Granola Making Weekend

This weekend was so lovely. It is very hard to get back into the groove of the work week after a beautiful weekend.
I went hiking with my mom both Saturday and Sunday and we went on some pretty awesome trails. There are some great parks around us and we explored a few that had some great hills and paths through the woods. We took our small pooches who LOVED it and got some sun too :)
I found this great recipe from Real Simple Magazine for an Easy Toss-and Bake Granola recipe. I LOVE Real Simple magazine... I have to tell you. When I was at the grocery store this weekend, I leaped for joy when I saw that the new issue was out. Their website is also great with organizing, cleaning, health and recipe tips..plus lots more!
This recipe is fabulous and I have been sprinkling it on top of my oatmeal, yogurt or just to have as a little snack too. I also tweaked the recipe a little bit to my liking :)

Easy Toss-and Bake Granola
Adapted from Real Simple Magazine

Makes 6 cups
Hands on Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup unsalted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) or shelled sunflower seeds... I used sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (I added about 3/4 cup because I like my granola when it sticks together and clumps and has the chewy texture, I also added 1/4 cup of organic buckwheat honey, it added a bold rich flavor that is divine!)
2 tablespoons canola oil (I added 1/4 cup canola oil because I found my oats were not binding together well, and a little extra oil helped)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dried fruit (such as cherries, cranberries, raisins or currants) I used raisins, because they are my favorite!

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the oats, almonds, coconut, and pepitas with the maple syrup, oil, and salt.
2. Bake, tossing once, until golden brown and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Add the dried fruit and toss to combine. Let cool.

Tip:
The granola will keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 weeks.

Love this granola and I have enough to last me for a few weeks, yesss!

PS...My hyacinth plant is in full bloom, and another stem is already blooming too! Beautiful I tell ya :)