Granola-Making Basics

Store-bought cereal is expensive and has all kinds of strange things in it, and oatmeal (porridge) can get a little tedious if I have it every day. When I wake up in the morning, I'm on a mission to get out the door really quickly, and so breakfast became less of a priority (I know, I know)...

Making granola is easy, cheap (ish) and good! I had never made granola until I borrowed King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking, which gave me enough inspiration to start making my own.

The thing is, you don't really need a recipe, you can get something great just by eyeballing a mixture of:
Oats-- steel cut oats is better
Some kind of nut
Some kind of fat, such as butter or canola oil
Some kind of sweetener-- such as honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar.
Dried fruit
Another seed or grain- such as flaxseed, sunflower seeds, or shredded coconut.

You'll want to toss the mixture so that oats gets a coating of the liquid mixtures.

You can either toast the granola at a low temperature (200F) for a long time (1.5 hours or more), or at a higher temperature (350F) for a shorter time. It’s a good idea to keep watch the first time you try it.

What do you guys have for breakfast? Does anyone have something that they take with them to the office? I need inspiration!