Granola – It Is More Frugal Than You Thought

I had really forgot how much I loved making Granola, it is a great way to use up things that you might otherwise throw away, making Granola a fantastic budget stretcher.



Some might think that granola can be expensive to make, and so it can be.But what they don’t realize is that granola has a lot in common with Soup. It is a great way to use up foods. Granola does not need to be made strictly by the recipe, and once you have made it a couple of times, and understand how you can play with the recipe, it is a great way to use up the odds and ends in your pantry. Cereals,grains, nuts, dried fruits, coconut, and many many more things can be added, to create a budget stretching breakfast, and to use up small amounts of foods that might otherwise get thrown away.

Also you have a lot of leeway in what type of sweeteners you use, so you can use up extras that way too, or use what is on sale. If health is your issue, you can use fruit juice concentrate, instead!!



The basic granola recipe I use is below, most everything in this recipe is substitutable for other ingredients, The most important thing you have to remember is that you need A grain, and something sticky to keep it all together, what you decide to use is up to you!!



Basic Granola



5 cups Oatmeal

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup honey

1 cup of nuts (your choice,sunflower,peanut, cashew, almonds or a mix of all the above.)

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup flax meal

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

1 teaspoon of salt ( I omit this )

you may also add some of the variations from this page for a change of pace, or to use up your odds and ends in your cupboard.

Mix all ingredients in a very large bowl till well mixed. Spread on a cookie sheet and place in a 250 degree oven and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Allow to cool, then store in a ziploc baggie. This makes about enough to fill two gallon size ziplocs.



If you don’t have or use flax seed or wheat germ that is ok!! And the vegetable oil can be omitted if you are on a fat restricted diet. Remember this recipe is super flexible and you can mix and match ingredients. Here is a short list of things I have used in my granola that is not listed above already.



Multi Grain cereals

Cream of Wheat

Flours (rye,buckwheat, whole wheat)

Steel cut oats

Instant Oatmeal mixes (maybe you have some sitting up there they won’t eat?)

Coconut

Banana chips

Dried fruits

Trail mix

Mixed nuts

Boxed cereals of any kind ( cheerios, chex, rice crispies)

Graham crackers

Fruit juice concentrate

Molasses

Corn syrup



As you can see this is a great way to use up the small bits and pieces in your pantry

And your family will think they are getting something exotic too!!







Patty Getz is Is a Sahmom with a mission to educate families, on the alternatives, to high debt, fast food, and fast living. She is the Owner of

http://www.totallyfrugal.com/


http://www.oldfashionedfamilies.com/


http://www.sahmoms.com/


and the author of several articles on Frugal living,cooking, and Simple Living.