Ingredients

• 2-1/2  cups rolled oats
• 1  cup flaked or shredded coconut
• 1/3  cup shelled sunflower seeds
• 1/4  cup sesame seed
• 1/4  cup margarine or butter
• 1/4  cup packed* brown sugar
• 1/4  cup honey
• 1-1/2  teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2  cup toasted wheat germ
• 1  cup raisins
•   Milk (optional)
•   Fresh strawberries, halved (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degree F. Lightly butter or grease the inside of a large roasting pan. Add oatmeal, coconut, sunflower seeds, and sesame seed; spread evenly. Bake for 20 minutes in a 300 degree F oven, stirring several times.

2. While the oatmeal mixture is baking, in a small saucepan add margarine or butter, brown sugar, and honey. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until margarine or butter is melted and mixture is combined. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

3. Using hot pads, remove roasting pan from the oven; place on a wire cooling rack. Increase oven temperature to 350 degree F. Add wheat germ to the oatmeal mixture. Pour warm brown sugar mixture over oatmeal mixture. With a fork or spatula, stir the oatmeal mixture until it is thoroughly coated with brown sugar mixture. Bake 5 minutes more. Remove pan from oven; place on a wire cooling rack.

4. Stir raisins into oatmeal mixture. With a spatula, firmly press down the granola in the pan, making an even layer. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until golden brown. Remove pan from oven and place on a wire cooking rack. With a spatula, remove the granola from the pan (mixture will be crumbly). Spread out the pieces on a large piece of foil. Cool completely.

5. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. For breakfast, serve granola with milk and strawberries. Or, eat granola by the handful as a snack. Makes about 7 cups (fourteen, 1/2-cup servings).

*Cook's Tip: Brown sugar sometimes clumps, so you need to measure it differently than other sugars. Pack it into the dry measuring cup with your fingers or the back of a spoon, pressing it down as you go. Add brown sugar until it is level with the top of the measuring cup. When you dump out the brown sugar, it should hold the cup's shape.

Nutrition information per 1/2-cup serving.