how I make granola.

I get in these funks where I want to cook something, but I'm too tired/injured/filled with darkness to bother with complicated recipes. This is where granola comes in because, for myself and my family, it's an incredibly healthy and quick option, and also very versatile. And--man--do I love my oats.

Every person I know makes granola a different way. This is mine.

Granola
4 cups whole oats
2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cardamom
2 1/2 tbsp. powdered stevia
pinch of kosher salt
2 medium overripe bananas, mashed, then pureed in blender
1 tbsp. coconut oil, melted (I used the microwave)
1/3 cup raw honey
unsweetened rice milk
shredded, unsweetened coconut (I used Bob's Red Mill)
roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds

Preheat your oven to 300. Combine the oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, stevia, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until combined. In a separate bowl, combine the bananas, coconut oil, and honey, mixing well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon. Now pour in a little bit of rice milk at a time, mixing after each addition. I didn't make a note of measurement here because well, I never measure this part. I add enough that the granola is moist, but not sopping. Too wet and it won't crisp up in the oven.

Pour the mixture onto a large, non-stick baking sheet. I use my fingers and the back of a spatula to press the mixture down flat in one firm layer, all the way to the edges of the pan. Try to distribute it evenly. Now put it in the oven and set your timer for 15 minutes.

Take the mixture out and move it around on the pan. I try to put what was around the edges in the middle, middle to the edges and so on. Back in the oven, this time for 10 minutes. Check it again. Turn your oven down to 275. From this point, I do ten minute intervals, checking constantly, until it reaches a crispiness and a light golden-brown color. Then I simply shake a mixture of coconut and sunflower seeds all across the top, and put it back into the oven for about 8 minutes.

Breakfast. And elevenses. And dinner.