Hippie Granola

Every time I come back to school from Portland, I try to take a little bit of home with me.

Last time I brought back my mother’s split pea soup recipe.

Yesterday I packed myself a Billy Collins book from Powell’s and a blueberry muffin from Dovetail bakery.

I’m already almost halfway through the book and the blueberry muffin lasted ten minutes at best – after that I had a little more trouble deciding what piece of the rose city to bring back with me (one that would last longer than a muffin).

But here’s my problem:  Portland is so many things.  How do I know which part I want to keep alive up here in Parkland

Is Portland more Mongolian grill or vegan bakery?

Is it more zombie walks or more nude bike rides?

Is it more hipster or hippie?

Let’s hold onto the hippie thing and leave the hipsters to the side for a while – or forever.

Hippies.  Tie-dye.  Granola.

Yes, granola.

Maple syrup, walnuts, oatmeal, craisins.  It doesn’t get more Portland than this.  Just make sure you buy the right yogurt to pair with the granola – unsweetened just doesn’t cut it.

One more thing – if you’re going to be a granola-eating hippie, you need to know how to make the peace sign:  it’s like this ☮ – if you leave out the middle line then you’re just making the mercedes logo, and that’s not very Portland.

MAPLE WALNUT GRANOLA

• 2 c. old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 c. ground flax seed
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. canola oil
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 c. chopped walnuts
• 3/4 c. craisins

Preheat your oven to 325°F.Combine the oats, flax, salt, and walnuts in a bowl.  In another bowl or measuring cup, mix the rest of the ingredients.  Add the wet to the dry and mix well.  Spread the mixture onto a 13×9 greased baking pan and bake for about 10 minutes.  Take it out and flip the granola.  Put it back in the oven for another ten minutes, or until the granola is the texture you want.

Add the craisins after it comes out of the oven, and serve it up over yogurt.

If you want, you can add different kinds of nuts, dried fruit, or if you want to get really hippie you could add in some chia seeds and hemp – not my thing, but to each his own.