First off… HaPPy SoLsTicE!
This month’s Monthly Mingle, hosted by it’s founder Meeta at What’s for Lunch Honey will have you pulling the grains, nuts and seeds from the recesses of your cabinets and freezers.
My muesli here, a recycled post from the winter will be new to most, as Chez Chloe only enjoyed the company of six followers back then, which included my parents, sister and husband.
I’m happy to see my photo skills have progressed since then and I’ve at least learned to turn off the overhead, fluorescent lights… when I remember.
O could live on muesli. I make 2 big jars about every 2-3 weeks depending on if I’m in low carb mode. We always have it with fresh seasonal fruit, occasionally with off season 20 cent a piece raspberries and usually with bananas that remain cheap year round. Why is that? Really somebody tell me. I prefer fruit on the bottom, then yogurt (which is gorgeous in Germany) topped with some muesli. O does fruit, muesli and milk in any sort of fashion. Right now we are loving the fresh berries and stone fruit.
What is the difference you ask between granola and meusli? Or maybe you didn’t because you already know or (gulp) don’t care….well I’ll tell you anyhow…or LiveStrong.com will. Basically, muesli is raw grains with no added fat, and granola is usually cooked with oil and honey, sometimes sugar, and is chunkier. We had a great granola recipe at Chez Chloe cafe that I might revisit and I’m itching to do some granola bars because they are so hip right now and so expensive to buy and probably pretty easy to make. Unfortunately, I’ve nailed three quarters of the bag of chocolate chips destined for the bars. I’ve got a raw granola in my past too…. using soaked grains, dates, nuts and seeds, flax as a binder and a dehydrator (another time).
SOOO… my muesli is also toasted because I like it a little crunchy and I focus on seeds but feel free to add nuts. Large coconut flakes also add to the flavor of this recipe, browning up nicely in the oven. Muesli or granola is something it would be hard to fail at. I’m putting a recipe here but honestly when I make it, I just look at it, stir it around a little with my hand and see if it “looks” proportional. You can also cut the recipe in half and play with the sweetness before you commit to a big batch.
Here’s what I start with. I use all bio (organic) for this. Wendy’s Muesli… crunchy – print recipe here
Grains, seeds, dried fruits… a vision of health… gets the old bowels talking just looking at this!
warm honey
lightly cooked/toasted on a sheet of parchment paper at 275-300°
toast, let cool then add the dried fruit and cornflakes
appreciate the nutrition, freshness, beauty of contrasting textures…. and the money you’ve saved 🙂
Enjoy and remember… breakfast is the most important meal of the day! EAT it. And Wow… look at the bulb reflecting off that spoon.
Here’s a little peak into our summer environment…
Waiting for the ferry at the landing in Anacortes
On the ferry
Arriving on Orcas…
Tschüß,
Wendy's Place 
Thank you for reminding me how wonderful muesli is! Love all that texture. Haven’t had it in awhile.. Maybe my toddler might like some of it bircher muesli- style (=mushier!)
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You could soak in in a little milk and honey… actually I might have to try that!
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Remember when you posted this the first time … still looking good – especially the photo above the bowl with. Great to see photos from Puget Sound – that house on hill will suite me well – looks like a hotel ???? B&B ??? or maybe it’s an other house behind it…. *smile – wish you a fantastic time … back home!
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Thanks… That is the Orcas Hotel and has been here for eons. I’ll be hanging there today when I head down to Seattle for the night. Going to Pike Place market and taking a photography class tomorrow AND get to catch up with a good friend. Yay me.
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Excellent …. sounds great – looking forward to see what you have learned and enjoy Seattle and be good to yourself.
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Welcome back to Orcas Wendy!
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Thanks Sue… can’t wait to see you and the gals! Soon!!!
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I just nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award….Congratulations!!! Here is my link to the award….
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Thanks. I so appreciate the acknowledgement and support. We are full up time wise getting the property ready for our summer vacation guests and trying to squeeze in some writing. I may not get a chance to pass this on but please know it’s accepted with heartfelt gratitude! 🙂
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🙂 Enjoy your guests and summer! I wish summer would get here…today we are having winds and dust.
