I told you recently that I am a former cereal addict. Now I’ve virtually eliminated all boxed cereals from my diet because it’s difficult to find one that doesn’t include sugar or a long list of ingredients. Earlier this month I shared with you my recipe for Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal. I love starting out these cold winter mornings with a warm bowl of oatmeal. My homemade granola is another good breakfast cereal alternative. With no sugar and no artificial ingredients, it’s a great start to the day. I steer clear of most packaged granolas as well because many include quite a bit of sugar or are high in calories. My granola is yummy on top of plain yogurt with fresh berries or your favorite fruit. Add a little drizzle of honey if you need more sweetness. Feel free to replace the nuts and seeds I’ve used with your favorites.

Granola Recipe

• 4 cups quick cooking oats
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup chopped raw walnuts
• 1/2 cup sliced raw almonds
• 2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds/pepitas
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
• 1 cup natural applesauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, nuts and seeds. Stir well. In a separate smaller mixing bowl combine the applesauce, honey, cinnamon and salt. Stir the applesauce mixture into the oats mixture and stir until it is well combined. Spray one or two jelly roll pans with olive oil spray or grease with butter. Spread granola out on pan(s) evenly. Place in oven for 45 to 60 minutes checking and stirring it every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven when lightly golden browned. Once cooled, you can add dried fruit if you’d like (raisins or cranberries would be good.) Store in an airtight container.