muesli

I remember the magic of seeing my Mom sitting at the kitchen table, stirring chocolate chips into oats and honey.

I could hardly believe my good fortune. This granola – with chocolate chips – would become my breakfast the next day.

As a healthy little girl who could only dream about Fruit Loops and other cereals that listed sugar as a first or second ingredient, I was astonished.

I don’t remember my Mom making this granola very often, but, boy, did I long for it.

Now that I’m a bit older, my chocolate longings don’t kick in until about 1 o’clock in the afternoon. But my love of oats and honey for breakfast has stuck around and prompted me to create this muesli.

It’s full of goodness – oats and flax and seeds, but the nuts and dried fruit keep it interesting. And the honey gives me a sweeter disposition to face the day. (Or so I tell my husband.)

I call this a muesli because it’s softer than granola. Still with crispy bits, but not baked so crunchy that chewing it jars me awake.

As you’ll see by the number of parentheses in the recipe, almost everything is optional. Look in your cupboard for inspiration. As long as you keep the oats and honey, you’ll have muesli.

A note for gluten-free people:

This recipe will only work for you if you can tolerate oats. Make sure you find oats that were grown in an uncontaminated field and processed in an uncontaminated factory. My favourite oats come from Cream Hill Estates.

muesli

makes about 10 to 12 bowls of breakfast

3 c. rolled oats

1/4 c. rice germ (optional)

2/3 c. shredded or flaked coconut

2-3 tbsp. finely ground flax

2 tbsp. sesame seeds (optional)

1/4 tsp. salt

sprinkle of cardamom (or cinnamon)

1/2 c. nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts)

1/4 c. pumpkin seeds (optional)

1/2 c. raisins (or dried blueberries, cranberries, dates or prunes)

2/3 c. dried apple rings, diced (optional)

1/3 to 1/2 c. honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix oats, rice germ, coconut, flax, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, salt, and cardamom together. Pour onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

While this is baking, you can also roast the nuts and pumpkin seeds, if you like. Put them on a pie plate and slide them into the oven for 3 to 4 minutes – any longer, and they will burn.

Once the oat mixture and the nuts and pumpkin seeds are ready, mix everything together except the honey.

When it is all jumbled up, drizzle the honey on top. Stir every few drizzles until you get the consistency you like. (I like lots of small clumps with a few stray oats and raisins.)

Keeps in a sealed container for two weeks.

Serve with yogurt or milk.