My First Granola!

The cold I've been carrying around now for a week woke me up at 6:30am this past Sunday. Despite feeling kind of lousy, I was overcome with inspiration and made a tray of the Barefoot Contessa's granola. It has been a great snack to have in the house (and at work!) - great plain and extra good on vanilla yogurt. Plus, I didn't have to add nasty raisins or chocolate chips!


A little modified, here's the recipe:
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cups dried cherries, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the oats, coconut, and almonds together in a large bowl. Pour the vegetable oil and honey over the oat mixture. Add the cinnamon, and stir to coat. Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring once with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove the granola from the oven, add the cherries and allow to cool. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.