Uncle Chuck's Granola

In June the Anderson aunts came to Chicago for our 2nd annual "Sisters Trip"!  Last year Aunt Shirley, Aunt Janice and I met in Minneapolis for a few days and we had a great time.  This year Aunt Jana joined us too!

We had some hot and stormy weather but luckily we were not without power like the rest of Northbrook.  It was fun to be a tourist with the girls in my hometown, we got to see lots of Chicagoland!

 I am enjoying getting to know each other with these extended visits and I wish we had started getting together years ago.  It is great to be "just us girls" (for the most part since Dad and Ty as well as Em and Kelly joined us for a few meals).  When its "just us girls" we can do the things we feel like without needing to worry about what our husbands or kids might choose.  We spent some time talking about our families of course but it seems we were mostly getting to know each other and catching up. 

The Anderson Girls in Andersonville!

I'm looking forward to next year, Aunt Shirley is checking into an

"Anderson Girls meet the Amish" trip!

While the aunties where here I served them Uncle Chuck's Granola and they seemed to like it. I think Uncle Chuck has made it for years, I remember eating it in Duluth at Grandma's sometimes when the Largents were in town.  I fell in love with it when we all stayed together for Kate and Phil's wedding.  Uncle C shared his recipe with me shortly afterward.  It makes a lot but Dad and I go through it pretty fast!  We like on yogurt, as cereal with fruit, sprinkled on pancakes or as a topping for ice cream!

Aunt Shirley sent me a text message asking for the recipe so I thought I'd share it with you, too.  I've made a few adaptations (Ty likes less coconut, Dad likes more sweetness, etc)  from the recipe Uncle Chuck sent me, I'll mark those items as optional in case you'd like to stick to the the original!

Uncle Chuck's Granola

1 small box old fashioned oats or 1/2 large box

1  pkg shredded coconut (I use1/2  of a small pkg for Ty) 

Nuts (Any variety and amount you like. I usually use 1 bag of chopped walnuts or pecans with 1 bag sliced almonds and pine nuts)

Seeds, sesame or sunflower

3/4 cup ground flax seed, opt.

1/3 jar wheat germ, opt.

1 tbls cinnamon

1/2 cup oil

1/4  to 1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar, opt.

1/2 tsp salt, opt.

2 tbls vanilla

 Preheat oven to 325.  Toast the coconut on a cookie sheet. Watch it, it is easy to burn, about 10-12 minutes.  Stir once. (Careful! My eyes always sting at this point when I open the oven!)

You may wish to pre- toast some of the nuts on the stove top, this really brings out the flavor of pine nuts, etc.  

Mix the coconut with the oatmeal in a LARGE bowl, it grows. Add the nuts, seeds, cinnamon,  flax seed and wheat germ.

Mix the rest of the ingredients together, you can micro 30 seconds to help blend together.  Add the liquid to the oat mixture.  Use a heavy spoon and stir well.  

Spread onto cookie sheets and bake in small batches for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once.  Let it get a little brown but watch it.  It can go from a nice brown to burnt real fast. 

Tips from Uncle Chuck: If you do burn a batch and it isn't too bad, you can add it to the other batches to blend in.  Let it cool and keep in airtight containers.  You can add dried fruit after it has cooled if desired. Adding a bit more honey works as a good binder and sweetener.  This is so much cheaper than health store granola.  Its fun to add different stuff.  Makes great gifts too!  Enjoy!

Uncle Chuck enjoying "the Bean" in Chicago!