Nourishing Traditions Granola

My brother uses the description, "crunchy granola" to describe the type of person who is overly health conscious or the vegan/vegetarian type. Something like this youtube girl with a channel named: Raw Alignment

Granola however, is not really a health food. It is mostly loaded in sugar and fat. I can't claim my version is really a healthy, but its better than most granola you can purchase. It's a great topping for some unsweetened raw yogurt that is truly a health food, and mixed with some milk it makes for a delicious breakfast high in carbs and protein. Great for a morning workout.

Ingredients

• 8 cups organic rolled oats
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed is best)
• 1/4 cup whey (from the top of plain yogurt)
• 1 Tbs spelt flour
• 1 stick butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cane sugar or rapadura

Mix first 5 ingredients and let sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours. This soaking process allows for the phytic acids that naturally occur in grains to break down. When grains are not soaked the phytic acid binds to minerals in the gastrointestinal tract and can not be absorbed in the intestine and to many bound minerals can lead to mineral deficiencies.

Melt butter and mix in sugar, maple, and vanilla. Toss over oat mixture breaking up any lumps. Spread in layers and bake in a warm oven around 200 degrees. Stir every few hours. This can also be dried in a dehydrator. Drying time varies, usually around 6-8 hours.