Homemade Granola

Why make your own granola?  Making your own granola is EASY and more importantly, you determine the ingredients.  I keep hearing the mantra, ...our food today has all these "extra" ingredients added in,  could this be part of the reason we look heavier now than say 20 years ago?  I don't know for sure, but I do know, when you make something yourself you get to control the ingredient list. 
I have a friend that explained to me everything she puts into her smoothies has a purpose.  I decided to apply her logic to my homemade granola. 

Oats - high in fiber, lowers cholesterol, reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, stabilizes blood sugar, lowers type 2 diabetes risk and this is just the short list!
Nuts - sunflower seeds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds - vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory
Coconut - flavor enhancer, vitamins and minerals
Fresh or Dried Fruit of your choice - can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease & stroke, prevent some cancers and the list goes on
Ceylon Cinnamon - lowers blood sugar, antimicrobial properties and brain booster
Salt - flavor enhancer, you can control the amount
Orange Zest - flavor
Maple syrup and Butter - more flavor, but you could also use honey and oil.

In the end it has to taste good and homemade granola will make you smile!  My favorite breakfast is homemade granola sprinkled over Greek yogurt (protein booster).  Depending on my mood, I add different dried or fresh fruit right before I eat it.

Recipe

Granola
adapted from "Super Natural Every Day" Heidi Swanson

Ingredients
4 cups organic Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup unsweetened shredded large flake coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
grated zest of 2 oranges
4 oz. unsalted butter
6 oz. maple syrup
fresh or dried fruit of your choice (add right before serving)

Procedure
1.  Preheat the oven to 300 F.  Position the racks on the top and bottom third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl combine oats, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, salt, cinnamon and orange zest.
3. In a small sauce pan melt the butter over low heat.  Remove from heat.  Whisk the maple syrup into the melted butter.  Pour the mixture over the oat mixture and combine well.  Stir until everything is well coated. 
4.  Divide the mixture onto the baking sheets.  Spreading it out to make a thin layer.
5.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  (Stir and rotate pans after the first 25 minutes.)
6.  Granola should be a nice golden color.  Cool completely and store in an air tight container at room temperature.

makes 2 lbs.