Cookish: What's for breakfast?

Homemade Granola
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups almonds (I used roasted and salted because that was what I had)
1 cup coconut (optional)
2 cups dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
1 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Heat oven to 325. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper

Whisk together first 4 ingredients, then add oil. Fold in oats, almonds, and coconut.

Press oat mixture into baking sheet until compacted. Bake 20 minutes, rotate, and bake 20-25 more, or until lightly browned. It will not seem completely set when you take it out, but after cooling on a rack for an hour, you will be able to break into chunks of desired size. Mix in fruit and chocolate when completely cool.

Cookish Blog: Meanwhile, Back in the kitchen

http://hcrecipes.blogspot.com/

Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen is a fun cooking blog. My latest find there: DELICIOUS hot cocoa. I, for one, love hot cocoa, but I never really make it from scratch. Or, I should say, I never used to. I think I am ruined for microwave cocoa forever.

Here you go:

"Hot Cocoa

1 serving

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch salt

1/3 cup wate

r2/3 cup milk

Mix cocoa, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan, slowly stir in water. Heat and stir over moderately low heat until mixture boils, then boil slowly, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add milk and heat to scalding [almost boiling] but do not boil."