Eating is OK

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Not-Core Granola

I am addicted to this stuff. Only problem--it has to have nuts and dried fruit in it, or I'm not happy. And those foods are not on WW Core. So when I have this for breakfast, it uses up most of my flex points for the day. Granola or bread? Bread or granola?

Granola!

POINTS® value | 4 (the Non-Core components are 3 of them)
Servings | 30
serving size 1/3 c. (it's OK if it's a teense over)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients

6 cups uncooked rolled grain cereal: I especially like rolled triticale and Bob's Red Mill 5-grain cereal
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 1/3 c. (150 gm) almonds
1 scant cup (120 gm) cashews
1 cup (120 gm) shelled hazelnuts

1/2 can frozen juice concentrate (I like orange peach mango or white grape peach)
1/2 tsp table salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp olive oil

1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried apricot halves, cut into fourths

Instructions

Mix cereals, nuts and seeds in a large bowl. Mix juice, salt, oil and extract in a small bowl. Pour liquid mixture over dry mixture and toss well until thoroughly blended.

Spread out on two baking sheets with sides. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stir well. Bake 10 minutes, stir well. Bake 10 minutes, stir well. You can divide that last 10 minutes into two 5-minute bakes for even better results. Do not just stick in and cook for half an hour without stirring, because the outside will burn and the inside will not toast.

Let cool slightly. Mix in the dried fruits and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.