Some Yummy Crunchy Granola, and Banana Chips too!

Yesterday's activity was a lot of fun for both Conrad and I, and very yummy as well! :) It is fairly simple to make, and delicious too. It makes an easy snack, or can also be served with milk like a breakfast cereal!

Yummy Crunchy Granola

For this activity you will need to following supplies:

• 4 cups Oatmeal (not the instant kind)
• 1 cup Coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup Honey or Maple Syrup
• Cinnamon (for flavor, we used about 3 tsp)
• Dried Fruits, Nuts, Seeds, Chocolate Chips

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees. Get out a large bowl.

Dump the oatmeal into  the bowl first, then add the Coconut. (we also threw in some flax seed meal, for a little extra)

 Pour the honey on top ( I used 1/4 cup honey mixed with 1/4 cup brown sugar melted down to a syrup with a bit of margarine and water)

Stir it all together with a large spoon. Conrad discovered that the mixture will stick to the spoon, and become difficult to stir, so I had to mix with my hands to make sure it was mixed evenly.

 Next, I covered two baking pans with foil, and spread the mixture out on both of them (somewhat thin layer). I put these pans in the oven ,and cooked until golden brown (about 35 minutes). It was a bit of an experiment to see what worked best. We discovered the granola would remain moist until it had been cooling for a while. The crunchiness came after the cooling process.

Once the Mixture on both pans has cooled off, put it into a bow, and mix in the fruits nuts, seeds, chocolate chips of your choice. We used banana chips that Conrad helped me make earlier in the morning. (see recipe below), Chocolate Chips, and Sunflower Seeds. Be forewarned, if you put chocolate in the mixture before it is fully cooled, the chocolate will melt, and make a mess (although once it cools, it makes nice chocolate granola clusters) 

Easy Banana Chips

The Banana Chips are very easy to make (they won't be as crunchy as the ones you buy in the store, but they are delicious!) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. cover a cookie sheet in parchment paper or foil. spray with cooking spray, or cover with thin layer of oil. Slice bananas into  slices (however you would like, we chose circle slices). Place the slices onto the oiled pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Put them into the oven, and bake for two to three hours. Because you are not using a food dehydrator to make these, they will not get completely dry, but if you let them sit out to cool, they will get a little crispy. for a sweeter version, drizzle a little honey over the top of them as you let them dry! :)


Enjoy!!!!!