Granola

I love granola. I like it simple, though. I don't care for the exotic ingredients that are often found in granola and I've always wanted to be able to make my own. I have tried several different recipes and was always disappointed. Finally, I found one that was close to what I was looking for, so I tweaked it and now it's perfect...for me.

Ingredients:
*4 cups oats (I usually use rolled, but regular works too.)
*1/2 cup almonds, sliced or chopped
*1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
*1/2 cup brown sugar
*1/2 tsp. salt
*1/2 tsp cinnamon
*1/3 cup honey
*2 Tbsp. oil
*2 Tbsp. applesauce (I use unsweetened.)
*1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
1.  In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients except oats, almonds and cranberries.

2.  Heat and stir until smooth. No need to boil.

3.  In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds and cranberries.

4.  Pour liquid mixture over oat mixture. Mix well.

5.  Spread and press into greased 9x13-inch pan.

6.  Bake at 257-degrees for 30-35 minutes for soft and chewy granola, 40 minutes for crunchier granola, but don't let it burn!

-Let cool then break apart.

Note: You can cut the granola into bars** when it comes of the oven. Allow bars to cool completely before removing from pan.

**My experience with bars is that they are a bit crumbly, you may want to add more applesauce to help with this. But crumbly or not, they are yummy!!

Recipe Source:  Concocted from various recipes and experimentation.