Cooking With Betsy--Pat's Granola Goop
if you don't know who Betsy is - click on The Office Tab The Office- read her story!
One of our favorite things made from Betsy is my Granola Goop. GOOP -- my official name for my special homemade granola mix. I can't think of a better name that describes it than Goop!
Ingredients --now these change often depending on the day and what I have around to add in. However, below is the base for the GOOP.
Kellogg's Old Fashion Oats - (don't skimp on generic)
Cinnamon
Jiff All Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (again don't skimp)
Vanilla (I prefer the nice pricey all natural but the other is fine if you have it)
Honey (Use the natural honey if you can get it) In the picture below we are using the cheap stuff cause these guys in the office eat it so fast and they don't seem to care)
Nestle's Dark Chocolate Chips
Again, you can add in nuts (chopped pecans or walnuts are delicious) I do that sometimes but some folks can't have nuts!
Coconut is really good mixed in as well. My co-worker's aren't much on coconut.
To make:
1. Line your cooking sheet (a big one) with a liner (pictured above)
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix in about 3 cups of the Old Fashion Oats (WAIT! ---make sure they are the Old Fashion - not the quick 1 minute kind)
3. Add in about 5 small sprinkles from the cinnamon bottle (This is how I cook - a sprinkle of this, a pinch of that, a dash of, a palm of....) But probably about a tablespoon for you OCD folks
4. A dash of vanilla (no more than 1 teaspoon)
5. Fold in (that really means add in slowly) 2-3 large helpings of peanut butter. that is ...About 1/2 cup or a tad more. You will know as you are mixing together. Start with the 1/2 cup. You don't want the peanut butter to overcast the oats. If that happens ---just add in a few more oats.
6. Sir together until mixed. Shouldn't be too wet with peanut butter. Again, you can always add a few more oats.
7. Add in 1/2 bag of the DARK (don't skimp on milk chocolate) choc chips. WHY? These have more anti-oxidants and they really do taste better.
8. Stir together.
HINT... as I tell my helper's that are watching me in the kitchen, "If it tastes good raw it tastes good cooked!"
9. Spoon it onto your liner of your cooking sheet - spreading it throughout the pan (look at picture above)
10. Put in oven and bake on 400 degrees until golden brown. Now that means, golden not burnt! About 12-15 minutes in Betsy depending on the size of the batch. After the goop sits it will turn into nice granola. That is if it makes it to then without someone eating it up. I put the leftovers in a Ziplock baggie. Boss loves the stuff the next day!
Goop is good just to eat by itself, but Today we made Goop Sundae's. Take a good size cup and put some Greek Vanilla or French-Vanilla yogurt, top with the goop mixture, sprinkle a few squirts of chocolate syrup on top and that makes a great healthy lunch meal. It is very filling and tastes so yummy!
if you don't know who Betsy is - click on The Office Tab The Office- read her story!
One of our favorite things made from Betsy is my Granola Goop. GOOP -- my official name for my special homemade granola mix. I can't think of a better name that describes it than Goop!
Ingredients --now these change often depending on the day and what I have around to add in. However, below is the base for the GOOP.
Kellogg's Old Fashion Oats - (don't skimp on generic)
Cinnamon
Jiff All Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (again don't skimp)
Vanilla (I prefer the nice pricey all natural but the other is fine if you have it)
Honey (Use the natural honey if you can get it) In the picture below we are using the cheap stuff cause these guys in the office eat it so fast and they don't seem to care)
Nestle's Dark Chocolate Chips
Again, you can add in nuts (chopped pecans or walnuts are delicious) I do that sometimes but some folks can't have nuts!
Coconut is really good mixed in as well. My co-worker's aren't much on coconut.
To make:
1. Line your cooking sheet (a big one) with a liner (pictured above)
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix in about 3 cups of the Old Fashion Oats (WAIT! ---make sure they are the Old Fashion - not the quick 1 minute kind)
3. Add in about 5 small sprinkles from the cinnamon bottle (This is how I cook - a sprinkle of this, a pinch of that, a dash of, a palm of....) But probably about a tablespoon for you OCD folks
4. A dash of vanilla (no more than 1 teaspoon)
5. Fold in (that really means add in slowly) 2-3 large helpings of peanut butter. that is ...About 1/2 cup or a tad more. You will know as you are mixing together. Start with the 1/2 cup. You don't want the peanut butter to overcast the oats. If that happens ---just add in a few more oats.
6. Sir together until mixed. Shouldn't be too wet with peanut butter. Again, you can always add a few more oats.
7. Add in 1/2 bag of the DARK (don't skimp on milk chocolate) choc chips. WHY? These have more anti-oxidants and they really do taste better.
8. Stir together.
HINT... as I tell my helper's that are watching me in the kitchen, "If it tastes good raw it tastes good cooked!"
9. Spoon it onto your liner of your cooking sheet - spreading it throughout the pan (look at picture above)
10. Put in oven and bake on 400 degrees until golden brown. Now that means, golden not burnt! About 12-15 minutes in Betsy depending on the size of the batch. After the goop sits it will turn into nice granola. That is if it makes it to then without someone eating it up. I put the leftovers in a Ziplock baggie. Boss loves the stuff the next day!
Goop is good just to eat by itself, but Today we made Goop Sundae's. Take a good size cup and put some Greek Vanilla or French-Vanilla yogurt, top with the goop mixture, sprinkle a few squirts of chocolate syrup on top and that makes a great healthy lunch meal. It is very filling and tastes so yummy!
