MY GRANOLA

Makes about seven cups plus a few husband-size handfuls.

Formerly named Jennie's Granola, the Mr. renamed this recipe, so please get your karaoke mic ready. Chopping nuts is quick and easy using a food processor—my Cuisinart mini-prep is perfect for small jobs like the 1 1/2 cups of almonds in this recipe.

2 Tablespoons butter

3 cups old fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups almonds, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 vanilla bean — split lengthwise, beans scraped and seeds reserved

1/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark is fine)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 cups dried, sweetened cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 300ºF. In a deep skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add oats and saute until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add almonds, salt, cinnamon and vanilla bean seeds. Stir well. Sprinkle brown sugar over mixture and pour in syrup. Stir well, making sure mixture is coated. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Bake for 30 minutes, until granola is golden and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Let cool completely. May be stored in an air-tight container for up to one week—but it never last that long in my house.

JENNIE’S GRANOLA BARS

Makes twelve 1 ½” x 3 ½” one ounce bars

If using store bought granola, be sure to read the ingredient label. Just because it says granola doesn’t mean it’s healthy. The first few ingredients should be oats, nuts and dried fruits if they are included. Avoid any that have high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils.

1/4 cup brown rice syrup

1 Tablespoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon canola oil

2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 ½ cups granola (one that includes nuts and dried fruits)

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  Combine the brown rice syrup, agave nectar, canola oil and sugar in a small, heavy bottom pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for two minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved.

2. Add granola to a large heat-proof bowl. Pour syrup mixture over granola, stirring well with a non-stick rubber spatula. Using same spatula, spread mixture into a greased 8”x8” glass baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes, or until slightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool at least 30 minutes. Cut into 12 bars and transfer to a metal rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.