UPDATE: saving money, homemade style!

This week I tried homemade recipes for 3 things we usually buy prepackaged from our food co-op grocery store.  I made homemade almond milk, granola, and whole wheat bread.  The almond milk was tricky to make (it involved the use of  cheesecloth, which was completely new to me!), and the almonds were about $7.00 a pound ($16/lb for organic!!!!) to buy in bulk....which makes buying a 1/2 gallon of Almond Breeze much more cost-effective.   The bread and granola, however, both turned out to be just as good as the packaged brands, and much less expensive! The bread required a lot of time to rise, bake, and cool, but it was worth it because it tasted fresh, lasted the whole week, and was made from ingredients I already had in my kitchen (which means I saved about $5 not buying bread for the week).  The granola was also easy, delicious, and made from ingredients already in my kitchen. I ate it in the mornings as cereal with blueberries and almond milk.  Here's the recipe I found on Go Dairy Free....

Super Simple Spiced Overnight Granola  (this recipe is optionally vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, nut-free, wheat-free, and optionally gluten-free)

1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or other oil)
1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats*
1 cup quick oats (not instant oats)*

(*for a gluten-free version, use certified gluten-free oats)

Preheat your oven to 300ºF.

Combine the oil, honey, vanilla, spices, and salt in a small dish and stir to combine. Place the oats in a large bowl and stir to mix the two kinds up, then add the liquid ingredients and stir until all those little oats are nicely coated. Spread the oat mixture out on a baking sheet, preferably one with rimmed sides so the granola doesn't slide off the sheet.

Place the oats in the oven and allow them to bake for just 10 minutes, not a minute more, then turn off the oven and leave the granola inside to finish baking. Don't peak! Leave them in the oven for 2-3 hrs, or as long as overnight.  Stir to declump a bit and store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature.

Enjoy!!

*Ashley*