Say hello to a new peace, love, rock n' roll lifestyle

I made granola last night. From scratch. I've never done that before. Best. Decision. Ever. It was the perfect break from studying and the perfect breakfast/lunch/midnight snack for this crazy week. I love eating granola with yogurt and combined with raisins, almonds, cinnamon and honey that are in this recipe, it is perfect. That was an awkward sentence.

While I was making it I was listening to Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens. I love both of those men. I don't have nearly enough Bob Dylan, but I have some new stuff by Cat Stevens that is beautiful. That's right. New stuff. New stuff from Cat Stevens. Or I should say, Yusuf/Cat Stevens. He's been quietly putting out new music for several years now, and I had no idea. I recently acquired the album Roadsinger and I recommend it to everybody.

See, I can post something positive. I've been worried about my lack of cheerful stubbornness lately, but it has resurfaced. Maybe foolishly. Fresh granola can do that to you. I'm going to be going through a lot of rolled oats over the next month and a half.

Recipe borrowed from everybodylikessandwiches.blogspot.com.

better than from a bakery granola
(adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)
2 c organic large-flake rolled oats
1 t cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 t salt
3 T plus 1 t canola oil
1/4 c honey
1/4 c firmly packed light brown sugar
1 t pure vanilla extract
2/3 c whole almonds
2/3 c raisins

Preheat oven to 325 F. In a large bowl, toss oats with cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, brown sugar and vanilla until blended. Pour the wet mixture in with the dry and use your hands to combine the two until everything is well coated and your hands are gooey. Lick them if you must, but wash your hands right after.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the mixture over top. Spread it out evenly, but also keep in mind clumping is a good, good thing. Bake for 10 minutes and then use a spatula to gently flip the granola over. Sprinkle with almonds and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Add raisins and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan. Use your hands to break up the granola...but again, don't go overboard (remember the clumps!). Place in a tightly lidded container.