Homemade Granola

To my father, God and homemade granola were the two foundational forces in his life. I have a picture of him stirring it, wearing his pajamas. The photo is double-exposed with an image of my cousin petting my dog––and it looks like our dachshund is in the bowl.

I swear by the same granola myself. If I were Superman, granola would be my kryptonite. If I were Samson, granola would be my long hair. Aliens would render me powerless if they took my granola (you get the idea). I eat it every single day.

From start to finish, the recipe takes less than 30 minutes. It's not for those folks requiring sticky sweetness––this recipe is basic and rustic as a barn (I like to think it's "honest"). I sprinkle on a little Basic 4 cereal on the top of my scoop to add variety. The combination will stay with you all morning. Here's the recipe:

Thomson Homemade Granola

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a very large bowl, mix together 5 cups of quick oats, 2 cups of wheat bran, 1 cup of toasted wheat germ, 1.5 t. cinnamon, 1 t. salt, and .5 t. nutmeg. In a smaller bowl, mix .5 c. vegetable oil and 1.5 c. honey. Heat oil/honey in microwave for a minute. Stir everything together in large bowl. Spread half of mixture on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Follow with second half of mixture. Enjoy warm or cold.

Granola keeps in well-sealed container.