Homemade Organic Granola

Well I am trying out this blog thing so I decided to write about my other favorite topic besides running...FOOD! For much of the last year, I have been exploring more ways to make my food...to add what I want and leave out ingredients (salt, sugar, long/unpronounceable words) often found in commercially processed foods as well as reduce packaging. Admittedly homemade food takes longer to make but it tastes super yummy and usually costs less than store packages. So I finally gathered all the ingredients and set aside the time to make granola in my crock pot. I found several websites/blogs that included homemade granola recipes so I hobbled it together from several lists . First, I ground the flax seeds (1/4 c.) in food processor because it takes "forever" and any seeds I missed would get ground some more in next step. Then I ground 2 of the 5 cups of rolled oats. I chopped up the almonds and switched the pumpkin and sunflower seeds for walnuts. I added twice the amount of butter and honey as suggested and added a touch (maybe a few more!) of maple syrup. After that I added unsweetened shredded coconut, dried cranberries and raisins. I turned on the crockpot and stirred the ingredients every 30 minutes or so (or when I smelled the granola - "the sign"). I forgot a few times during the 3.5 hours so I burned some parts which another blogger called 'Toasty' when she burnt her batch! I put my "toasty" granola on parchment paper to cool and 30 minutes later, I scooped 5 cups into a Ziploc freezer bag and 1 cup into a glass jar for easy access on the counter. It was toasty and tasty when I mixed it with low-fat yogurt (made in my crock pot!) and local AZ honey for a yummy snack this afternoon. Next time I make it (hopefully in 2011 if 5 cups lasts for awhile) I will add the dried fruit during the last hour because they expanded to Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade float size after 3 hours of cooking on HIGH! My next foodie adventure....homemade granola bars! :D