Adventurous Cuisine: Holy Crap Granola

Been in the Granola making mode. Have made our own granola at various times.

This year, it started at Justin & Shelli's wedding. Shelli's sister, Staci made a whole lot of granola which we were given to use for our breakfasts the week before the wedding. Really enjoyed it for breakfast, and on ice cream.

Later this fall, we got the idea, well let's make some granola again.

Used to make some before, most recently in March. http://kingofgreen.blogspot.com/2010/03/granola-recipe-experiment.html
Went through the cookbook recipe again. Searched 4-5 recipe books on the shelf.
Came up wit a template recipe. Figured actual ingredients were less of an issue.
Rather the ratio of dry to oil, water, and sweetner.

So we made a batch. At the same time Greg was going to go on a ten-day backpacking trip, so some granola made into his load.

Meanwhile aftert the first batch a newspaper article came out in the Hamilton Spectator newspaper
http://www.thespec.com/living/familyparenting/article/278705--as-long-as-it-doesn-t-taste-the-way-it-sounds
So that peaked our (my) interest in Holy Crap granola.

Research led to these sites
http://holycrap.ca/http://www.facebook.com/HolyCrapCereal?v=wall
http://holycrapcereal.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/dd4-page-bw-handout-nov2010-for-gi-market-2.jpg
http://holycrapcereal.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/nutritional-information-and-frequently-asked-questions/dd4-page-bw-handout-nov2010-for-gi-market-32/

http://www.kidsinvictoria.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3738925&start=15
http://daniellenicosia.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/holy-crap/

http://sustainablecoast.ca/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=266:holy-crap-cereal&Itemid=116

Then some basics about chia seeds- good for vegetarian males, blood pressure, etc.
http://www.mychiaseeds.com/Articles/VegetarianMenSolution.html

Btw here's the broad outlines for 2 large cookie sheets worth of delicious granola

7 Cups rolled flakes. This could include Oats, wheat, spelt, rye, kamut, and probably more. Oats are the least expensive.
4 Cups Small dry cereals. This category could include: Wheat germ, 12 grain cereal, flax seeds or ground flax, oat bran, sesame seeds, buckwheat, steel cuts oats, corn meal, bulgur, chia seeds(if you want Holy Crap type)
Amaranth seeds - do not put too much more than a tablespoon in as that ends up being a lot of seeds. Too many and the granola has a sandy feeling.
2 cups of sunflower or pumpkins seeds.
Mix then add
1 Tbsp vanilla
3/4 c oil
1 1/4 cup water
2 tsp salt
3/4 c liquid or melted honey (but brown sugar, jam or other sweetners can be used)
Mix well, Preheat oven to 250 degrees F
Place on trays

Bake 1 1/2 hrs. Stir every 30 minutes.

After
Addd 4 cups dried fruit.

Dried fruit raisins, cranberries add color but are more expensive, dried coconuts
other options: Can chop dates, apricots, figs
Dried currants are good

Add 2 Cups of nuts such as; almond slivers, walnut pieces, chopped cashews, chopped peanuts, etc.