Homemade Granola ~ another nice kitchen gift

Yesterday I was making granola and got to thinking that it would be a nice Christmas gift from the kitchen.  One could package it in jars or tins and then put it in a nice fabric or paper gift bag.  Here is my basic granola recipe (which I keep tweaking):

HOMEMADE GRANOLA

4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup flaked coconut
2 cups crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup sunflower seeds or chopped almonds
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
Cinnamon to taste
Nutmeg to taste
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tblsp. water
2 tsp. vanilla
Raisins or dried cranberries to taste

Preheat oven to 300º. In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, cereal, seeds, nuts, dry milk and spices.

In another bowl or a large measuring cup, combine the oil, brown sugar, water, and vanilla and mix well. Pour over the dry mixture and stir to combine thoroughly.

Transfer the mixture to a greased 13x9-inch pan and bake at 300º for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Remove from oven; stir in raisins or cranberries, and let cool before storing. I store granola either in a plastic bag inside a recycled oatmeal canister, or in a large plastic container intended for cereal storage.  It also freezes well in zip-top plastic bags -- one batch will fit in a gallon size bag.

For Christmas, it would be pretty to use the dried cranberries and maybe use chopped pistachios for the nuts.  Hope your family enjoys this recipe if you try it!