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Guest Banana: Cooking With Lane – Homemade Granola

November 17, 2010/2 Comments/in Guest Banana /by Megan

(Editor’s Note: I asked my super-chef friend Lane to come up with some easy holiday recipes for those of us who aren’t so naturally talented in the culinary arts. This is the first post, with a recipe for an awesome treat to give out during this festive season. And, I may add, one that makes […]

Guest Banana: Cooking With Lane

November 16, 2010/1 Comment/in Guest Banana /by Megan

Guest Banana: Cooking With Lane – Homemade Granola

November 17, 2010/2 Comments/in Guest Banana /by Megan

Guest Banana: Cooking With Lane

November 16, 2010/1 Comment/in Guest Banana /by Megan

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Guest Banana: Cooking With Lane – Homemade Granola

November 17, 2010/2 Comments/in Guest Banana /by Megan

Homemade Granola
Makes about 10 cups

Package this granola in a jam jar, and youâ€™ll have a charming gift for friends, families or neighbors. Iâ€™ve given this to new homeowners and parents, but also like to keep it at the house for a special, weekday snack. (Ed. Note: And lookout if you keep it at the house, as you may eat the whole bag in a day…ahem.)

This recipe was adapted from Nigella Lawsonâ€™s Feast.

Dry ingredients:
5 c. rolled or old fashioned oats (donâ€™t buy the quick cooking kind)
1 Â½ c. pecans
1 Â½ c. almond slivers
1 c. hulled sunflower seeds (unsalted)
Â¾ c. light brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt

Wet ingredients:
Â¾ c. unsweetened applesauce
1/3 c. good maple syrup (no Aunt Jemima here)
Â¼ c. honey
2 tbsp. canola oil

Preheat oven to 300Â° F.

In a huge bowl (I used a giant Pyrex 6-cup container), combine all of the dry ingredients. Stir to mix well.

In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Stir to mix well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing after each new addition. This will make it much easier to combine. When the ingredients are combined, pour Â½ of the mixture on to a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the remaining half onto another rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until evenly golden brown. Every 10 minutes, stir the granola. After 20 minutes, rotate the pans (move the top to the bottom and the bottom to the top). This will help it to cook evenly.

When itâ€™s lightly browned, remove from the oven and give it a stir to break it up.

After itâ€™s cooled, you can store it for yourself in the fridge or package it as a gift. (Ed Note: Or, when it’s cooling, hover over the pans picking out pieces that aren’t too hot and eat them…you know, whatever.)

Guest Banana: Cooking With Lane

November 16, 2010/1 Comment/in Guest Banana /by Megan

As my pregnancy progresses (have I mentioned I only have about four weeks left SO HELP ME GOD!) I’ve found my writing inspiration has totally flown the coup. Like, it’s vacationing in Aruba with a fruity drink and a pool boy named Ramon. Which is lame, because it’s starting to get cold here and it almost snowed the other day and the only fruity drinks I can order have the word “virgin” in their names…my inspiration is living a life of leisure while I spend my nights on a pee-sleep for ten minutes-pee again schedule. In order to battle some of the writerâ€™s block, I asked some friends to help me out with posts here and there (which is how we came up with the Preggo Style series). This next fun series of posts is entitled Cooking with Lane. Because the topic is cooking, and my friend Lane is writing them. I am nothing if not totally creative.

I asked Lane to come up with some fun holiday recipes that would be easy peesy for someone (ahem, moi) with little to no cooking experience. If you know Lane, or follow her cooking exploits on Twitter, you know this is a tall order for her. She is a complex cook and though her food is AMAZING, I have a hard time following it all. But trust me, people, she didn’t disappoint.

Lu and I spent a fun day at Lane’s watching her cook, gossiping, singing along to Annie and eating. It was glorious. And later today I’ll be sharing the first of five, fun holiday recipes straight from Lane’s kitchen. I will warn you, she grows her own herbs. I know, right? Ugh. Insufferable, that Lane.

But the food is definitely Lucy-approved. Example A:

Check back for the first recipe later today! (Hopefully…unless I fall asleep at my desk…which could totally happen…)