Another oat recipe~ Bo's (raw) Granola

Here is our (alright, my little brother's) recipe for granola.  This granola, unlike most others, is wheat- free. There is no flour in it, so it's much more crumbly than traditional granola, especially when raw.  We originally would bake it and eat it with milk, but then my grandmother discovered how good it is raw, and so now I like it far better that way.  Enjoy!
(By the way, in case you can't tell, this is the mega batch version we make for our family (for the curious, it lasts us about three and a half breakfasts).  Of course, you could cut it down to a smaller size if you'd like, but it keeps quite well on the counter, even when raw.)

30 c. uncooked oats  (two 15 c. containers)
2 c. honey
7 prunes (my grandmother didn't put any in hers)
1 T. vanilla
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 c. dry coconut, optional
Raisins or Craisins  (The latter are really delicious in it.)
2 c. coconut oil
Walnuts, optional
Sliced or chopped almonds, optional

Mix all ingredients together, first blending the prunes until fine.  Now, you have a choice- you can bake it and eat it with milk, the traditional way, or you can just leave it raw, and serve on top of vanilla yogurt.
As with the raw cookies, my reaction was something along the lines of "who would ever want to eat raw granola".  But my grandmother, who originally discovered how good it is raw, convinced me to try some, and I've loved it ever since.  (Be careful- this is so good it gets addictive!  I think I like it even better than our yogurt banana split.)

Hope you enjoy this cool and convenient breakfast/ snack/ treat! Granola is capable of endless variations, so if you come up with some good ones, please share them in a comment!  I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Also, I meant to mention this sooner, but Shannon Fitzgerald is hosting a giveaway on her lovely blog A Bright Light in a Dark World.  Sorry for the late notice, but the giveaway doesn't end until 12am, so there's still time to enter.   Even if you don't enter for it, her blog is still very lovely and encouraging, and the link to it may be found on my "Lovely Links" page.

2 Recipes: Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted on here... seems like it always gets crowded out somehow.  Anyway, here is a recipe which Mama found in a raw desert cookbook-  Raw Oatmeal Cookies.  When LilyAnn excitedly told me that:  "Mama's making oatmeal cookies- and they're raw!", my initial reaction was something along the lines of "What?!  Raw oatmeal cookies!  Yuck!".  But that lasted for about 1 minute- exactly how long it took for me to wash up from being outside, walk into the kitchen, and spot the little cookies, appealingly dressed in their pretty pink paper mini cupcake holders, dusted in cinnamon or cocoa, and with an almond perched on top.  Mama promptly offered me one, and the last trace of disgust vanished immediately afterwards.  (Daddy's reaction, I may add, was similar to my own.)  So, without further ado, allow me to introduce you to the healthiest, quickest, easiest, oatmeal cookies ever- which also happen to be remarkably tasty.

Raw Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup honey

1 cup almonds or peanuts (we used almonds)

1 t. vanilla

dash of salt

Blend together all of the above until smooth.

2 cups oats, divided

Nuts, raisins, cocoa, cinnamon for garnishing.

Blend 1 cup oatmeal until it becomes fine flour.  Mix it and the other 1 cup of oatmeal with the rest of the ingredients.  Shape into balls and garnish by dusting with cinnamon or cocoa, and placing an almond or raisin on top.

     Here's another recipe we discovered recently- this one in an email and not quite so "radical" sounding since it is baked.  We love these cookies!  They are really good.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies (with Honey)

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients

· 1 cup whole wheat flour (a pinch more depending on the moisture of the mix)

· 1 1/2 cups of Large Flake Rolled Oats (smaller flake is ok too)

· 1/2 tsp baking soda

· 1/2 tsp baking powder

· 1/2 tsp salt

· 1 Tbsp Cinnamon

· 1/2 tsp Nutmeg (optional)

Wet ingredients

· 1/2 cup honey

· 1/2 cup oil (corn, grapeseed, coconut or olive) * you can also use some applesauce to replace some of the oil if you wish*

· 1 Tablespoon Molasses

· 1 egg (beat with 1 Tbsp Water)

· 1 tsp Vanilla

Yummy ingredients

· 1/2 cup raisins

· 1/2 cup walnuts

Preparation:

1.    In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.

2.    In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together. Hint: when measuring out the honey, spray the measuring cup with oil or baking spray--your honey won't stick).

3.    Mix the wet stuff with the dry stuff. Add the raisins and walnuts and mix. If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit of flour. If it isn't binding together very well, you may wish to add an egg white.

4.    COOL the mix for 20 minutes in the fridge.

5.    Preheat the oven to 335 degrees (lower temperature due to the honey in the recipe which will burn more easily).

6.    Drop by teaspoonfuls onto your baking sheet. Press down with a fork to ensure even cooking.

7.    Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie. The cookies freeze very well and make a great snack! Enjoy.