Coconut Craisin Granola

I love making my own granola. For starters, granola is a really filling breakfast. This is helpful in preventing me from lashing out at my coworkers in 11 am meetings because I am blinded by hunger. This particular granola is a favorite of mine because I absolutely love coconut and the lightly toasted coconut in this granola is heavenly. Also, the craisins add a slight sweetness and a nice texture. The pecans have a fantastic crunch and smooth inside. They also add to the heartiness of this breakfast. When you buy granola in a box, it is usually very unhealthy, but not so with this version. You control the amount of oil and sugar that you need to toast everything up and keep it sweet. I eat my granola with plain yogurt because I am strange and I love plain yogurt. It would also be delicious with vanilla or with milk. You can certainly play around with the nuts, dried fruits, and other additions, but this one is my tried and true version that I always come back to, even after I've dated other granolas.
Coconut Craisin Granola
Ingredients:
4 cups Rolled Oats (not Instant Oats...sorry)
2 cups coconut flakes
2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. coarse salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup craisins

1. Mix oats and coconut together in a large bowl.
2. Add chopped pecans. If your pecans aren't chopped into small enough pieces, give them a bash in their bag to break them up or chop them finer.
3. Add brown sugar and salt and distribute it evenly throughout the mixture for an even sweetness. Make sure that you thoroughly mix it to avoid big lump of brown sugar in your granola.
4. Add oil and mix with your hands to combine it thoroughly. You want the granola to be very lightly coated but "wet" by any means.
5. Spray a large baking sheet with baking spray and spread granola out evenly over the sheet.
6. Bake the granola at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes until it starts to make your kitchen smell really good. You will need to take out your granola every 10-15 minutes or so and mix it with a spatula. Shake it around good for even browning throughout.
7. When you have your granola at your desired level of crispiness, remove it from the oven and allow to cool.
8. Once it has cooled down a bit, pour it into a large bowl, add the craisins and mix them thoroughly.
9. I store my granola in a large freezer bag on my counter until I am ready to eat it.
It doesn't last me very long!