Part of our morning routine is to have breakfast. Sounds pretty normal, right? But you would be surprised at the number of people for whom a latte is their only nourishment before lunch. Not so at Chez Carr. We love breakfast. But the older we get, the more we have to watch what we eat. (That sounds pretty normal too.)

So, in keeping with watching our cholesterol levels and trying to help you do the same, may I recommend that you incorporate granola into your morning repast. Many granolas, like this one,  contain zero cholesterol ingredients. Zip, zero, nadda! Of course, granola on its own would be pretty hard to swallow. Literally! So we usually eat our daily ¼ cup of granola with ¼ cup of Greek yogurt, at roughly 10mg of cholesterol, or with a ¼ cup of 2% milk with roughly 5mg of cholesterol. Since the Mayo clinic recommends no more than 300mg of cholesterol for healthy people, and no more than 200mg for those with diabetes, high cholesterol, or heart disease, I feel OK with serving yogurt or 2% milk with our granola.

Now I realize you can buy granola with zero cholesterol ingredients. But homemade granola contains zero ingredients with unpronounceable names. (You pay dearly for those names that are too difficult to say!) You also don’t get nearly the amount of nuts and dried fruit as in a homemade granola.

And yes, I know granola is not inexpensive. But if you buy your oats, nuts, coconut, and dried fruit in bulk, you will save an amazing amount of money. And truly, making your own granola takes just minutes to prepare. And parents, those boxes of sugared cereal are not a substitute for healthy granola or a well balanced hot meal. They are never going to keep your children energized until lunch. (No guilt trip intended.)

True story. I fixed a simple breakfast for my kids every school morning. Usually scrambled eggs, toast, and juice. Sometimes oatmeal or another hot cereal, but always something hot and nourishing. When my dearly loved son Sven went away to college he told me he was excited because he could finally eat cold cereal for breakfast! His enthusiasm lasted for a week. Exactly 7 days after being away from home he called me. The first words out of his mouth were “cold cereal isn’t as great as I thought it would be, and the coffee here is terrible!” You would be proud of me. I didn’t start laughing until he was off the phone.

• 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil  
• ¼ c. real maple syrup  
• ¾ tsp. vanilla  
• 1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon  
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg  
• 1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt  
• 4-6 c. old-fashioned rolled oats  
• 3 c. nuts – walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts (I use a combination)
• 1 c. unsweetened coconut
• 1½ c. chopped dried fruit – apples, prunes, cherries, blueberries, apricots, golden raisins (again, I use a combination)

Whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Add the oats, nuts, and coconut.  Spread evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (Don’t wash the bowl yet.)

Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven until lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes. Stir once or twice during the baking. (Watch carefully, as coconut and nuts can burn easily.) Remove from oven and scoop back into the mixing bowl. Add the chopped dried fruit. Stir to combine. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Please note: I now make this granola with 6 cups of oats. The granola doesn’t clump using the 2 extra cups of oats, but oats are really good for us. So, we can live without the clumps. And the overall flavor is just as good. (8-24-2019)