homemade Christmas granola

while on my quest to save money and be more thoughtful with gifts, i decided to make the usually gifts that neil and i love to give to our aunts, uncles, and cousins.  googling late into the night, i came across a blog called my.daily.randomness.  totally stole her idea, recipe, and labels. :)  and i sure am glad i did because everyone loved it!   look how adorable they turned out!

 i found the containers at joann fabrics.  they were on sale for $2 a piece plus i used a 20% coupon on the entire purchase.  (score)  the containers are actually for scrapbooking materials.  i found them in the ribbon cutting section on an end cap. 

i tweaked the recipe to my liking... the original called for flax seed (uh, what?), pumpkin seeds (no thanks.  only like those with a TON of salt), coconut (yuck), and raisins (seriously?  there are WAY better dried fruits out there).  here's my recipe:

mollie's homemade granola--makes approx. 6 cups
4 c. oats (not instant or quick cooking)
1 c. chopped walnuts (i put them in my food processor to make them fine)
1 c. slided almonds
3/4 c. maple syrup (dark)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. dried cherries
1/2 c. dried blueberries
preheat oven to 325.  combine oats and nuts in a large bowl.  combine syrup, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon then add to the oat mixture.  spread mixture on a baking sheet.  cook for 30-40 minutes (stir occasionally) depending on how crispy you want it.  stir in dried fruits.  store in an air-tight container.

this was my first time using pure maple syrup.  um, hello!!  i now realize why buddy the elf considered it one of the 5 major food groups.

to decorate the containers, i wrapped a pretty ribbon around the middle and secured it with hot glue.  then i hot glued the label to that and the directions to the top of the lid.  waa-laa!  click here to get the labels.