Don't cry over burned granola

 I decided that on a day like today with a layer of ice under a layer of snow I should just forget about going anywhere and make a nice batch of granola to fill up my nearly empty jar.  My decision to stay at home wasn't really my decision since the doors on my car are iced shut from sitting on the driveway.  It really wasn't worth my time and energy to deice just to go somewhere I really didn't need to be.  An unfortunate situation with a broken garage door spring and a ill-timed decision to replace the door when we get the spring fixed has plunked my car in the driveway for over a week.  I am a garage girl and my car is a garage car.  Call us spoiled.  We have had a perfectly precipitation free winter until the last couple of weeks.  In the last week we have had a little bit of everything including rain, sleet and snow.  My pampered car is also getting pelted with all the hundreds of mushy crab apples that fall off the tree when it rains and snows.  That tree is so very pretty for it's one glorious week or two in the spring that I can't cut it down.  On the upside, it is extremely pretty today. After a bit of shoveling and a somewhat treacherous walk around the neighborhood, I settled in to make granola.

 

 

All my ingredients ready except for the oat bran I forgot to buy yesterday while I was shopping from memory. I can hardly remember my telephone number let alone the list that I left on my kitchen counter.  Combine shopping without a  list, running through pouring February rain, a hello to an old acquaintance that turns into a half hour chat and trying to stay out of sight from an old neighbor and you forget things.  Did I mention I was starving.  Who can think when starving?

Going into the oven it looked great, I stirred it at 10 minutes, timed it for 10 more and walked away until I saw smoke.  I have never had granola cook that fast!  One pan was fine, the other not so lucky!  I got to open the window and enjoy the nice crisp winter air as my granola was burning!

 

 

Wait...I see a squirrel, I am going to throw some of this burned stuff his way to see if he will eat it.  After I scared the bejeebers out of him it appears he likes it.  I will go fill up "his bird feeder" with it later since he is out of birdseed and won't see any more now that I have a squirrel resistant bird feeder that actually works.  Sorry to say I missed getting a picture of him looking in the patio door begging for more!

Now that Kylie is staking out the door, Charlie and Charlene are contently eating the burned granola.  Is it any wonder I have the fattest squirrels in the city?  Oh Oh, Charlie appears to have vanished.  Has he gone off to invite friends to afternoon snack time?

This is turning into a comedy around here with Maiya trying to get the squirrel that is trying to get to more granola through the window.  I just missed a picture of it looking in the kitchen window like she can smell it! Cat lovers will appreciate this little cat & squirrel show.



 

 

Squirrels are gone, cats are on high alert and I am ready to share my burned granola recipe.  The only thing I was really planning to do today before I was interrupted by the show.

 

 

This recipe is now considered mine since I changed an ingredient and half of it burned.  The ingredient I changed did not make it burn but I deserve to have this named after me since I wasted so many ingredients.  Forever, it will be known as Beth's Burnt Granola.   Go ahead and make it nicely golden brown if you are inclined to eat it.  Mine is still going to be called Burnt.  Maybe I will try a Burnt Bundt Cake when the smoke clears out enough to see a recipe again.

My sister made this recipe and sent it to her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.  By all accounts hers was good enough to box and sell commercially.  Mine could be bagged for bird and squirrel food!  I bet it is hard to imagine I can actually cook, but I can.  I will post another granola recipe that is really good but not today.  The smoke is still clearing. and the squirrel just unlocked the back door.

 

 

BETH'S BURNT GRANOLA

Feeds 15 people or about 100 squirrels

4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup oat bran(I forget this at the store and used Quaker multi-grain hot cereal stuff)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries(I used a combo of dried cherries and berries)

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil.
2.  Combine oats through pecans in large bowl.  Combine salt through vanilla in saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients and stir to coat. Spread on baking sheets.
3. Bake in preheated oven until crispy and toasted(or burned), ABOUT 20 minutes gave me burned!  Stir halfway through and don't wait until smoke is billowing before you check it!
4. Cool, add dried fruit and store in airtight container or throw it out to the squirrels, your choice.