Honey Granola

I wanted to make some granola that didn't have added sugar, high fructose corn syrup or oil. So I adapted a recipe I found online and this was the recipe I threw together You can add anything you want into it. I just like plain granola, not much added. All of these things I had in my kitchen so it made for a nice easy recipe to throw together.

4 cups oats
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1(+) cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup applesauce (the original recipe calls for oil. So I chose applesauce)
1/2 cup-3/4 cup coconut (I added coconut flakes but I put them in the magic bullet first so it's more like coconut powder. I'm not a fan of coconut chunks)

Mix dry ingredients and wet separately. Then mix all ingredients together really well.

I baked it at 300 for 7 minutes then stirred the granola. I did this 4 times. After the granola cooled I added semi-sweet chocolate chips (only because I didn't have mini ones)

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

Okay, so I don't think I'll ever go back to Bisquick again ... these pancakes are so heavenly!!

*Makes 10 cups of dry mix

3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I've never had to add additional oil). Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk will also work), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don't break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side. As a sidenote, buttermilk can be frozen indefinitely for future batches of pancakes, so it's worth keeping it around!

*1 cup of mix will make about 6-7 4-inch pancakes.

Recipe Source: Adapted from King Arthur Flour The Baker's Companion, courtesy of mykitchencafe.blogspot.com