O-dinary to Extr-O-dinary

When your roommate says to you, “Hey [your name here], I don’t like this cereal…do you want it?”
You, obviously, say, “Sure,” because who passes up free food?* And then, well, if you were a normal person, you’d pour a big bowl of it and eat it happily doused in almond milk and perhaps a sprinkle of cinnamon.
*And if you do, well, please contact me so we can have a little life lesson on frugality and common sense.
But if you are NOT a normal person…well, your eyes pass over an abandoned bottle of orange juice in the fridge, the synapses connect…

….and you use the whole situation as an opportunity to let your culinary imagination run wild.

Because why have ordinary cereal…when it could be extraordinary?
(And perhaps mysteriously end up shaped like little voodoo dolls.)

To make this “alternative granola” (alternola?), you’ll first mix together the OJ, flax seed, and two of my favorite spices: cinnamon and cardamom.

You are sort of creating an orange flax ‘egg’ of sorts. Not as cool as if you had an orange chicken egg, though. [And I don't mean one you dyed on Easter.]
In a large bowl, combine six cups of cereal with whatever mix-ins your little heart desires. As I have an assortment of bulk bin buys that take up unnecessary space in my pantry, I just grabbed the first three things I saw.
OK, that was just a flat out lie. I’m sorry to do that to you. [The mix-ins will now hide themselves in shame for a moment.]
In reality, I chose cranberries because cranberries and orange are a seemingly natural pairing.* Almonds were included because they had been in the freezer the longest and were already slivered. The coconut? Well, I’m obsessed with coconut lately.
*Or so overused as to seem natural.[And also it meant I got to call the whole thing Spiced Cranberry Almond Orange Coc-Os...which was exciting, even if it IS the longest name ever.]
After mixing everything together, I was pretty sure I’d failed. You’ll think you’ve failed, too.
But unlike a poor paternal influence who constantly beats you down to the point of depression, I have good news and hope for you!
Even though the cereal might seem a bit mushy, and you’re sure you are going to have an oversoaked-bowl-of-milky-porridge situation on your hands…as long as you get the pan quickly into the oven, you’ll end up with a crispy, delicious treat.Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, stopping every 10-15 minutes to stir it up.
Once it’s golden brown, and pretty toasty, you’ll want to take it out of the oven. As it cools it will crisp up a little bit more.
How you choose to use this extr-O-dinary concoction is up to you. As per usual, my natural inclination was just to use it like the alternola it is and pour it on to yogurt.But Goldie got jealous…so I took some in to work for a snack.And then I thought…something so fun should be shared! So I mailed some off to my blogger pen pal, an exchange arranged by the lovely Lean Green Bean, Lindsay.
Cereal? Snackable? However you look at it…these are o-trageously wonderful.

Spiced Orange Cranberry Almond Coc-Os
(or something easier to say that I haven’t thought of)

6 cups whole grain Os cereal
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine cereal, cranberries, coconut, and almonds.
2. Measure 3/4 cup orange juice into a measuring cup. Whisk in ground flax and spices.
3. Pour spiced orange juice over dry ingredients and stir well, working quickly to coat.
4. Spread cereal mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet and put into a 350 degree oven.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until toasted.