Sweet Potato Love and Home Grown Granola

Yes, yes, it is known: Annie loves sweet potatoes. And Granola. It might be a sin not to like the latter, being a rooted Californian from Santa Cruz to top it. Rooted: we have no clue when Grandma Joy's side of the family (Dake-Phares-Biggs) showed up in California (they popped out of the ground--like daisies!!)--and Grandma was the fishing, farming, composting, green-type. Grandpa Rex and the Williams-Kelly klan came over when he was in his teens from Wisconsin. Wisconsin is not remembered warmly. (Haha.) The Murray family is Texan. The Murray-Cheek-Ferrero-Rodgers side is Texan (isn't there some southern connection with Sweet Potatoes?). But Mom was born and raised in SoCal. And Mom and Dad (Mr. Arcata/Eureka) went to school at Humboldt (Big Trees and Hippies) and ate granola and yogurt. Then we were born. We being the siblings and I. Two down south, two up here in Santa Cruz. Granola and hippyish tendencies are in my blood. I can't help it. Potatoes. Hmm. I don't know where this obsession came from but they are tasty and cheap. So what happens when you take thrifty meal food (potatoes) and mix them with thoroughly ingrained tendencies (granola-making)?

Sweet Potato Granola!!
6 cups Oats of sorts
½ a large sweet potato, diced
2 cups almonds
½ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup wheat germ
2 T cinnamon
1 T ginger
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup applesauce
1 cup honey


325º For decreasing intervals of time (10, 8, 8, 6, 6, 5, 5, until it is done) , stirring/flipping the granola in between. 
I'd advise mixing the dry ingredients first. Measure the oil a liquid measuring cup large enough to accommodate close to a cup of honey on top of the oil. The oil can be swished around so that honey doesn't stick--which makes cleaning less of a hastle. Just plop the the applesauce directly onto the dry mixture. I'd err on the side of less in the spice department and more in the sweet potato--these are all estimations (I didn't measure the spices or the potato or the applesauce, I just threw it in). But it is so tasty. The applesauce makes for a chewier granola, so if you want more crisp, I'd cut down on it, or maybe just cook it longer. Mmmmmm . . .