Swiss-Style Cereal (Muesli)

Hey Jude's Note:

Need some fiber? Here ya go! This is great served for a nutritious breakfast with milk and/or fruit or you can pack it into small ziploc bags to pack for energy food on hiking trips. This is a flexible recipe...don't like dried currants? Use dried cranberries, etc.

• Total Time: 23 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 8 cups

• 1 cup whole filberts
• 1 cup whole blanched almond
• 3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
• 3/4 cup sweetened wheat germ
• 1 cup dried currant
• 2/3 cup finely chopped dried apricot
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• milk (optional) or cream (optional)
• fresh fruit (such as sliced bananas or strawberries or canned mandarin oranges) (optional)

Directions:

1. Spread the filberts on a rimmed baking sheet, and the almonds on another; bake in a 350° oven for 5-8 minutes, or until very lightly browned; shake pans occasionally.
2. Let nuts cool; rub filberts in your hands to loosen as much of the brown exterior as possible, then blow or fan off the chaff, chop filberts and almonds coarsely (chop in a hand chopper, rather than a food processor, which may turn the nuts into butter!)
3. Blend nuts with oats, wheat germ, currants, apricots, and sugar.
4. Store in a tightly closed container at room temperature.
5. Serve in bowls with milk or cream; top with fruit if you like or pack it up to take camping or back-packing!