Thrifty Thursdays -- Homemade Granola

Thrifty Thursdays is a new blog event created by my fried Amanda Formaro from Amanda's Cookin' blog. I've agreed to participate, so look for a frugal themed post here each Thursday.

In addition to reading my posts, be sure to visit Amanda's blog (after Thursday) for a round-up of all the thrifty home and cooking tips and recipes that came in this week from folks around the blogosphere. Visit anytime to learn how to participate too.


Thrifty Thursday #2 -- Make Your Own Granola
Sure you can find all kinds of granolas in your supermarket cereal aisle, but it's much less expensive to make your own, not to mention you'll control the amount of sugar and fat that goes into your granola and you'll know that your homemade version will contain no unnecessary additives, preservative or high fructose corn syrup.

Making granola at home is also lots of fun. Think of the recipes below as jumping off points. Don't be afraid to substitute, add, and subject to make your perfect granola blend. You can even get the family involved with everyone making their own favorites. Granola makes a healthy, wholesome snack, so why not get the kids involved?

I've been making granola using my oven for years, but I recently discovered that the slow cooker also does a good job (see recipes below). While you can't quite "set it and forget it" like most slow cooker recipes, it is more forgiving than the oven if you forget to watch carefully or stir frequently.

So what can you do with your homemade granola? Of course you can pour milk over it and eat like cereal. It also makes a great portable snack to tote along in backpacks, briefcases, and lunchboxes. Sprinkle it over yogurt or fresh fruit salad. Or see some of the recipes below that use granola as an ingredients.

Homemade Granola Recipes

• California Walnut Granola (pictured top of this post) -- Did you know that walnuts are one of the healthiest foods you can eat? Walnuts are the only nut that contain a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acids. No other nut even comes close.
• Coconut Pecan Granola -- This not too sweet granola adds a delicious crunch to yogurt, makes a delightful topping for fruit crisp and is also perfect on its own.
• Slow Cooker Good Morning Granola -- Making granola in a slow cooker is easy and better than in the oven because it cooks more evenly and doesn't burn.

Recipes Using Granola as an Ingredient

• Yogurt Granola Breakfast Parfait (pictured at right) -- Serve this beautiful layered parfait for breakfast, brunch or snack time.
• Berry Breakfast Parfait -- This healthy recipe is quick and easy to prepare and your kids will love it.
• Cherry Granola Kugel -- A fabulous breakfast version of the classic Jewish dish kugel.

Granola on the Go

• Mollie Katzen's Homemade Protein Bars -- These homemade granola bars are economical, and you get to select the ingredients according to your own taste.
• Walnut Granola Cluster Snacks -- Clusters of crunchy oats and walnuts baked with tender dried fruit make a great snack on the go.
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars -- These high energy healthy breakfast or snack bars are great to tuck away in a lunch box or keep handy as an after school snack.
• Berkeley Health Bars -- A classic 60s style California granola bar.