Thursday 2 February 2012

Cereal Story

brcherbenner

This man is Doctor Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner. The  Swiss scientist who invented muesli.

We’re very fond of oat-based cereals, and eat lots of porridge through the winter months.

This week I got some oats in Lidl – at 39p for 500g it is cheaper than the other supermarkets at the moment. I mixed in some dried fruit and also some chopped nuts.

DSCF0006Bob had kindly shelled the remaining Christmas nuts the other evening whilst watching TV [I love this wooden bowl, a gift from Chris in Norfolk]

I added some desiccated coconut and also a spoonful of dried milk powder too. It has made a very acceptable muesli – and some mornings I also put in chopped fresh apple.

DSCF3256

I checked out the various muesli brands and the proportions of ingredients. It seems to be [by weight] quite variable.

cereals 70-50%

fruits 40-15%

nuts 10-5%

other stuff 10-5%

I did about 60% oats and then gauged the other ‘by eye’. I do not add extra sugar.

What is your favourite breakfast cereal?

Does anyone have a good recipe for home-made granola?

10 comments:

  1. Yes! Nigella's granola recipe (in Feast) is good, because the apple sauce means you don't need to use much oil. I usually leave out the raisins, though. http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/andys-fairfield-granola-138

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Liz- less oil more applesauce is a good idea!

      Delete
  2. I make Muesli on a regular basis and have done so for years - I used to have one of the big old fashioned Roses Glass Sweetie jars full of it (I used to make at least a couple of batches). The following recipe is a nice one - if you cannot afford some of the more luxury items, just use what you can afford - after all it is a very forgivin recipe and should be made to fit the purse and not the other way round.

    Hope it helps

    Pattypan

    x

    http://tarragonnthyme.blogspot.com/2011/02/granola.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. P.S. Oh I nearly forgot I also top my granola and muesli with a puddle of natural yogurt sprinkled liberally with toasted sesame seeds.

    Pattypan

    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I need to get some sesame seeds I think!

      Delete
  4. I make my own muesli too. I make a mix of 1lb fruit and 8 to 12oz seeds and nuts, then mix a measure of this with 2 measures of oats. I use whichever fruits, seeds and nuts are available at the best prices. I cut up larger fruits like dates with the kitchen scissors. We love it with soy milk and a banana or some thawed, frozen blueberries.

    ReplyDelete
  5. We love hm Museli too, my husband hates the banana slices you get in the shop ones. If I see the mixed fruits on offer I will use those for a change. They re in Lidl this week at £2.25 for a huge bag, they usually contain apple slices, apricots, prunes, figs and they are nice and soft. Whole nuts are quite expensive but mixed with a bag of chopped ones they give the nutty flavour without breaking the bank. Warm milk for DH and cold for me. I've not tried making Granola as we can buy J*rdans from our mill shop at 3 for £1 so I stock up when its in.

    Have a lovely day
    Karen x

    ReplyDelete
  6. How do they manage to make those banana slices so tough? I prefer cold milk with muesli- oats with hot milk is porridge, always.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I just finished up a bowl of oatmeal with walnuts, cooked apple, craisins and topped with brown sugar and milk. Yum.

    I do have a very good granola recipe. Just a minute and I'll get it.

    HOMEMADE GRANOLA CRUNCH

    4 c. oats
    1 c. flaked coconut
    1 c. chopped pecans (or walnuts)
    1/2 c unsalted sunflower seeds (or salted)
    1 c. raisins (or craisins)
    1/2 c. wheat germ
    1/2 c. brown sugar
    1 t. cinnamon
    1 t. salt
    1 t. vanilla
    1/2 c. veg oil
    1/2 c. water
    2 T honey
    1 c. chopped dates (I don't)

    Preheat oven to 300* F. Lightly grease cookie sheet or cake pan. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl, except fruit. Combine wet ingredients in separate bowl. Pour wet ingr. over dry ingr. and mix thoroughly. Bake for approx. 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes until golden brown. Add fruit during the last 15 minutes. (I add fruit AFTER the baking). Cool. Store in airtight container.

    This recipe is a family favorite. The stuff (in parentheses) are my additional comments.

    Jody

    ReplyDelete

Always glad to hear from you - thanks for stopping by!
I am blocking anonymous comments now, due to excessive spam!