Remembering "Grandma Granola"

It's Grandma's birthday today. She would be 97 if she was still alive. Have pie and ice cream for dessert if you have any in the house. Visualize doing so if your house is as sadly free of both as mine is.

I intended to post Grandma's Granola recipe today. It is the food I most fondly remember in association with Grandma. I will post it as soon as I find my copy. It is in the recipe box, but just where that box is is the question. So very sadly, I think the last time I made the recipe was in 2003. I've seen the recipe in the recipe box since then so I know I still have it.

The granola was very light in the sugar and oil department. I recall perhaps 1/2 cup of honey and a 1/2 cup of oil for probably 8 cups of rolled oats. In addition there was wheat germ, sunflower seed, bran, and coconut and nuts. After roasting about an hour (stirring every 20 minutes) the granola was removed from the oven and the raisins were added. You only mistakenly added the raisins before roasting once - ugh dry crunchy bits.

I wonder why this granola is so tightly tied with Grandma. I think it might be because she introduced granola to our family. And because we could consistently get it at her house. I wouldn't be surprised if she was eating it as a source of fiber. I believe she liked the ability to customize it to her taste. I have very fond memories of my falling in love with the granola the summer after my 8th grade year. I visited her house for several weeks.

During that time I rose very! early in the morning, ate granola and headed out for an early horse ride with the girl who lived down the road. We would ride for several hours in the early Arizona summer morning. After returning the horses to their stable and caring for them I would head back to Grandma's where I joined Grandma for her breakfast and perhaps a second bowl of granola for me.

Happy Birthday Grandma!!!

- Mavis