Happy weekend! It’s felt like the weekend here for a few days, honestly, with family in town and a bonus baby in the house (my nephew!) and the kind of lazy schedule that made me feel accomplished the day we all got out on our bikes/scooters/strollers and rode two whole blocks.  (Not impressed?  You try getting out of the house with four kids when the oldest is five.)

And now we get to cap that off with the real weekend.  I, for one, am celebrating with one more foray in my effort to become the web’s preeminent source of granola recipes.  (Ok, not really, but there are a lot of granola recipes on this website: that deliciously sugary olive oil granola, Heidi Swanson’s delicate and buttery granola with orange zest, currants, and walnuts, an oil-free crunchy hippie orange and almond granola, and my old standby with dried cherries).  And now, maybe, my new standby–this weekend, anyway–a nearly equal proportion of oats to seeds and nuts, maple syrup and olive oil for sweet and crunch, and a serious spoonful of salt that makes it all just right.

This recipe roughly follows the Seattle-based Marge Granola formula as it appeared on The Kitchn’s website, so if you lack the time or inclination to make your own granola you can just click that link above to order some seriously tasty granola from Megan (who also, by the way, writes the lovely blog A Sweet Spoonful–see you over there!).  But I imagine that if you are reading this blog you are, or aspire to be, a granola-making type, so let’s do it.  Maple Granola with Almonds and Coconut: In a large bowl (I use a big pot, actually), combine 6 c. rolled oats, 2 c. sliced almonds, 2 c. pepitas, 1 c. sunflower seeds, 1/2 c. sesame seeds, 1 Tb. kosher salt, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon and 1 tsp. ground cardamom.  Stir well.  Add 1 c. olive oil, 1 c. maple syrup, and 2-3 tsp. vanilla and stir again, mixing thoroughly to make sure that the dry ingredients are thoroughly coated.  Spread granola across two big rimmed baking sheets and bake in the top and bottom thirds of the oven at 350 degrees, stirring and switching the trays every 10-15 minutes.  Add 1-2 c. large coconut flakes or ribbons after 30 minutes.  Bake 40-45 mins. in all, until the granola is toasty brown.  Allow to cool completely, then store in an air-tight container.

Note: I am cooking for a full house so, as usual, I made a big batch and ended up with just over a gallon of granola.  You can halve the recipe if you must, but why not make it all and freeze half?