How I Make Granola

I love cooking and making my own food, it is so satisfying to me. I make just about anything home made. My husband loves my cooking and every day is a new experience eating in our home. I also take great pride in how the finished product looks and tastes.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Cooking healthy and using the Watkins products that I love make all the difference to me. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 c rolled oats
1 c wheat germ
1/2 c flax seed meal
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c raw sunflower seeds
1/2 c chopped pecans
1/2 c sliced almonds
1 tsp Watkins Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp Watkins Sea Salt
1/3 c Watkins Original Grapeseed Oil
1/4 c honey
1 tsp Watkins Vanilla extract
1/2 c water

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, wheat germ, flax seed meal, brown sugar, sunflower seeds, pecans, almonds, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, vanilla and water. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, and mix until evenly blended. Spread in a greased 9x13 baking pan or roaster.
3. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, stirring every 20 minutes, or until toasted. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

One Year

One year ago, September 9th I found out I had cancer. My life flashed before my eyes, remembering my life, the good and bad. Why me? I have always tried to live healthy and not put my body in danger. What have I done wrong to deserve this?
For 2 months I went through test after test, fatigue racking my body and trying to live a somewhat normal life. Most of the tests did not hurt, but some really did. I was scanned by every imaginable type of scan, needles inserted trying to do biopsies, blood tests, etc. People kept asking my why it was taking so long. I was becoming immensely stressed until one day I could not take much more.
I decided then to turn my life completely over to God. Sure I am a believer and thought I knew I needed to pray. What I didn't know is how to turn my worries and troubles over to God. I was at a very low point at the moment I cried out to God to take over my life completely. I told him I would trust him in everything. If I wasn't going to live then I knew it was his will. I was ready for that. I succumbed to totally releasing all my troubles and a weight came off my shoulders. I no longer feared the outcome. Sure I wanted to live and I wanted to be healthy again. I wanted to see my grandchildren grow up and know that my son was going to be OK. At that moment that I broke down, turning over everything I knew in my heart that I was going to be okay, whether it meant I was not going to get better or I was going to be whole again.
After that day I never feared any of the tests or diagnosis that the doctors were telling me. I had times of good news and then the next visit was the complete opposite, but I never ever gave up believing that no matter what that God was in control. I never let fear creep in again, not even on the day that I went in for surgery on November 17, 2009. The doctors still had not come to any conclusion how this was going to turn out until they did the surgery, either it was going to be removable or if not they would close me back up and give me a 12% chance of living.
My surgery was 5 hours long, I remember waking up with 5 doctors looking down at me to see if I was going to come out of it or not. The surgeon told me how long it took and they got it all. I know I smiled but not once did I doubt that I wasn't going to be OK. I praised God for all of his glory.
After a 6 week recovery period at home and scans every 4 months since then I have been doing great. I take an injection every 3 weeks that prevents new cancer cells from growing, which is a small price to pay for life.
My last visit to Iowa City they said I didn't have to go back for 6 months for my next scans. I am feeling like a new person today, loving and living life to the fullest. Each day and moment I am thankful for, never taking life for granted again. Praise be to God.