I'm Having Travel Memories for Breakfast

Having muesli for breakfast transports me to Switzerland.  I'm recalling a warm, sunny, summer morning, in the backyard of a (very hospitable) Swiss home.  Shaded by the awning over the patio, and watching the hedgehogs scurry under the bushes.  Satiated for a drive later on through the alps.  Dreamy! (The photo below is actually of lunch, equally satiating and yummy, with oxtail soup and other delights.)

Granola takes me back to Germany.  A nice bowl in the morning with delicious fresh yogurt, and the sunlight streaming in the window of a 500-year-old building, along the bank of the Mosel river.

Cereal is my breakfast almost every morning.  For a while, I only made muesli, as it was fast and easy.  But now, most of the time, I make my own granola.  Both kinds of cereals bring back pleasant morning travel memories, and they also cut out a lot of the preservatives and sugars in so many store-bought cereals.

Here's how I make each cereal (all measures are just approximate; I never measure it).

Granola:
1/3 cup almond butter (If I'm running low, I supplement with some canola oil)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey

1/3 cup chopped raw almonds

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup raw pepitas

Cinnamon (apple pie spice mix also works well)

1 tsp vanilla

Dash of salt

3 cups old fashioned oatmeal

Raisins or dates, chopped

Mix almond butter, sweetener, vanilla, salt, and spices together.  Add in nuts.  Mix in oatmeal.  If mixture looks dry add a bit of oil.

Spread out on a baking sheet.  (Covered with parchment paper is helpful.). Bake at 350 F about 12-15 minutes.  Remove from oven, and sprinkle on dried fruit.  Let cool and store.  Enjoy with milk or yogurt, and fruit if desired.

This yields ~ 8 servings.

Muesli:

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ

2-3 cups quick oats

Dried fruit

1/4 cup brown sugar
Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and store tightly covered.