Rainy Weekend Granola

It hasn't been a great spring so far in the Midwest...we have had so much rain and temperatures still hanging in the 30's that it's left me wondering if it will ever get here!

The upside of the crappy weather is that it gives me the opportunity to cook and bake and not worry that I might be missing some outdoor activity! I decided to make a batch of granola and try to make it as gluten-free as possible.....unfortunately, that didn't happen as oats are a gluten product and the base of the granola is rolled oats....I need more time to develop a completely gluten-free recipe, but the good thing is that this recipe has quinoa flakes and millet puffs both giving it an extra added protein punch- (I noticed that Whole Foods is now carrying quinoa flakes in their bulk section!)

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup quinoa flakes

1 cup millet puffs (available in health food stores in the cereal section)

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/3 cup honey (you can substitute the same amount of agave here if you like)

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 300° F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.In a small saucepan, gently heat the water, honey, sugar, butter (or use a vegetable oil instead), salt and vanilla. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved.

3. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir in the liquid to coat.

4. Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet, spread out in one layer and cook for 45 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon several times to make sure that the granola cooks evenly. Let cool completely.

5. Transfer to an air-tight container. Enjoy with fruit, yogurt or your choice of milk or just alone as a snack!

I will enjoy this as I patiently await the arrival of spring.......