Basic Granola

So. Let's be serious- WHY oh WHY must all the food that is good be… not so good for you? The good for you stuff usually tastes like you're eating a chunk of this God made earth. And then the stuff that tastes good adds on 10 pounds per bite. 

Enter brownies. I'm really wanting brownies right now. If you are too, check out this brownie in a cup. It's dangerous stuff, so use your wisdom wisely, young padawons. 

I actually made one last week{ishhh} and put… get ready for this. Butterscotch chips and pretzels in it topped with ice cream. And then it gets all melty and ooey gooey and you just want to stick your whole FACE in the mug. Wait, what? 

All brownies set aside, let's talk about granola. This stuff is good. I made some awhile ago. It was QUITE delicious, but it got a little overdone. Sophie mad. This afternoon I was thinking about making breakfast. I think about that a lot. Morning is SOOOO my favorite time of day. Waking up to the crisp cool air with my windows open, trudging out in my jam-jams and grabing a cup of coffee while doing my quiet time. And then the bad part when I make myself run. But let's talk about happy thoughts. 

I always love coming up with breakfasts. I pretty much eat something different every morning. Not always the healthiest but I say life is for living! I was wanting to have a quick, yummy, and healthy breakfast for tomorrow after my run. With some milk {just enough to moisten it up is how this lady likes it.} and some bananas on top. YUM. 

Today, I made it plain for two reasons. 1) I wanted it plain with not a lot of extra crunch. I'm a lame being I know. and 2) We didn't have much baking extras on hand other than like… peanuts. 

I'm really happy with how it turned out! I put a lot of honey so I could have some little chunkers of good stuff in every bite. Of course, granola is so stinkin' adaptable! Just add in some nuts or fruit, or even cocoa to add some chocolate. You know you wanna. 

Basic Granola

3 c. oats

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. shredded coconut {for some added yumminess. But feel free to leave it out.}

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3 tbsp. oil

3/4 tsp. vanilla

4 tbsp. honey

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, salt, coconut, and cinnamon. Add in the oil, vanilla, and honey. Stir until oats are evenly coated. Evenly spread the granola onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every few minutes so nothing burns. Let cool for a few minutes before transferring to an airtight container.