30 Days of Christmas: Granola

When I am not eating all the Christmas goodies I am baking, I've been balancing out my diet with salads and roasted vegetables. Also high on my healthy eating list is granola, which has to be the healthiest way to eat something sweet and nutty and delicious. In keeping with the festival spirit, I made a new batch this morning that's red and green and white - all the colors of Christmas.

First off, heat up the largest nonstick pan you have. Reduce the heat to low and evenly spread out 1/2 cup flaxseeds to cover the base of the pan. Keep stirring often, until the seeds begin to pop, then take them off the heat and put in a bowl. Return the pan to heat and this time, add 2 cups of rolled oats. Roast on a low heat until the oats are turning brown. Stir often to make sure the oats brown evenly or you might end up with a partly burnt, partly raw batch.

Add the roasted oats to the flax seeds and pour 1/4 cup of honey into the bowl. Mix well so the honey coats the oats and seeds and forms little sweet clusters as your granola cools. If you are feeling particularly Christmassy, you can also add in 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder. Now add about 1/2 cup of whatever nuts and dried fruit you like. For this version, I added cranberries, raisins and pumpkin seeds. Let cool for a couple of hours, then add white chocolate chips or anything else that could have melted in the warm granola (like butterscotch or peanut butter chips).

This granola keeps in an airtight container for at least a month. You can eat it with yogurt or warm milk (where the chocolate will melt and make it so much nicer). Or, if you are me, just dip into the bowl and eat it as is whenever you feel like a snack.

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