Homemade Granola & 10 Day Pledge Complete!

So many friends and family know that we committed to a 10 Day Pledge of Real Food.  No, not Raw Food!  I was inspired by the Leake family when I ran across their blog 100 Days of Real Food to cut out processed foods from our diet.  We have never felt healthier!  Yes, we can feel the difference in just 10 days. 

The kiddos have loved the challenge, recipes and our time cooking, baking and learning more about nutrition.  Crew even got his haircut the other day and told  Ms. Jenn that he didn’t want a lollipop because we were doing a 10 Day Pledge of Real Food.  Well, believe it or not this lead to her asking questions and gave Crew and I the opportunity to share with her the Leake’s blog and our new journey.  Who knows maybe she went home and started it with her family  

We are loving the journey within our own family as well as talking and encouraging others to join us! 

Nutty Seed Granola

We got the main recipe here Granola Bars/Cereal but made a few changes.  There are so many different variations to Granola so experiment and have fun!

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raw sliced almonds
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place the oven rack in the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a large rimmed rectangular baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place the oats, almonds, cashews, coconut, seeds and spices in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.
3. Heat the butter and honey together in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Stir in sea salt and vanilla. Remove from the heat.
4. Pour the hot liquids over the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are evenly moist. Turn the granola onto the prepared pan and press firmly with a spatula to create an even layer, about 1/2 inch thick. Bake until the granola is firm to the touch and a deep golden brown, about 45 – 50 minutes. (The granola will become crisper as it cools.) Cool completely in the pan, then lift an edge of parchment and break the granola into pieces
5. Store in plastic bags or air tight container at room temperature. The granola will keep at the height of its texture and flavor for 2 weeks.

You can Serve with dried or fresh fruit and milk or yogurt, or just eat it by itself!

Makes about 2 pounds