The "Best You've Ever Made" Granola

Ah... after 5 weeks of bedrest, anxiety, extreme boredom (how is that possible with 3 very active young children?! ...I have an even GREATER respect for disabled parents now!) and loneliness (ditto!), this mama is mostly back on her feet... thank God! To celebrate, we took the opportunity this week to make some good, old-fashioned, and easy recipes - like granola. It's simple, economical, tasty, healthful, and requires very little hands-on time... the perfect recipe for us. :) The basis for this recipe came from an older cookbook which still graces the bookshelves of both my mother and my husband's mother... La Leche League's Whole Foods for the Whole Family. Using their basic recipe and choosing our favorite additions, we came up with this fantastic combination of ingredients which everyone loved. When my husband came home from work, he grabbed a handful out of the pan and immediately declared, "Wow... This is the best granola you've ever made." That's settled... this recipe's a keeper!

Granola Recipe

In a large bowl, combine:
6 cups old-fashioned oats
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Choose any combination of some or all of the following ingredients to equal an additional 6 cups, and stir into the oatmeal base:
Wheat germ
Powdered milk
Bran
Flax seed
Coconut (shredded- unsweetened or sweetened)
Unsalted, unroasted nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc.)
Unroasted seeds (pumpkin, sesame, or sunflower)
Rolled wheat flakes

 *We used the following ingredients and proportions to equal 6 cups:
           1 1/3 cups powdered milk
           1 1/3 cups wheat germ
           1 1/3 cups shelled almonds and pecans
           2 cups shredded coconut

Set dry ingredients aside. In a saucepan, combine:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup honey
1/2 cup water
2 tsp vanilla
         
Cook over medium heat until warm and thinned. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.
Place mixture into a large roasting pan (we used a deep-dish [3 inches] 13x9 glass casserole dish, but any large, deep pan will work).
Bake at 250 degrees for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring well every 20-30 minutes, until mixture is dry and a nice, rich golden brown. Your baking time will vary, based on the size and depth of your baking dish, and the desired crispness of the cereal. (Keep in mind that it will crisp a bit more upon cooling.) 
Remove pan and allow to cool before placing the granola into an airtight container, stirring several times to allow for even cooling.

Add dried fruits - raisins, cranberries, cherries, chopped apricots, apples, chopped dates, etc - or other uncooked additions to the whole batch, or individual servings, if desired. :)

Makes approximately 14 cups of cereal.