Cherry, Almond, & Cinnamon deliciousness!

I am HOOKED on the food network channel.  Mainly because I am bored out of my skull with the same ole' same ole' recipes.  So I was trying to come up with a treat box for my brother Noel over the holidays.  He is a hard one to cook/bake for, because he is an amazing chef, so I always think everything he makes is the BEST(because it really is!)  Anyhow, I was watching one of my favorite chefs Ina Garten(Barefoot Contessa,) and she was putting together a lovely holiday basket for her friends.  Well, I absolutely love homemade granola and have been making it for us for years and years.  She was making one that I'd never tried, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.  It was amazing, so delicious.  I sent a huge tin off to Noel, and made some for my family for Christmas.  Needless to say, it was a hit!  Since Christmas I have probably made 5 batches.  The kids keep calling it Christmas granola =)  Which it will probably be, I think it would be a fun treat to make my family each year. The kids, Shane, & I gobble it up weekly.  It's so good by itself for a snack, on yogurt, or vanilla ice cream, or even mixed with plain cereal like cheerios.  I've had a few people ask me for the recipe so I thought this would be an easy way to share it.  Hope you love it as much as we do.  Here's to healthy snacking!  By the way, you can mix things up once you have a good base for granola.  I have added dried mountain blueberries, or cranberries too.

Cherry, Almond, & Cinnamon Granola~
Ingredients
4 C old fashioned rolled oats
2 C sweetened, shredded coconut
2 C sliced almonds
1 1/2 C dried cherries, chopped
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C honey
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
 
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toss oats, coconut, almonds, and cherries together in large bowl.  Pour vegetable oil and honey over oat mixture.  Add the cinnamon and stir until all of the oats and nuts are coated with the liquids.  Pour onto a sheet pan.  Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns to a nice, even golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
 
Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally.  Store the cooled granola in airtight container.
*Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa