Homemade Super Nutty Granola

Mmm...perfectly nutty...perfectly crunchy...
topped with a handful of powerful Goji Berries.
Read more on superfood below!

Like me, I'm sure you have been guilty - a time or two at least- of grumbling over the overpriced - not perfectly clean - granola options available on our store shelves (health food stores included).   Why is it so darn expensive? Why is it loaded with all that sugar? Why does the box/bag make it sound sooo healthy...but the label paints a completely different picture?

Hmmm... I wish I knew, too! 

Here's what I do know.  You can save yourself a whole lot of grumbling by making your own granola!

Mmm...this homemade granola is simply delicious! Not only that, it's incredibly easy to make. Once you make your first batch, you'll be hooked by the taste, the ease, and the "do it your own" price.  I made up the ingredients as I went by what I had readily available...please do the same! If you don't have maca, go without! If you don't like clove (my favorite!), use more cinnamon! Not a fan of cashews? Add more almonds. Make it to fit your taste buds!  You can not mess this up - trust me!  Once done and cooled, try adding goji berries (amazing choice!), dried dates, raisins, cherries, blueberries, apricots, etc.  Just be sure to read the labels...watch for sugar.

Ingredients
3 Cups Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Raw Almonds, Sliced
1/4 Cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds
1/4 Cup Raw Pecans, Whole or Halves
1/4 Cup Raw Cashews, Whole or Lightly Chopped
1/4 Cup Flax Seeds
1/2 Tsp Organic Ground Cloves
1/2 Tsp Organic Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Organic Ground Nutmeg
1 Tbsp Maca Powder --- Learn more about health benefits of Maca below...
3/4 Cup Unsweetened, Natural Applesauce
1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 Cup Raw Honey, Optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.    

Mix dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

Mix applesauce, raw honey, and vanilla in a small bowl. 

Combine dry ingredients with applesauce mix. 
Make sure all dry ingredients are thoroughly
coated with wet mixture.

Spread mixture on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake approximately 45 minutes or until granola
is dry and golden in color. **Stir every 12 minutes or so.

Let cool completely, try and hold off on eating it all at once (ha!),
and store in an air tight container.  

Granola is inexpensive to make, delicious, healthy,
and makes a great snack!  Perfect topping on yogurt,
used in place of cereal, or as a topping on dessert
-- amazing recipe to come tomorrow!

Organic yogurt, topped with a handful of homemade granola,
topped with a handful of Goji Berries. SO GOOD.  Enjoy!

Made with Love!
Mrs. Skinny Fat

More about the Powerful Superfoods included:

Maca - Maca Powder is from the Maca root, a flavorful ancient superfood from Peru.  Peru is a place that holds a special place in my heart; it represents my first time traveling abroad and truly gave me the hunger for cultural experiences. Maybe that's why I am so keen on Maca... it has been cultivated for at least 2,000 years and consumed by Inca Warriors to increase strength and endurance.  It is highly nutritious food that has been used traditionally to gain increased energy, promote sexual desire, support fertility, and enhance immune system function.  It continues today to be a significant staple food and medicinal plant for the Peruvian people and is now widely available to the world as a whole food supplement. www.foodmatters.tv

Goji Berries - Goji Berries are grown on vines in the protected valleys of inner Mongolia and Tibet. The distinctively flavored red berries are a rich source of Vitamin C, having 500 times more Vitamin C per ounce than oranges. They are a superb source of Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and E and contain a full complement of protein with 18 amino acids and 21 trace minerals. Most of all they are an excellent antioxidant, making it an ideal natural whole food for reversing aging and protecting against disease. www.foodmatters.tv