My wife makes this awesome homemade granola, and she made it this morning with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. Together with the pumpkin pancakes she made this weekend it was a very squash flavored weekend, at least in a culinary sense.

I have snagged and posted below the granola recipe she uses because it is so incredibly amazing. Mix the stuff with plain yogurt or eat like cerial with just milk and honey, it's a great way to start the day. She takes liberty with the recipe, and uses different nuts, dried fruits, spices, and wet ingredients. Every time it's awesome, so check it out. It keeps you full way longer than regular cereal, and isn't as sweet as packaged granola. Plus, with flax and walnuts it packs a good punch of Omega-3's.

My Favorite Granola

Dry Ingredients

• 6 cups oats (I use 3c.quick cooking and 3c. regular)
• 2 cups nuts (I used chopped almonds)
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds (or other seeds)
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed
• 3/4 dried fruit (add after cooking)- dates, cranberries are my favorite

Wet Ingredients and Seasonings

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup honey (or agave nectar or maple syrup)
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 T. ground cinnamon
• 1 T. ground ginger (sometimes I use 2 1/2 T. fresh grated ginger)
• 1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 300k

Mix the dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix wet ingredients and seasonings together, then stir into dry ingredients. Stir well to mix (I use clean hands to get it mixed up very well).

Spread mixture onto two baking sheets. Bake 45 min, or until evenly golden brown. Stir every 10-15 min to ensure even browning. Stir in the fruit once it is cooled.