Breakfast Granola

Update: Price out this recipe with all the ingredients. Based upon what you put in, it's $2.25-$2.75 for 2 qts or 64 ounces. A box of cereal is usually 9-12 oz. Even if I pay $1 for a box of cereal, this is still a fourth to a sixth of the cost and much healthier.

My mom would make this all the time growing up and we'd eat it with milk like cereal. It's healthy and pretty inexpensive to make. I'll write the official recipe, then how I make it:

6 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. coconut*
1/4 c. sunflower seeds*
1 c. chopped nuts
1/4 c. wheat germ

Mix all ingredients. Sir in and coat with the following mixture:

1/2 c. oil
1/3 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. raisins or other dried fruit (don't add these quite yet)

Spread on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Pull out, stir around, then add dried fruit. Cook for another 5-10 minutes. Yield: about 2 qts.

In my recipe, I only put the non-* items. I'm sure it's good with the rest and even healthier, but it makes it more expensive and my mom never made it that way. You can add as much/little dried fruit and nuts as you want. I've also added cinnamon, chocolate chips, etc different times I make it to spice it up. Variation is fun!

Enjoy!