Homemade Granola

Are you as crazy about March Madness as I am?!  I don't usually follow college basketball (although I enjoy going to games), but something about March Madness is just so much fun!  So far I am tied for first in my office pool...with seven other people.  :)

Another thing I've recently become obsessed with is homemade granola.  My friend Nina made me some a few months ago, and I recently got her recipe and have been eating it pretty much constantly ever since.  The recipe is infinitely customizable -- I have the first combo I made listed below, but you can mix and match the nuts and dried fruit as you like.  Last time I made it with cashews, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries.  So good!  I like my granola sprinkled over yogurt, with some fresh berries if I have any on hand...it is pretty much the perfect breakfast!

The other nice thing about this recipe is that it is so easy -- mix everything together with your hands, spread it out on a cookie sheet, and bake.  So easy you can actually make it in the morning, if you have a bit of extra time.  This would also be a great recipe to make with kids since the measuring doesn't have to be exact and the mixing is a little messy.

Homemade Granola (adapted from Elizabeth Rider, original recipe here)

2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup cashews, coarsely chopped
3 T maple syrup
2 T olive oil
1 T sesame seeds
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Big pinch of salt
1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with oil.
2. Combine the oats, pecans, cashews, honey, olive oil, sesame seeds, vanilla, and salt (i.e. everything except the fruit) in a bowl.  Mix together with your hands until everything is evenly incorporated.  Spread the mixture out in a thin, even layer on the baking sheet.
3. Bake 10-20 minutes, until the granola is as toasted as you like.  Stir in the raisins while still warm.  Let the granola cool completely, and then store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.