Homemade Granola

I always thought granola was something that only hippies and hikers ate. I discovered it's actually pretty good if you don't put stuff like raisins in it! Here's what Jo & I do to make homemade granola. It's very healthy and lasts quite a while. And for us older folks, it packs a good supply of fiber! :)
Our ingredients...

Our dog, Stevie, is anxious for anything that might fall on the floor. Gotta keep it clean!

We start by whisking up about half a cup of egg whites. This will help mix everything up, and put a nice crispy, brown coating on the finished granola. We also add about 1/2 cup of honey and 1/2 cup of applesauce.

Continue whisking and add about 1/4 cup of Splenda and some cinnamon (about 1-2 Tablespoons).

We also like the extra crunch and fiber provided by about 1/2 cup of rinsed quinoa.

Flax seed is another thing we like to add to the granola.  About 1/2 a cup.

For the quick oats, we add enough to get them evenly coated...probably 7 cups.

And almonds. Not the roasted, salted kind. The whole, raw almonds found with the baking products. I love raw almonds, and they are at their most healthy state when raw. They always remind me of Christmas at my Grandma's house, because she always had raw almonds in the shell in the mixed nut bowl. You had to use nutcrackers to get them open.

We like adding some raw coconut as well. Then spread it all out in a large pan (spray it with Pam non-stick spray...we use a deep-dish pizza pan). It may take 2 pans. Spread it thin enough so it will brown all the way thru.

Bake at 400 degrees until it starts browning on the bottom. Then...

Cut into sections so it's easy to flip. Flip them over and return to the oven for a few minutes to finish browning. Take out of the oven and let cool. Then break it up and store in ziploc bags. It stays well for a couple weeks.