Homemade Granola - In the Crockpot

I am trying to eat healthier in the new year. One way to do this, I thought, would be to make some homemade granola. That way I knew exactly what was in the mix and there wouldn't be any coconut (I hate coconut).

I found this recipe on A Year of Crockpotting and modified it a bit to meet my needs.

The result was absolutely tasty. I have been eating it instead of chips for a snack and in my yogurt for breakfast. I am sure I will find many other ways to incorporate this tasty treat into my diet.

Crockock Granola
Modified from A Year of Crockpotting
- 5 cups oats (I made separate batches with quick cook and rolled, both turned out tasty)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup dried fruit (I used raisins and cranberries)

Directions
In a 4 or 6 quart crockpot, place all the dry ingredients.

Melt the butter in the microwave.

Add butter and honey to dry ingredients, tossing well to mix completely.

Cover, but vent with a wooden spoon.

Cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes. Stirring this frequently is key since the granola will burn more quickly than you think. I set a timer so I wouldn't forget.

Once cooked, place granola mixture on a cookie sheet and let cool.

Seal well in an air-tight container or Ziplock.

Finally Falafel

For the last few months I have been craving falafel. The crispy crunchy spiciness has called out to me. The problem: the local grocery didn't have any and the thought of making what I thought was a complicated recipe from scratch was too daunting. So my falafel dreams would have to wait.

Then it hit me. The store that I don't allow myself to go into because I would end of spending our e-fund on organic fruit and veggies should have falafel mix. You know what store I am talking about. Yup, that's the one...Whole Foods. Surprisingly, even WF had only one brand of mix and it wasn't even organic. Weird.

So I was on my way to tasty falafel treats. To compliment the accompaniments, I made a cucumber yogurt dill sauce. It was the cool sauce was the perfect addition to the warm falafel.

Cucumber Yogurt Dill Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
½ cucumber - peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 clove garlic (pressed)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (I omitted this since I didn't have any in the fridge)
Dash of lemon juice, to taste (just to add a but of acid)

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.