Granola

So I've never posted a recipe on my blog before. I have no problem with recipe blogs, and in fact I read a few religiously. I just don't do it myself. But today, dear readers, I am going to share a recipe with you. This blog is sort of a cross-section of my life, right? And I cook A LOT. So it seems only logical. I took a random recipe as a starting point, but did my own thing. All measurements are approximate, especially the spices/seasoning. That part of the process basically went "Hm. Not enough cinnamon." "Hm, still kind of boring. What else is on this shelf?" .

4 cups oats (the regular kind, not quick)
1 cup nuts (I used walnut "baking pieces" because they're cheap. You could use whatever!)
1/2 cup flax seeds (I love them)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cup dried fruit (I dumped in an entire bag of Trader Joe's "golden berry mix." I think it was about a cup and a half...Welcome to my cooking process! Dump dump dump!)
3/4 cup sweet stuff (I used not quite a full 3/4 cup of agave nectar, and topped it off with molasses for fun. The molasses gave it a little bit of a bitter flavor I'm not sure I like)
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon (would use more)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla (not sure this made any difference. probably optional)
1/4 tsp salt

1. Mix oats, nuts, fruit in a bowl.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add sweet stuff, spices, and vanilla. Boil for about a minute.
3. Pour this mixture over the dry stuff and mix well. If you're me, at this point you start tasting it and throwing in whatever you feel like.
4. Put in a 300f degree oven. Stir every 10 minutes until it is all golden brown and a bit dried out. Don't over cook it like I did.

Do your own thing and experiment. As long as you come back and share your improvements!