Power Granola

• 2 cups regular oats
• 1/3 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped slivered almonds
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 300°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl.

Combine orange juice, honey, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in oil and vanilla.

Pour honey mixture over oat mixture, stirring to coat. Spread mixture in a thin layer onto a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300° for 10 minutes; stir well. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Spoon granola into a bowl; stir in dried cranberries. Cool completely.

Note: Store completely cooled granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. 

Serves about 9 (1/2 c.); 196 calories.

VERDICT: This is one of the easier granola recipes I've made, and it didn't require a single ingredient I didn't already have.  (The recipe gives free reign to substitute fruit, so I used leftover dried peaches.)  Sadly, the texture is off.  I baked it on the long end, and it still came out a little sticky. Yet, when I ate it with milk, it was oddly tough.  Toss.