Roll Your Own Folks

I'm turning into a bulk foods fanatic. My favorite joint is the bulk room at the local coop. Been making granola lately... I got to wondering about the relative cost, benefits, etc. I have a castoff postal scale (a treasure), so I made use of it. Here are the details of one batch - the weights measured in my kitchen, the cost per lb from kept receipts from the coop.

Ingredient net oz per lb cost
1 cup coconut 2.50 $2.25 $0.35
4 cups rolled oats 12.00 0.95 0.71
1 cup sunflower seeds 4.50 1.49 0.42
1 cup wheat bran 1.50 0.65 0.06
¼ cup sesame seeds 1.00 2.49 0.16
1 cup peanuts 5.00 2.39 0.75
1 cup honey 10.50 2.39 1.57
½ cup canola oil 3.25 2.89 0.59
1 Tbsp cinnamon ~0.25 ?? approx zero

TOTALS 40.25 net wt of batch $4.61 monetary cost of batch

MEANING: $0.11 per ounce
$1.83 per pound
Normal box of cereal ~$2-4 dollars per pound.


CONCLUSIONS:
(1) This stuff is all known to you, as far as ingredients are concerned.
(2) It tastes as good (IMO better) than any cereal you buy from the shelf.
(3) It's as good for you(or maybe better) than MOST cereals you buy from the shelf.
(4) You don't buy any containers with this stuff, nor do you cast any in the garbage.
(5) The monetary requirement is surely lower than any granola you'd buy from the shelf, and also lower than most "cereals" you'd purchase.
(6) It's very easy to make, and takes about 5-8 minutes prep and 20 minutes baking time.
(7) Making it is an enjoyable way to pass some time... also demonstrates for the kids that cereal does not in fact come from a box, bag or shelf.

These are some of the ingredients... all in reused containers. I'm becoming a container-hawk... the other day I walked into the joint with a big black suitcase full of containers... looked like I was about to rob someone but I only wanted some sugar and sesame seeds.

This is the mix after combining wet and dry ingredients, but before baking. Raisins (or anything else you have laying around) are not part of official recipe but can be tossed in at will. NOTE: raisins look like swollen wood ticks when you bake them. They do deflate though.

The only trouble here is that I can't keep the stuff stocked...