Basic Granola

Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
3-4 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Instructions:

• Generously grease a sheet pan with butter and preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
• In a small bowl, mix together oil, honey, and vanilla. (I generally just stir this all together in a measuring cup.)
• Pour wet ingredients atop dry ingredients and stir together well.
• Spread mixture into sheet pan and sprinkle with almonds.
• Bake for about five-to-ten minutes and stir.
• Bake for another fifteen-to-twenty minutes.  (I usually break this up and stir it a second time.)

• Cool for at least twenty minutes in pan that is setting on a wire rack and stir another time or two.  (Granola will harden as it cools.)
• Store in a mason jar.  (Will keep for a couple of weeks.)

Yield: about 1 1/2 Quarts

You can add dried fruits such as raisins, cranberries, blueberries, or apricots to the cooled granola.  I like to stir it into some plain or vanilla yogurt along with some fresh berries for breakfast or a snack.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

This is a recipe that Lillie and I concocted while her mother was in the hospital having Lydia.  The original recipe is one we found in the Betty Crocker Bisquick cookbook but we have adapted and tweaked it over time to be the tasty treat we like.  Both of Bridgette's daughters have grown to love these muffins and are a treat we share for breakfast sometimes when they come for their 'Days' with Grand B.

1 1/2 cups self rising flour (or Bisquick can be used if you leave out the butter)
1/2 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup chocolate chips (more if you want it extra chocolatey)

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Spray twelve medium muffin cups or line with paper baking cups.
• Stir all ingredients except chips in medium bowl just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy and thick like a runny oatmeal.  Add a splash more milk if the batter is not sticky and moist.
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. (You can sprinkle with 1/4 cup more oats if you would like a more strusel-like topping.)
• Bake 15-18 minutes. Slip a knife along the side of the muffin cups to loosen if needed.

Yield:  12 muffins

Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
½ cup milk
4Tablespoons cocoa
½ stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 Tablespoons peanut butter
3 cups minute oats

• With a wooden spoon, mix together sugar and cocoa in a 2-quart saucepan trying to work out lumps in cocoa.

• Add milk.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, till mixture comes to a boil.
• Boil one minute, continually stirring.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, butter, and peanut butter.
• Stir till mixture is smooth.
• Add oats, one-half to one cup at a time.

• Drop onto wax paper and allow to set up.

Makes three dozen medium sized cookies.  Store in a cool dry place - if there are any left!

These are probably my very favorite cookies!