Bircher Muesli

Hidy ho, crafty peeps!

I bet y'all thought I had fallen off the face of the earth.

I did.

I'm fighting a serious case of the "uncreative blahs". A veritable Sahara desert, without a drop of creativity in sight.

SERIOUS CASE.

I basically have stepped away from creating. I stepped down from all my design teams, and have pretty much turned my beautiful studio into a storage room. I'm trying to get my mojo back. Actually, I'm going to go visit my mojo in a couple of weeks...perhaps Jodi will be able to recharge my creative batteries. She always does.

My in-laws are visiting this week. They eat SO MUCH more healthfully than my husband and I do...so I'm striving to fix healthier things (though what I REALLY want is chocolate and junk food).

For breakfast today I fixed Bircher Muesli.

What is Bircher Muesli, you ask?

Well...let me put on my Alton Brown hat and tell ya.

Bircher Muesli (aka the original "Overnight Oats") was developed around 1900 by a Swiss physician named...you guessed it...Dr. Bircher-Brenner. He developed it for his patients. It's still very popular in Europe especially Germany and Switzerland...but is found all over Europe really.

My mom and I had some on our trip last summer down the Rhine River in Europe. I ate it every morning on the boat...not because I had to...but because it was so darn yummy.

So I thought I might try my hand at it since it's A) delicious, and B) good for you...like insanely good for you. It's low-cal, low-glycemic, low-fat, gluten-free, high-protein, high-fiber, lots of antioxidants, loaded with heart healthy omega fats, the list goes on and on.

Here is the recipe I came up with. The measurements are mostly suggestions, as y'all know I don't measure stuff. The important thing is that you completely cover your oats with whatever liquid you choose. I use a mix of rolled oats and steel cut--because the steel cut oats are nice and chewy. The rest is to taste. So have at it!

Torrey's Bircher Muesli

Yield: 5-6 servings

BASE:
• 2 cups dry Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 1 cup dry steel cut oats (can omit these and just use regular rolled oats)
• ~3-5 cups milk (or almond/rice/soy milk)…enough to cover oats in bowl. If you want it more liquidy...add more milk.
• 1 TBS cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 apple (whatever type you like)
• 1 cup Greek yogurt (I use vanilla, but plain would be ok)
• 2 TBS honey or agave nectar

MIX-INS/TOPPINGS: All are OPTIONAL...do whatever sounds good to you.
• Berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries…whatever you like)
• Fresh fruit (bananas, peaches, grapes, kiwi, plums, figs…whatever you like)
• Dried fruit- cut into small pieces (apricots, peaches, cherries, raisins, pineapple, figs, dates…whatever you like)
• ½ cup nut pieces (almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts)- TOASTED
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes - TOASTED
• ¼ cup seeds (flax, chia, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame…whatever you like) – TOASTED
• Additional cinnamon, lecithin, wheat germ, oat bran
• 1 TBS nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew, sunflower…whatever you like)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In large bowl, combine oats, cinnamon, salt and mix well.
2. Pour milk over oat mixture to cover. Stir once to combine. The more milk you add, the more liquidy it will be.
3. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator overnight (at least 8 hours).
4. In morning, grate/chop up 1 apple and stir into oat mixture
5. Stir in yogurt and honey.
6. TO TOAST NUTS/COCONUT/SEEDS: place in single layer on a cookie sheet under broiler until toasted. NOTE: they toast FAST and can burn even FASTER. So watch them like a hawk.
7. Serve buffet style...put mix-ins/toppings in individual serving bowls on counter or table.
8. Serve muesli COLD in bowls and add whatever mix-ins/toppings you like.
9. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon, lecithin, wheat germ, oat bran…if desired
10. Muesli base will keep in refrigerator for several days. Store in covered container.
11. Can even make up individual portions in Mason jars and store them in your fridge for quick, grab-and-go breakfasts!