From scratch...

I have been trying to save money by making as many things from scratch as I can. I have found that two things I love : whole wheat bread and granola are much better when made from scratch. So good in fact, that I doubt I will ever buy granola again.

Here are the recipes. If you try them and like them, please let me know! And just a note: since I rarely ever follow recipes exactly as written, I will add my edits in parentheses.

Stovetop Granola

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups rolled oats (I used 3-3.5)
  
• 1/3 cup butter (I used Light Smart Balance. I am a healthy freak like that)
  
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

(I also added some ground flaxseed, raisins, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and vanilla)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oats then cook and stir until starting to brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.

Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Stir in the honey and brown sugar (and cinnamon, flax and vanilla, if you choose); cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Return the oats to the pan. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so. Pour out onto the cookie sheet and spread to cool.

Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and stir in the almonds and dried cranberries (and raisins, sunflower seeds, etc. Anything else that sounds good actually!)

Warning: Don't start snacking on this while warm. It goes pretty fast. Not that I know from experience or anything.


Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients

2 cups warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
1 tablespoon honey
5 or 6 cups flour (3 cups of regular and 2 cups of whole wheat flour)


Directions

I cheat a little. I use my breadmaker dough function to make the dough. It takes 1.5 hours to complete the cycle. I then take it out and do the rest by hand. I do this because sometimes my breadmaker gives the bread a weird taste when baked in there. Anyway, I take the dough out, split it into two even balls and roll it out by hand. I shape it into a loaf by folding each corner in to the center and then rolling. Place it in a pan covered with a dishtowel for 30 minutes to rise. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

I will add pictures of these things tomorrow. My camera is dead.