From an early age, Grace Sellers enjoyed helping her mom in the kitchen.

Now a 16-year-old homeschooled student from Sellersburg, Grace follows more complicated recipes, such as Mexican Lasagna and Honey-Dill Salmon, and often submits her favorites to Electric Consumer for the food pages. Her first recipe published in Electric Consumer was for Honey Peanut Butter Balls four years ago. (Visit electricconsumer.org/honey-peanut-butter-balls to see her recipe.)

“I always like to share a recipe I think is really good with others,” Grace said.

One of her go-to snacks is granola (recipe printed to the right).  Her family, which includes her nine younger siblings, mix it with cereal, serve it with yogurt or frozen berries, or eat it plain.

Grace said she enjoys cooking because she can choose to include healthy ingredients like whole wheat, unrefined sugar and healthy fats — and avoid preservatives.

For a future career, Grace hopes to open her own restaurant and create its menu.

Grace’s Granola

5 cups rolled oats

¼ cup flour

¹/₃ cup oil

½ cup maple syrup or honey

¼ cup brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

¼ t. salt

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a large bowl, combine oats and flour. Mix well and set aside.

In a small saucepan on the stovetop, mix together the oil, maple syrup or honey, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Heat this mixture, while stirring often, until the brown sugar dissolves.

When the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour over the oats and flour mixture, while stirring, until the two mixtures are combined well.

Spread the uncooked granola on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, pull the cookie sheet out of the oven and gently stir the granola so that the edges do not get dark. After stirring, carefully return the granola to the oven and bake for five minutes longer.

After the additional five minutes, remove the cookie sheet and allow granola to cool completely. Once it is cool, store in a glass jar or other airtight container.