Time for Kids: Kids in the Kitchen... Granola! Yum!

Good morning! Have you had breakfast yet?

Last night, after a thunderstorm had finally cooled things down a bit, I was able to turn on the oven.... Yeah! : )

Although porridge is usually our breakfast of choice during the winter, granola is preferred during the summer months and I needed to make a new batch. This time I picked a kids' recipe from Time for Kids, KIDS IN THE KITCHEN Cookbook.

Apricot – Almond Bits 'n' Pieces Granola

2 3/4 cups regular oats

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1/3 cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup butter, melted

Combine liquid ingredients until well mixed.

Add to dry ingredients. Mix well.

Spread mix in a jelly-roll pan.

Bake for 15 minutes, stir, then bake for 10 more minutes.

Cool completely, stirring every so often.

Note: I didn't have dried cherries so I added in some coarsely chopped prunes. Don't over bake! The granola will continue to cook after it's out of 

the oven because of the heat of the fruit.

I'm thinking of picking up a copy of this book for a young man I know who's just learning to read. It would make a great birthday or Christmas gift for anyone in the 6-12 year old age group.

As a teacher, I learned that being exposed to (and reading) as many non-fiction as fiction books is important for young readers if they're to develop good reading comprehension skills. Cookbooks are an excellent start. In fact, two of my three kids started reading early partially because of cookbooks. Nothing like food for motivation! Cooking together is also a great bonding experience for parents and children. Great talks happen in the kitchen. : )

If you search for this book on Amazon, click on the picture to see the index of recipes, today's recipe and another one for Maple-Pecan Granola Crunch.

Happy weekend!

Maggie