Granola is a sweet, satisfying way to start your day.  Store-bought granola is dandy, and we offer quite a few varieties that are sure to please. However, if you’re jonesing for something a bit different, why not try making you own?

A good homemade granola has several components: an oat mixture, a glaze and mix-ins. Once you get these areas down pat, it’s simple to build the cereal of your dreams

The Oat Mixture

The base of most granolas is a mixture of oats, coconut and other grains. One batch of granola requires about 5 cups of these ingredients, about 4 cups of which should be old-fashioned rolled oats. The remaining cup can be a mixture of shredded coconut and a finer grain, such as oat bran or toasted wheat germ. For best results, use an unsweetened shredded coconut. Stir the oat mixture together in a large bowl and set it aside while you prepare the glaze.

The Glaze

After mixing up the oat mixture, you’ll need to prepare a glaze for the granola. This sticky mixture lightly flavors the homemade granola while also allowing it to toast up to a nice, crunchy texture in the oven. The base of any glaze should be ¼ cup of light brown sugar and about 1 tsp. of good-quality ground cinnamon. This will give the glaze the rich, spicy flavor notes that go so well with dried fruit and nuts. Dump the sugar and cinnamon in a small saucepan and add ¼ cup of a neutral-tasting oil such as vegetable or canola. Stir in ¼ cup of real maple syrup or honey. Cook the glaze over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it boils and foams up in the saucepan. Remove it from the heat and add 1 to 2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract.

Pour the glaze over the oat mixture and stir until everything is evenly coated. Spread the granola in an even layer on a cookie sheet and bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes, stirring it every five minutes. The homemade granola will be golden brown, but still a bit soft when it’s finished baking. It will firm up as it cools. Transfer the granola to an open container and let it cool completely, stirring it occasionally to break up clumps.

The Mix-Ins

Once the granola has cooled, it’s time for the fun part! Customize your homemade granola by mixing about 2 cups of your favorite dried fruit and nuts into the cereal. For example, you could make a high-antioxidant cereal by adding walnuts and dried blueberries. Stir in sliced natural almonds and unsweetened dried banana chips to create a high-energy snack for after workouts. Freeze-dried fruit pairs well with the toasted oat mixture to make a delightfully crunchy, light treat that’s good on the go.

The most important rule about choosing granola mix-ins is that there are no rules! Experiment with different flavor combinations and chow down on that homemade healthy goodness.

Browse NutsOnline’s selection of nuts here and dried fruit here.

Candy buffets are quickly becoming all the rage at wedding receptions, and we can see why. What could be more fun than providing your guests with a sweet take-home treat to remember your special day by?

Setting up a candy buffet is simple and, in most cases, fairly economical. The base of the buffet should be a big table, along with some boxes of various sizes to give the buffet visual height. Arrange the boxes on the table, then drape a large, neutral-colored tablecloth over the whole thing. Place a clear, attractive vase on top of each box and fill the vases with different varieties of treats. Make sure to provide scoops or tongs for each vase to allow guests to select their candies in a sanitary way. Stack some personalized bags or containers at one end of the buffet that guests can fill and keep as souvenirs.

When it comes to candy buffets, buying big is key. It’s safe to estimate that you’ll need a minimum of one-fourth to one-half of a pound of candy for each guest in attendance at the reception. Another way to determine the amount of candy you’ll need is to purchase the take-home containers first, figure out the number of ounces they hold and buy enough candy to completely fill each of them. To create the most eye-catching candy buffet, offer five to 10 different varieties of treats. Popular choices include Jordan Almonds, jelly beans, mint lentils, and more.

That may sound like a lot of sugar, and it probably is more candy than most guests are likely to take. Keep in mind that, visually speaking, the display will look far more attractive if some candy remains in the containers throughout the evening. It’s better to have leftover sweets than not enough for each guest to take his or her share.

Candy buffets are great additions to wedding receptions because they are so easy to personalize. For example, the bride and groom can set up a retro-style display of items that were their childhood favorites, such as candy necklaces, gummy bears, and lollipops. It’s simple to create an elegant buffet by choosing sweets that match the wedding colors and adding an arrangement of coordinating flowers to the table. The candy buffet can even reflect the location of the wedding; for example, a couple getting married at the seashore might choose items like saltwater taffy, and colorful rock candy.

Not a huge fan of sugary sweets? No problem! Savory items complement most candies well and are a great addition to any candy buffet (particularly one that contains a fair amount of chocolate). Try tamari almonds, macadamia nuts, and wasabi cashews, for example. You can also mix the sweet and savory with items like chocolate-covered espresso beans.

If you are going to include nuts on your candy buffet, be mindful of guests who may have severe allergies. Keep the nuts and candies, along with their serving utensils, in separate vases at all times, and label them with place cards, either placed in front of each vase or clipped to the top of each container.

The containers that the guests will take home should really reflect the personal nature of the event. Have fun with them! Some ideas include purchasing Chinese-takeout-style boxes in the wedding colors, decorating clear party bags with monogrammed stickers or ordering inexpensive tins with the names of the bride and groom and the wedding date printed on them.

At the end of the day, a candy buffet is more than just a way to appease reception guests with a sweet tooth. It can also serve as a striking centerpiece in any party hall. A well-done, creative candy buffet will draw quite a bit of attention both as a decor element and as a fun, hands-on experience.

Browse NutsOnline’s wide selection of wedding candy.