add honey to the warm butter and mix well with a wire whisk. If the mixture seems stiff, put the bowl into a larger bowl that is filled with very hot water (being careful to not get water into the honey-butter) and mix until the honey is less stiff and the mixture is smooth. (Or you may want to microwave it for a bit, but I don't like to microwave honey--I think it messes with the texture.)
8. To the honey-butter mix, add the vanilla, orange peel, cinnamon, and salt (if using). Mix well.
9. Pour the honey-butter over the dry oat-nut mix and use a rubber scraper to get the sticky honey-butter out of the bowl or measuring cup. Mix well. I use my hands to get it thoroughly mixed. (I also confess that I lick off that rubber scraper, because that butter/honey/cinnamon/orange/vanilla flavor is divine!)
10. Spread the mix evenly onto your prepared baking pan.
11. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. I generally stir it after 10 minutes. After that, stir it every 5 minutes until it looks cooked and golden. I've had it get done in as few as 18 minutes and as long as 40 minutes. It depends on your oven. Watch carefully at the end because the edges can burn quickly.
12. Remove the granola from the oven. Stir in the cranberries. Cool completely in the pan.
13. Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place. If you aren't an addict and won't eat a whole batch quickly, you might freeze half a batch to keep it from going stale (but I've never had enough left to freeze).

How to eat it:
Eat it like any cold cereal, in a bowl with milk on top. It is really filling, so start with small portions until you know how fast it fills you up. I generally eat less than 1/4 cup at a time.
Or sprinkle it on top of yogurt and fruit.

Hints:

• If you have a lot of coconut, nuts, or sunflower seeds leftover, keep them in the freezer until you make your next batch. Sunflower seeds and most nuts will go rancid if left too long on your pantry shelf.
• Save any extra finely chopped orange peel in a small ziplock bag in your freezer until next time. In fact, when oranges are in season, zest a few of them so you have a bunch of zest on hand when oranges are out of season.