Yes, I am one of those. Nearly every time I go dove hunting, at least half of the times that I duck hunt, and definitely every single time I go deer hunting, I like to bring a little snack. The reason? My excuse is that sometimes I am just not quite sure how long exactly I will be out there. What if I sit for 3+ hours and see nothing, and then a monster buck walks out and I take a shot and he runs for a mile before going down and I have to spend an hour finding him, and then drag his heavy self out of there? Hmm? That could totally happen. In which case, I would need to boost my strength and energy in a caloric way beforehand. While that may seem more improbable than not, it helps ease my mind. Mostly, it’s because I can get a little bored when things are quite in the woods. My dad and I like to stop somewhere before we get to the property to grab some bottled water, perhaps a diet coke, and definitely a snack. Fortunately for him, dear Dad still has the metabolism of a high school kid who runs track, and often purchases a candy bar or Moon Pie. I am somewhat less fortunate. While I do my fair share of exercise and running, if I ate a Twix every time I hunted, my bikini-clad self during the summer would not be happy with my camo-clad self from hunting season. The best way to make sure that doesn’t happen? Whip up some easy, homemade snacks to bring along! It’s a great way to control what you’re eating, and definitely makes it easier on the wallet.
The first snack I tackled is super simple, and can be tweaked to suit your individual tastes- Homemade Granola! I know what you’re thinking… As John so affectionately said, “How granola of you to make your own granola.” Funny, funny! Well, maybe, but that didn’t stop everyone from snacking on it the entire weekend. Literally. There was enough left for me to have a bowl of it this morning in lieu of cereal, and that’s it. Take a bag of this energy-packed deliciousness with you on the hunt, enjoy the crunchy goodness while your lines are in the water, or enjoy a bowl with some cold milk before you venture out. You won’t regret it!
Homemade Granola
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup honey roasted peanuts
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup chopped cashews
1 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp butter
pinch of salt
Add-ins: craisins, chocolate chips, dried pineapple, dried apricots… Whatever your tastebuds desire!
STEPS:
1. Preheat oven to 325*. In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, coconut, and salt.
2. In a small pot, combine honey, butter, and vanilla. Stir until they are melted and combined. Or, take a lazy shortcut and put them in a microwave-safe measuring cup and nuke them until they are melted and combined. Not saying that’s what I did, but… you know…
3. Pour the melty goodness over your mixture, and combine, making sure everything is evenly coated.
4. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, spread the mixture into an even layer, and toss it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then toss the granola and put it back in the oven. Repeat this step 3 more times (for a total of 40 minutes in the oven), but during the final 10 minutes, toss the mixture 2-3 times. It should turn golden brown and crunchy in the meantime.
