Granola and Swiss Trail Mix

I made a simplified version of the Rio Grande Granola from the Imus Ranch Cookbook. The Imus Ranch Cookbook is primarily vegan, except they do use eggs because they have their own chickens. My stepmother bought the cookbook a long time ago, because she likes Imus and the ranch provides kids with cancer a chance to see what they're capable of.

My previous batches of granola are listed under granola, if you need the original recipes.

I like making granola. It's yummy on yogurt and a great light snack. With the right ingredients, it has protein and carbs to keep you going. It takes about an hour start to finish and you can make enough for a month way cheaper than the bulk bins, boxed granola or processed granola bars. Though I do keep a box of Nature Valley Granola bars from the werehouse store as "help yourself" breakfasts when my daughter gets up early on weekends. Nature Valley is the only granola bar I've found that actually has some nutritional value and protein and decent carbohydrate levels.

Today I wanted to combine my homemade granola with some of the Swiss Trail Mix my mom gave me. She gave me three HUGE containers with raisins, peanuts, butterscotch chips, chocolate and dried pineapple. Nutritional content fairly negligable. And while it tastes great, it's mostly sweet.

So yesterday I mixed it with little graham crackers, cashews and yogurt covered raisins. Better, but still sweet.

Hence, the granola today. I took three cups of old-fashioned oats, 1/4 cup organic sugar, about 1.5 tablespoons cinnamon, 1.5 teaspoons oriental five spice, about 1/4 cup cashews, about 1/4 cup graham cracker pieces. Then I made the "sauce": about three tablespoons honey, 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 cup canola oil, whisked. I poured the sauce into the granola and spread it thin on a cooking sheet once well stirred.

Bake at 300 for 30 minutes, turning every ten minutes.

Then I put one third of it into a big bowl, added an equal amount of swiss mix, put the lid on the bowl and shook it. I did this in layers until the granola was gone. The butterscotch chips melted but got into all the oats and granola.