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i usually eat the store-bought muesli but will surely try this recipe.. and thanks for the little info about the difference between muesli and granola.. haha, i always thought they are the same.. but i still love granola even if it has some oil in it.. have a nice day 🙂
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I adore the crunch of granola and will probably make some of that too in the very near future. I also love making it with brown sugar and am not afraid of a little organic canola oil! Try making some yourself- really you can’t go wrong and it will be healthier, fresher and save you $$.
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I adore Muesli.. but like so many, did get confused between granola and muesli. It’s granola I make regularly, I’m going to have to try muesli, it would be healthier without all the fat:) This would be yummy for breakfast! xo
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I love both. But eating the muesli on a regular basis works better for me. I’m also less likely to grab a handful… or 2 or 3 double fisters… throughout the day. But since we are doing so much outdoor work in the summer – I might treat us to some crunchy chunky granola and even go all out with a little brown sugar as I mentioned 🙂
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Oh! Thank you for this. It looks wonderful. Enjoy your time in Orcas.
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Thanks Bliss. Already am! Happy Solstice.
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I make granola lots Wendy but have never made muesli – judging from the looks of it, that’s about to change. Enjoy Orcas!
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I’m loving being here on Orcas and honestly, my muesli ingredients await patiently in a brown paper sac. It’s on my list. But maybe a little granola for us this summer…I’ve also been wanting to try some granola bars. Have to ‘schedule’ a morning to drink tea, read and make seed,grain,honey product!!!
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Hi there – I have nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award. Stop by my blog for information if you’re interested for details.. Have a great day! http://www.susartandfood.wordpress.com
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Oh thank you! I’m honored with a double whammy! And again, it’s received with much gratitude, but I’m barely getting posts out these days. I am reading so many great new blogs though, so watch out because when I have time again in the fall I’m going to post like a hundred sites to pass these wonderful awards of recognition on to!
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Have fun on Orcas – it has been years since I was there 🙂
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Thanks Shelly… Loving catching up with my community here and am having fun playing with all my kitchen “stuff” and cookbooks. And then a little mowing, gardening and house cleaning….we have our main house set up as a vacation rental, so we are busy busy busy. cheers!
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It’s cool to see some of your early pics. Not that they are bad, but seeing the progression, it gives me hope for my own food photography!
I love your travel photographs. Gorgeous.
~Daniél
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I hear that! And don’t think I don’t go to every popular site and look up their early posts:-) We need to see that we all can learn, progress and attain knowledge. I feel like the photos I’m taking now are better than when I started but I’m sure I’ll be looking back on this time frame in the future with plenty of constructive criticism! Just keep clicking!
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the peek into your summer place looks so tempting and inviting! I’m imagining munching and crunching on museli first thing in the morning sitting by the water’s edge watching the world come to life. aaahhhhh 🙂
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Hi Claire,
I’m hoping to get more photos up soon of our place here… we are inland about a mile from the bay and I wake to bird songs and deer tip toeing through the property. The ferry ride… especially the first after many months always takes my breath away.
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Oooo, I keep wanting to make something for the monthly mingle and then I totally forget… Not good! And I love muesli but just never made it myself for some unknown reason. Your combination looks delicious! (and I can’t wait to see your Donna Hay post. 😉 Thanks for visiting!
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So I officially squeaked in the pea pasta. I’m sorry I missed the meat one! I can’t take another 3 rounds of carb load… I still have more pasta in the fridge. It was a great recipe though.
It was a great challenge to try to reproduce the phot. Can’t wait for the next one.
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Muesli, yoghurt & honey is my daily breakfast – but yours looks about a million times better than store-bought! Interesting about the raw granola bars – I had raw savoury flaxseed & tomato crackers last week (also made in a dehydrator) – absolutely heavenly!
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I do like playing around with raw foods but could never commit to it 100%. It’s really not the perfect diet for all constitutions. Next in that arena is trying an avocado/chocolate pie.
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I love this!
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Thanks!
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