DIY: Homemade Granola
In the heat of summer, one of our favorite breakfast items is our homemade granola with milk or our Fiesta Bowl which includes granola with fresh fruit and yogurt. Granola makes a nice light breakfast when you are short on time or looking for a healthy start to the day. Here is one of our favorite homemade granola recipes. It is a great item to have on hand in the pantry when you don’t have time to join us at The Original Pancake House for breakfast out in Denver!
Homemade Granola
Ingredients
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup good honey
1 ½ cups small diced dried apricots
1 cup small diced dried figs
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Toss the oats, coconut, and almonds together in a large bowl. Whisk together the oil and honey in a small bowl. Pour the liquids over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated. Pour onto a large cookie sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even, golden brown, about 45 minutes.
Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Add the apricots, figs, cherries, cranberries, and cashews. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.
We like to get the kids involved when we make this recipe; everyone enjoys stirring the granola and licking sweet and sticky oats off their fingers! From all your friends at The Original Pancake House, have a wonderful summer!
Top 5 Reasons to Take Your Family Out to Breakfast
Aside from being the most important meal of the day, breakfast with the family has many other important benefits for you and the kids. Here are our top five reasons to take your family out to breakfast in Denver.
- Time to talk.
Family meals give children and their parents time to focus on one another, talk about their days, and bond as a family. Further, studies show that family meals give children an opportunity to have conversations with adults, as well as to pick up on how adults are using words with each other, which may explain why family meals can help build a child's vocabulary.
- Expose kids to new foods.
Eating out together can be the perfect time to introduce new foods and expand your kids’ palates. After all, who can resist a delightfully fluffy omelet filled with garden veggies or a golden waffle topped with fresh berries? You might be surprised to find fruits and vegetables go right down the hatch when presented in a new way.
- Someone else does the work.
There are so many rewards of going out to breakfast! No last minute trips to the grocery store, no scrambling to get a healthy and filling meal prepared for starving tots, and no dishes! Let us do the hard work while you enjoy time with your family.
- Reduce stress.
Sharing a meal can help reduce stress by giving you a few moments to slow down and enjoy the coffee. When your hardest choice is between crepes and pancakes, you can really relax and enjoy a few moments of downtime.
- Treat yourself!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and The Original Pancake House has a plethora of scrumptious choices to delight your taste buds. We guarantee a hearty plate of Bacon and Eggs or a Dutch Baby will brighten your day so don’t be afraid to treat yourself!
We hope you have the opportunity to enjoy a special breakfast meal with your family in the near future. We will be happy to host and let you sit back, relax, and enjoy bonding with your kids. Stop in and see us at The Original Pancake House sometime soon!