MUESLI ~ MY VERSION

Good Morning to you,

I have been doing a lot of baking, cooking and steaming lately, so today, I thought I would make something which requires no cooking at all..... well just a little toasting..... and a little chopping, which is not very hard work, is it.

Do you have a favourite breakfast, which you enjoy during the summer, but find, when the winter arrives, that lovely summer breakfast will just not do, because the weather is so much colder.

During the summer months, I enjoy eating a breakfast of,  thick Greek yoghurt, with a tablespoon of walnuts and a drizzle of honey..... just perfect.... I picked up that lovely habit whilst living in Cyprus, but during the winter months, I find, I need something a little more substantial, such as porridge, but  I don't want to eat the same breakfast day after day, so on other days I will eat a breakfast , chocka block with nuts, dried fruits and rolled oats..... and that breakfast is,

Muesli.  Visually it is lovely to look at, but I don't want to look at the Muesli, I want to eat it.

This is a breakfast which you can throw together easily, then all you have to do is find a Kilner jar or a Tupperware box to store your healthy breakfast and you are on your way to beginning your day, feeling very virtuous. 

The only thing  I need to tell you is,  you need to put a few tablespoons of Muesli in a bowl, pour over some milk and place the bowl in the fridge, the night before you are going to eat it..... but that doesn't take a lot of thinking about does it. If I want Muesli the following day, when I am making George's evening cup of mint tea and my cup of ginger tea, I organise the breakfast while I am waiting for the kettle to boil.  Then by the time the kettle has boiled, the job is done, and breakfast is ready and waiting the next morning.

So let us begin, it's on with the apron and the music I have chosen to listen to day is,

Doris Day, doesn't she have the most beautiful voice.  I love watching her in films as well, often if George is watching the sport on a Saturday afternoon, and there is a Doris Day film on the television, I will snuggle up on my sofa and watch it.  I love her in "Pillow Talk" and "Lover Come Back" and how about "Calamity Jane" when she sang "Secret Love".  When I was a teenager I remember Kathy Kirby singing "Secret Love", and it was a huge hit in the Hit Parade (old 1960's speak I'm afraid), it wasn't until much later, when I saw Doris Day in Calamity Jane that I heard Doris' version. At the moment Doris and I are singing Sentimental Journey, while I gather the ingredients we will need.

INGREDIENTS

500g Scottish Whole Rolled Porridge Oats

75g Oat bran

250g Tropical Fruit Mix

(mine included dried apricots, sultanas,

pineapple and papaya)

200g Brazil Nuts

100g prunes

2 tablespoons of cinnamon

To serve,

a few raspberries and blueberries

1 tablespoonful of  ground Flax seed

HOW TO MAKE
MUESLI

Place the rolled oats 

on a baking tray and

toast under the grill until browned.

Please don't walk away, as you will have to keep an eye

 on the oats,

because the lovely colour brown can

very quickly turn to black.

You will need to toss the oats

to make sure they are browned.

Allow to cool

While you are waiting for the oats to cool,

chop the Brazil nuts

then

chop the prunes

chop the dried fruits

Using a large bowl,

place the oats, chopped fruits and chopped prunes,

 into the bowl.

Add 

the Oat bran

and two tablespoons of cinnamon,

add the chopped Brazil nuts 

and

mix together

Now you are ready to find a bowl,

 place a couple of tablespoons of Muesli into the bowl,

 pour over some fresh milk, allow the oats to soak overnight to become soft and squishy.... that is a professional term.... 

only joking, as I know, that you know, that it isn't, but at the moment, I cannot think of a better word to describe the oats,

 when they have been soaked in milk.  

The next morning,

add

a tablespoonful of ground Flax seed,

(I use a coffee bean grinder to grind the Flax seed)

add a few raspberries and blueberries,

some more milk if you prefer,

and you have a very healthy breakfast.

I do ring the changes when  I make this Muesli, as  sometimes  I add chopped walnuts and other times I will add chopped almonds.  I will also change the fruits,  I will  add dried dates  and dried  apricots.  It really  depends on  what you fancy at the time.  I  have  also made  this  Muesli  with refined porridge oats, but always toasted.  Admittedly not as healthy as whole rolled oats, but they are still enjoyable.

I have to tell you, we had a sudden burst of sunshine when I was taking the photograph of the Flax seed, and as sunshine is so rare these days, I had to share it. I just love seeing the shadows which were created by the sunshine...... don't you.

Take care and I will see you on Sunday.