I have been calling this "homemade cereal" and realized that is not a creative name...homemade cereal already has a name and it's granola. BUT Ruthie is super into cereal so she's down with it. Call it whatever you want but it tastes like crumbled chocolate chip cookies and it is gooood.
I'm into making as many things as I can myself (just made homemade yogurt for the first time and it. was. THRILLING). I like to be able to control the quality and amount of everything that goes in. DIYing some things also saves $$$ which is important if you recently decided to quit your job.
I have never baked quinoa before this and I like it. It gets crispy and chewy at the same time and loses its bug 'n dirt taste (rinsing the grains also definitely helps rid this flavor some may refer to as "earthy"). You know what I love in a granola? Big 'ole chunks. You will find that here, perfect for cute little Ruthie hands.
Ingredients:
2 cups oats
1/3 cup ground flax seed
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
1 cup raw cashews, chopped
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Directions:
Heat oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine oats, flax, chia seeds, quinoa, and cashews. In a medium bowl, combine butter, honey, vanilla, and salt. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until covered. Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove and stir then return to oven for an additional 25 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle chocolate chips over hot granola and stir to coat. Let granola cool and break into chunks.
