Granola

I've been making this for my family off and on for decades.  Recently I converted my baked recipe to microwave.  This way, I can make it all the time, even in summer.  Here are both recipes.  (The microwave recipe makes half as much as the oven-baked.)

MICROWAVE GRANOLA (vegetarian)

4 Tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 cup maple syrup or molasses* or brown sugar + 1 Tbsp. water

2 Tbsp. water

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts (1/2”)

1/4 cup shredded coconut or chopped banana chips

1/4 cup seeds like sunflower, sesame, etc. or wheat germ

* not blackstrap molasses in this amount

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In a Pyrex deep-dish pie pan (9.5”), heat butter on High in microwave for 1 minute or until melted.  Stir in cinnamon, maple syrup, water, vanilla, and salt.

Add remaining ingredients, and stir until well-coated.  Press mixture down into pan.  This encourages the granola to form clumps.

In a 1000-watt microwave, heat on High for 4 minutes.  Remove and stir, scraping bottom of pan.  Press mixture down again.  Heat for 2 minutes, stir, and press down.  Heat for 2 more minutes.

Remove from microwave and let cool completely without stirring.  The granola becomes crisp as it cools.

When cool, break up into chunks with a spatula, and store in an airtight container.

Makes about 10 servings. 

OVEN GRANOLA (vegetarian)

1 stick butter

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup maple syrup or molasses* or brown sugar + 2 Tbsp. water

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup chopped nuts (1/2”)

1/2 cup shredded coconut or chopped banana chips

1/2 cup seeds like sunflower, sesame, etc. or wheat germ

* not blackstrap molasses in this amount

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In a large roasting pan, heat butter, cinnamon, maple syrup, water, and salt.  When butter is melted, remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Add remaining ingredients, and stir until well-coated.  Press mixture down into pan.  This encourages the granola to form clumps.

Bake at 250 deg. F for 2 hours or until toasted to your preference.  When done, remove and let cool completely without stirring.  The granola becomes crisp as it cools.

When cool, break up into chunks with a spatula, scraping bottom of pan.  Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 20 servings--can be doubled in large roasting pan.

Veneta Donaldson: I Watched a Star

Drawing  by C.L. Donaldson

all rights reserved

Here's a poem by my aunt, that I like for summer.  She always tried to find deep meaning in nature, and I think she succeeded.  The drawing above, was done by her husband in 1937 when he was in high school, as the cover of his geography notebook.  The teacher kept this notebook for 20 years as an example of good work, and returned it to him in 1957.  Young Clyde grew up to be an artist and draftsman for the  Army Corps of Engineers.

I Watched a Star

by Veneta Donaldson

I watched a star above a hill,

When all of life was quiet, still;

It shone upon a town below

As though it loved its people so.

And as I stood there, lost in thought,

I wondered why such havoc's wrought;

For there's a star above each town

To guide it upward - never down.

This is part of a group of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.