Homemade Granola: Two Takes

I'm a big fan of snacking.  When I'm at home, I graze all day.  When I'm at work, I bring food so I don't have to die of starvation between meals.  When I'm getting tired late at night, I decide that it's the perfect time for another snack.  "Hey, honey, let's have some brie on crackers, and then some ice cream with fudge sauce, and then some wine, and then go to bed so we can gain weight while we sleep!"  Okay, so maybe it's not that bad.  But I do like my snacks.  Granola is one of my favorites, because it tastes better than carrot sticks and is still healthier than cheesecake (if it isn't, don't tell me--I don't want to know).

My mom has been making this recipe since I was little.  I'm sure there are a lot of great granola recipes out there, but this is the one I know and always use.  You can vary it a bit based on what's in your pantry; for example, my mom often adds unsalted peanuts, and I don't always add the oat bran.

Crunchy Granola

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 cups oats (quick-cooking or regular)
1 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup oat bran
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (preferably unsalted)
1 cup coconut
1 cup dry milk

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Heat oil, honey, and brown sugar slowly in medium saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients.  Transfer to two or three greased cookie sheets (the higher the rims, the better--I often use the bottom half of a broiling pan as one of my sheets).  Pour oil mixture over oats, dividing it between pans; spread evenly.

Bake for 15-30 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so (granola burns easily, so keep an eye on it).  Let cool.  Store in airtight containers.

(I like to eat my granola dry; my husband eats it with milk.  Whatever makes you happy.)

And... if you like your granola in bar form, I recommend this recipe over at Yammie's Noshery.  These things are delicious, and, like my crunchy granola, can be customized to fit your tastes and pantry stash.  For example, I substituted crushed corn flakes for the Rice Krispies, left out the flax seeds, added a little wheat germ, and cut the chocolate chips (chopped) down to about 1/4 cup (because I didn't feel like opening a new bag).  They turned out great--chewy and peanut butter-y and... um... honey-y?  Just make them.  You need something to snack on five minutes before bed, right?

Mini Ham and Swiss Quiches

The best thing about miniature sized versions of regular food (besides the fact that they're cuter, of course) is that you can eat ten in one sitting and get away with it.  I'm pretty sure that one piece of chocolate cake equals about 17 two-bite brownies.  They're so tiny, just one more couldn't possibly hurt, right?  And they're so cute!  Wait, did I have five or six?  I think it was three.  Better make it an even number.  Eh, there's only one left.  I really don't want to put it away.  And it's so cute!

Just to be clear, I have never eaten a whole batch of anything in one sitting (I don't think...).  I don't really make mini food that much anyway--I'm lazy, and it's a lot easier to dump batter into a cake pan than to ladle it into individual muffin cups (which are a pain to clean).  Sometimes, though, a special occasion calls for pretty little parfaits or bite-sized cakes, and it's all worth it.  They really are cute.

These individual quiches are great for brunches, showers, and lazy Saturday mornings.  I know a lot of the ingredients aren't usually available in the co-op, but most of them are pretty basic items and you can also try using different types of cheese, meat, and vegetables based on what you have on hand.

Mini Ham and Swiss Quiches
Makes 12
Time:  30 minutes

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (or try cheddar)
1/2 cup half-and-half OR 2% milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use the kind with olive oil)
2 eggs
2 T. flour
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 cup diced cooked ham (or try cooked bacon or shrimp)
1/4 cup diced mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped onion

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Thoroughly grease 12 standard-size muffin cups.

Combine cheese, half-and-half, mayo, eggs, flour, salt, and pepper in a blender.  Process until well blended.  (You can also combine the ingredients in a large bowl with a hand mixer.)  Stir in remaining ingredients.

Equally fill muffin cups with egg mixture.  Bake 22 minutes, or until quiches are lightly golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.