Coconut Ginger Granola

So while posting recipes let's catch up a little.  How have you been?  What have you been up to?  Life is, and has been, crazy for me.  We now live in Casper, Wyoming.  We have been here for over a year now.  It's windy here...ALL THE TIME!  I'm not a fan of the wind, in fact we have a hate-hate relationship.  My in-laws are also living with us now.  It's a struggle having more than just my little family living in my house.  How do I deal?  I cook, I eat, I stress out way more than I should, at least my hubby thinks so.  But no matter way, life still goes on, amazingly enough.  I'm also a full-time student online right now.  Only 2 more semester left until I have completed my teaching degree...FINALLY!

So onto the new recipe.  I decided to make a granola as my first recipe back in over a year.  It sounded so good it had to be done.  I have a cookbook called Mom's Big Book of Baking and I was looking through it one morning trying to find something to make for breakfast that hadn't been made in the last two weeks when I came across a section of granola recipes.  Later in the day I looked through all the different types of granola she had listed and parts of some sounded really good so I decided to come up with my own recipe based off of hers in the book.

Coconut Ginger Granola

adapted from: Mom's Big Book of Baking

Ingredients

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 cup chopped cashews

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1/3 cup honey

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped dried apricots

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  

2. Mix the oats, ginger, cashews, coconut flakes, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl.  Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.  

3. Spread the granola evenly over the baking sheet and bake, tossing twice, until golden, about 15 minutes.  Check frequently during the last few minutes to make sure that the granola does not burn.

4. Remove the pan from the oven and let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet placed on a wire rack.  Transfer the granola to an airtight container, stir in the apricots and cover.  Store at room temperature.