Rio Grande Granola

Recipe by Deirdre Imus, The Imus Ranch: Cooking for Kids and Cowboys
Everybody at the Ranch loves this granola. It has a slightly chewy texture, a fragrant spicy taste, and just the right amount of sweetness.  Before baking, the mixture is somewhat sticky, so use a big wooden spoon to stir it. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2     Cups rolled oats
1/4  Cup raw unrefined sugar
1/4  Cup raisins
1/4  Cup toasted almonds
1/4  Cup sliced dehydrated banana (optional)
1     Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/8  Teaspoon ground ginger
1/4  Cup safflower oil
1     To 2 tablespoons honey
1/2  Teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking time: 30-35 minutes

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the oats, sugar, raisins, almonds, banana, cinnamon, and ginger in a large mixing bowl, stir until blended.
In a seperate bowl stir together the oil, honey, and vanilla. 

Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Spread the mixture in a thin even layer on a large baking sheet and bake 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned, stirring it twice and then patting down with a spatula.

Scrape the granola onto a clean baking sheet and set aside to cool.

Makes six 1/2 cup servings

Reprinted with permission from the National Bestseller, The Imus Ranch:  Cooking for Kids and Cowboys by Deirdre Imus. Published by Rodale, Inc.