Homemade Steel Cut Granola

My blogging friend Kathie from Homespun Seasonal Living sent me a copy of her

book Gift It From Scratch recently and it has really motivated me to start giving

more homemade treats to friends.  I love surprising people with special gifts to 

let them know I care or have been thinking about them, but sometimes life gets in

the way and I don't do it near as often as I should.

Kathie's book offers great ideas on how to put together gift baskets filled with

homemade quick breads, cookies, cakes and more.  Kathie's recipes use natural 

ingredients, which I love, and she gives you suggestions on how to package the

treats to make them even more special.

I decided to take Kathie's advice and made some homemade granola for

a friend.  I'm gifting it in this clear glass canister tied with some fabric

and a little scoop.  Maybe I will add a container or two of granola to go

with it.

We recently had some new neighbors move into our street and even though

I was short on time I found a way to put together a little gift to welcome them

to our neighborhood. This is a great way to introduce yourself and meet some

new friends too! I included a cute dish towel, my favorite hand soap and sponge

in this adorable little colander from World Market.

I made this snack mix for the kids. 

Small gifts like these mean a lot to the recipient and it's fun for me.

I definitely need to do this more often!

You can buy Kathie's book Gift It From Scratch here.  It's only $9 and it is filled with great

ideas!  It's perfect for the upcoming holidays!

Homemade Steel Cut Granola

1/2 C steel cut oats

1 C rolled oats

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 T chopped walnuts

2 T sunflower seeds

2 T flax seed

2 T slivered almonds

1 1/2 melted coconut oil

1/4 C unsweetened applesauce

1/4 C pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl combine oats, cinnamon, seeds and nuts.  In a small bowl mix

coconut oil, applesauce and maple syrup.  Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and

mix until the oats are evenly coated.  Spread onto the prepared baking sheet and bake

for 25 minutes, rotating the pan and tossing the oats at the halfway mark.  

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

The granola will get more crunchy as it cools.

Store in an air tight container for up to two weeks.

Enjoy and happy gifting!

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