BIG Batch Granola

BIG Batch Granola (Yes, you can do it!)

I give amounts here, but the basic thing to remember is 16 cups of dry stuff. Use what you like!
I've made it with no nuts at all, but if you do so you must increase the oil and honey or it will be too dry.
Leave out something if you want, just exchange it for the same amount of oats, or something else. I never make it the same way twice.

Dry:
8 cups oats - a mix of quick and regular if you like
(save the container)
2 cups coconut
1 cup flax meal or seed
1cup wheat germ
2 cup salted sunflower seed (or add a little salt to mix)
2 cups chopped nuts (pecan, almond, walnut...)


Wet:
1 cup olive oil, coconut oil, or mixture
1 cup honey (sometimes I use a little brown sugar or molasses)
2 Tab. of butter, for flavor
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla

Heat wet stuff in a saucepan. (If you measure the oil first, then the honey, the honey will slide right out of the cup.)

Mix dry stuff in a HUGE bowl.

Pour wet stuff over dry stuff and mix with a HUGE spoon.
 

Pour out onto 2 cookie sheets, smoothing into the corners so that it won't burn on the edges.

 
Bake at 325, stirring OFTEN, as it toasts. I set the timer at 5 minute increments so I will not scorch it. Later on 5 minutes will be too much time. Once it starts to brown watch it like a hawk! Switch your pans around, occasionally, if you don't have a convection oven, as the bottom pan will burn on bottom, and the top pan will burn on top. Granola doesn't need to be really brown, just very lightly toasted. It will seem too moist when you take it out at "very lightly toasted", but it will dry as it cools. If it doesn't put it back a toast a bit more.

Cool and place it back in the oatmeal containers.
Add the dried fruit when you start to eat it. Cherries, raisins, apricots...

Granola can be eaten cold with milk, or heated in the microwave. It can be stirred into yogurt. You can make a delicious"parfait" with vanilla yogurt, nuts, granola, and frozen or fresh blueberries. (Cat's recipe)