Dried Cherry and Maple Granola!

It's been a long couple of weeks here at the Perkins' household.....If you've read some of my previous posts, you know that we've been helping to care for my aging step-mom since my father passed last August. She's been on a roller-coaster ride, health-wise - good weeks, bad weeks, a tiny stroke, a fall, etc. Because of her many health issues, she decided to enter an assisted living facility for a month where she could get some steady rehab. She wasn't even there a day before I got a call at work that they were rushing her to the ER. After a staggering amount of tests and x-rays, the doctor pulled us aside and delicately explained that "Grandma Jo" was suffering from multiple organ failure. By the weekend, we had Jo in hospice and on Monday, Jo happily joined my dad in heaven. We're grateful that she's finally at peace, but we will sorely miss the part she (and my father) played in our lives. Now Dave and I are the "old folks" in the family!

Needless to say, I've gotten very little baking done in the past couple of weeks  - we've been doing a lot of "grab-n-go" eating. Understandably, Dave and I have missed our simple home-cooked (and baked!) meals. So this past Tuesday, before we took off running, I grabbed my EZ DOH and whipped up some home-made granola! Oh my........It was quick, it was easy, it was crunchy and it was SOOOOOO tasty!!  Even Dave, who is not into more "natural" foods, loved this recipe. I'm thinking you'll love it too! ENJOY!! 

Dried Cherry and Maple Granola   

3 Cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 Cup flaked coconut

1 Cup chopped pecans

¼ Cup toasted wheat germ

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 teaspoon coarse salt

½ Cup maple syrup

1 large or extra-large egg white

1 Cup dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 300. Place first seven ingredients in the EZ DOH bucket and turn handle until everything is thoroughly combined. In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy, then add to the mixture. Turn EZ DOH handle until everything is again, thoroughly combined. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Pour granola onto the parchment, spread evenly. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Halfway thru baking, use a large spatula to carefully turn the granola, being careful not to break up the clusters. When lightly browned, remove the pan from the oven and cool on a baking rack. When cool, add the dried fruit. ENJOY!!!

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen - “Big Cluster Maple Granola” by Deb Perelman 

Dried Cherry and Maple Granola!