What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning. Here's Shelby from Bone, Mugs & Harmony.
Shelby first passed along this recipe with a caveat, "Isn't muesli kinda boring?" This version is far from boring, in fact, it's prepared in a manner I've never heard of or seen before. Find out more about Shelby's insanely good muesli!
Shelby's blog, Bone, Mugs & Harmony, is as humorous as it is heart–felt. In it she explores raising two kids, building a home from scratch with her husband and all the mischief her family gets into. Shelby's photographs are rich and gorgeous, she often shoots families and weddings, and these beauties are sprinkled throughout her personal posts. What I love is that among an array of Mom blogs out there, Shelby's voice just rings so real, radiant and joyful. She revels in her children's quirks and personalities, with such a celebratory attitude, it's infectious. One can't help but smile and laugh out loud reading this blog.
About this breakfast Shelby says:
I learned how to make muesli when I was working at a coffee shop in Bellingham, Washington, over 10 years ago. I committed the recipe to memory and have been making it ever since. Sometimes i make up a huge batch and stick it in the fridge and we eat it over the course of the week. Muesli is also popular with the young ones: my boys request it frequently and prefer it over pancakes. I once had a muesli brunch party and made several batches with different kinds of fruit and nuts—it was the ultimate breakfast dish and a little slice of raw food paradise.....
The muesli Shelby showed me was superb. It's based on loose–amounts of shredded apples, oats and coconut, then you can sweeten it and season it as you please. I love that the breakfast is raw. It feels very healthy without weighing you down. It's a great alternative to cooked oatmeal, even in these colder months because it satisfies and energizes in a similar way to cooked oats. Yet, it's different. And as a breakfast hound, I'm always looking to shake up my morning (and sometimes breakfast for dinner!) routine.
This muesli is very different than any I've had before in that it gets coarsely blended in a food processor. The feeling of the cereal is somewhat of a deconstructed, fruity oatmeal cookie crossed with a raw dessert. It's unique, nutritious, keeps well in the fridge (I've been eating my batch all week), and very tasty — really what more could you want? I've said goodbye to those dry, boring flakes of muesli that just seemed so uncooked and unexciting.
One last note, Shelby and I happen to both live in Portland, so we ended up making the breakfast and photographing the results together. I included an image of us and our set up (with a light box) to give you a little glimpse into our world. It's rare and fun that the blogger I get to interview lives around the corner from me!
Shelby's Shredded Apple Muesli
serves 4-6
2 granny smith apples, shredded
2 cups oats
1 or 2 fresh dates, chopped
1 cup coconut (we used the large, unsweetened variety)
cinnamon, to taste
freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
1 cup fresh, seasonal fruit (we used blueberries but you could substitute strawberries, figs or whatever you like, reserve a little fruit for topping off the bowls)
To serve:
1 handful of chopped nuts (reserving a few to sprinkle on top)
1 large container of yogurt (coconut and soy yogurt are delicious with this breakfast and make it vegan)
Shred apples in food processor, set aside. Place oats, dates, nuts (we used hazelnuts) and coconut into food processor and pulse about 3 times, until mixture is lightly chopped. Add shredded apples, spices and fresh fruit, pulsing the processor until mixture is roughly chopped. Taste and add a few more dates or a little more spice.
Place about 1/2 cup yogurt in each bowl, stir in about 1/2 cup muesli mixture, top off with a few chopped nuts and fresh fruit.
*Note, this muesli mixture keeps well in the fridge for up to four days, making it a perfect make–ahead breakfast for the work week. Shelby's kids love it too!
Thanks Shelby for contributing to our Breakfast with a Blogger series!
• Visit Shelby's Blog: Bone, Mugs & Harmony
• Visit Shelby's Blog Photography Site: Shelby Brakken
Related: Craving Muesli for Breakfast!
(Images: Leela Cyd Ross and Shelby Brakken)
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Blender? This recipe seems a bit high maintenance. I make this ahead (2-3 servings) with almond milk, maple syrup and toasted steel cut oats. Just pop it in a bowl in the morning and eat. I can nuke it if I want something hot. I play around with the spices, fruit and nuts in it, but most often use cinnamon, golden raisins, apples, and hazelnuts.
... and no food processor or clean up necessary. I mix the dry ingredients in an old 32 ounce yogurt container - with the lid on, I just rotate it several times. Then I incorporate the wet ingredients.
This is just what I'm looking for! Plus, it's a great way for me to take my food processor out for a whirl.
Look at those great lamps! Please tell me where I can get some. The muesli *may* inspire me to eat healthier... but lacking a food processor, I appreciate zaftigartist's comments.
Muesli has always felt a bit formidable to me for the mornings but this recipe actually speaks to me. Although I do bum a little about the *need* for a food processor.
i just wanted to mention, i used a mini food processor, similar to this one : http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-HC21K-One-Touch-Chopper/dp/B000NJBYWG/ref=sr_1_22?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1294765862&sr=1-22
for about 5 years before I took the plunge to the bigger, more expensive version. I found my mini (about 25 bucks) to be fine for most things and would definitely work in this situation. Just a suggestion!
that link looks terrible, sorry about that.
this should be easier to see what I'm talking about.
Mini Food Processor
finally -- here it is!
This is uncanny!!!! I just made my very first muesli. Now this gives me ideas...
Why are there golden raisins in the picture but not the recipe? Were they just sprinkled on top?
The oats are dry? Usually they're soaked in water or milk. Mistake in the instructions? Or is that really how it's made?
That is really how it's made -- the oats become moist with all the fresh fruit that gets processed in with them. The results are a tender appley-mush, then you add the yogurt or milk. Does that make sense?
yes, golden raisins just sprinkled on top, at the last minute. thanks for noticing that!
this sounds lovely, and we get to see the photographer in action, how cool!
I'm on my second batch of this, or at least a variation of this. I add the nuts to the mix in the processor and stir in lots of raisins instead of the dates. My first day eating it my reaction was "well, its not bad." But that day I discovered that a bowlful mixed with whole milk yogurt will keep me from feeling hungry for almost six hours. It's going to be a staple for me, I can tell.
I made this yesterday, sans blender, grating the apples and finely chopping some dates, raisins and pecans, and it came out beautifully! and really only took about 5 minutes to throw together. i love the texture, the flavor, everything. this is going to become a regular for me!!