Granola

Since we're being all healthy here in the new year, I thought I'd share  this great recipe for granola.  When I arrived at my parents last week, there was a gallon-sized bag of this granola sitting on the table.  My sister-in-law had made it and brought it with them as a road trip snack [not a bad idea when you're driving cross-country].  It was the BEST granola I've ever eaten.  I make some pretty good varieties, but they're usually packed with peanut butter and chocolate chips rendering them not-so-healthy.  So here's the recipe from my sister-in-law, Sara.  She got it from All Recipes.

Ingredients:
8 cups rolls oats
1 1/2 cups wheat germ
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup honey
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups dried fruit

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325.  Line 2 baking sheets with foil and lightly oil.
Combine oats, wheat germ, oat bran, seeds, and nuts in a large bowl.
In a small sauce pan, combine salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, and oil.  Bring to a boil and then pour over the dry ingredients. 
Spread mixture evenly on the cookie sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until toasted and not sticky, about 20 minutes.  Stir it once halfway through the cooking. 
Cool thoroughly and then stir in the dried fruit.  Be sure and store in an airtight container.

You can use and combination of nuts, seeds, and fruit that you prefer.  The granola that my sister-in-law made didn't contain dried fruit, which was fine with me because I don't like that! 

Here's the nutritional info:
Servings per recipe: 30g
Calories: 369g
Carbs: 45g
Dietary Fiber: 5.8g
Protein: 8.3g
Sodium: 121.9g
Fat: 20g
Cholesterol: 0mg