The sugar highs have calmed down but you still have heaps of soon-to-turn-soggy pumpkin seeds lying around the kitchen in forgotten bowls.  Cut your candy cravings by baking up some crunchy homemade granola flecked with these autumnal bites.  Pumpkins seeds are rich in iron, protein, Omega 3 and 6 fats, magnesium, manganese, as well as phytosterols (which help reduce cholesterol). 

I find that the best granolas are the ad hoc type—drop in whatever you have lying around.  To accompany my jack-o-lantern innards I used rolled oats, sliced almonds, whole-grain amaranth, cinnamon, and salt.  I put everything on a sheet pan, popped it into a 350˚ oven for about 20 minutes (stirring a few times). Then, shut off the heat and let the pan sit in the cooling oven for another ten minutes. 

Coconut, sesame seeds, dried fruits, and other varieties of nuts are some other tasty homemade granola add-on ideas.  

Happy November!