Real Food: Muesli with Sweet Vanilla Greek Yogurt

Muesli, originally from Switzerland, is a mixture of dried fruit, nuts, uncooked oats, and other whole grains.  It's very simple to create your own Muesli mix based on your family's preferences, but we buy this one ready-made.

You can use Muesli in many ways, but we like to make it the traditional Swiss way by mixing it with yogurt.  If mixing water with your yogurt sounds off-putting to you (it did to me the first time!) trust the process.  Add more or less water to adjust the consistency to your own preference.  I prefer mine to be on the thick side, but adding a full 1/2 C in this recipe gives you something a bit more thinned out.

Our kids love Muesli.  Hudson often has some for lunch, and the girls like to take it to school in a thermos.  It's not just for breakfast; it's great any time of day.  The oats and fruit plump up with the yogurt, and you'll get a nice bit of protein too.

Last week we got about 6 inches of snow, and after two hours of shovelling, Hudson came inside, called grandpa to see how much snow they'd gotten at the farm, then dug in to a bowl of muesli.




(My son is adorable.)

Muesli with Sweet Vanilla Greek Yogurt

Ingredients:
1 C Fage Greek Yogurt
1/4 C Muesli (Bob's Red Mill or your own creation)
1/4 to 1/2 C Cold Water
1T Stevia in the Raw or other sweetener
1 t Vanilla extract

Mix and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight (best.)

Real Food: Chia Seeds, Two Ways

To close the week, I thought I'd share a couple of very easy ways to incorporate chia seeds into your diet.

Chia seeds (yes, these chia seeds) have a lot to offer, like fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, protein, antioxidants and calcium.  They also increase satiety (they help you feel fuller longer) and have a cleansing effect.  You can add them to many foods you already consume, and you don't need to grind them (like flax) in order to get their full benefit.

Many people like to add chia seeds to shakes and smoothies.  I never do this because I have a problem with chia seeds: the consistency.  I just won't ever get over it.  That said, they can be quite good when prepared well, and rather than hiding them in something I already think is delicious on it's own (like an oatmeal berry smoothie) I like to face them head on and just do it.  

Chia seeds look like an ordinary seed, but when added to a liquid, they start soaking it up and form a gelatinous coating (similar to a tomato seed.)  Mentally, I have a hard time with that texture.  They taste just fine.  It's not you, chia, it's me.

Here are two ways we consume chia seeds: first in a simple chia "tapioca", and next with oatmeal.  My kids inhale this chia pudding, and I don't mind chia seeds in my oatmeal at all.

Simple Vanilla Chia Pudding with Golden Raisins and Almonds

Ingredients:

1C  Original or Vanilla Almond Milk
1/3 C  Chia Seeds
1t  Pure Vanilla Extract (adjust to taste)
1t  Stevia in the Raw or other sweetener (adjust to taste)
1T  Golden Raisins
1T  Crushed Raw Almonds

Stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate one hour or overnight.

This is a basic recipe- you can experiment.  Try decreasing the chia to just 1/4 C to adjust the consisitency, or perhaps substitute with chocolate almond milk.  You can also add new spices or extracts, or toss in some berries, which work well with chia seeds.  

Apple-Sweetened Cinnamon Oatmeal

Ingredients:

The juice of 1/2 apple (about 1/4 C if not using a juicer)
1t to 1T Cinnamon (to taste)
1T  Chia Seeds

Combine the juice, cinnamon, and chia seeds into a small reusable container.  Make several at one time and keep in the fridge up to one week.

To eat, I prepare a bowl of oatmeal, then combine with the chia/apple/cinnamon mixture.  Instantly I have oats with a chia boost, sweetened, spiced, and ready to enjoy.  

Real Food: Apples and Oats.

When I need to eat a meal that's going to keep me energized for hours, I eat this.  For instance, it's the perfect thing to keep me focused and not hungry while I'm running errands, shopping, and out all morning.  But, then again, I usually make this in the afternoon for an energy boost as I head into the witching hour.  It's great with coffee or a hot cup of tea.

A few more notes: This contains a full tablespoon of coconut oil, which contributes 130 out of 325 calories.  If you'd like to use less oil go ahead, but that coconut oil gives a huge boost and makes this meal much more satisfying; it's up to you!

Also, I prefer my oats toasted and chewy.  If you'd like this to turn out more like a traditional oatmeal, add more water as needed and increase the cook time.  You can also increase the oats to a full half cup and increase water in kind.  Quick oats would also speed this up.  When I make this for my children, this is what I do- it makes a great after school snack or quick dinner before we run out the door on a busy night. 

The thing that takes this a step up from traditional apple cinnamon oatmeal is that with this skillet method, the flavors have time to really come together- and most importantly- the oats and spices have a chance to toast for a fuller flavor, which makes all the difference.

You also might consider adding some raisins, dried cherries, etc in with the apples for a little something extra- they will plump up as you cook them.

Apples and Oats

Prep Time: 5 min.

Total Time: 10-12 min.

Serves: 1

Calories: 325

Ingredients:

1 Apple, peeled, cored, and sliced thin

1 T Unrefined Coconut Oil

1/4 C Whole Oats (see above)

1 t Raw Sugar

1 t Cinnamon

1/4 t Cardamom

1/4 t Ginger (Fresh is best if you have it)

1/2 C Water, plus more as needed

1.  Peel, core, and slice the apple into thin, even slices.  I do enjoy eating the peel- but that's up to you! Prep all other ingredients so you can move quickly once you begin.

2.  Heat 1 T Unrefined Coconut Oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add apples, turning to coat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened a bit and are beginning to brown on one side, about 5 minutes. 

3. Add sugar and stir constantly until it has dissolved.  Remove skillet from heat, keep the burner on. Off heat, stir in oats and spices, tossing to coat.  Return to heat, stirring constantly.  This allows the oats and spices to toast a bit, which boosts flavor- but be careful not to scorch them! 

4.  When the oats become fragrant, add the water.  Allow to simmer, stirring often, until all water is absorbed and the mixture is the desired consistency (see above.)

Real Food: Greek Yogurt and Hearty Granola

Today's posts are tackling a couple of very popular snacks.  Now that we've talked popcorn, let's talk about yogurt.

Yogurt is everywhere, and it's a common snack for women who are watching their weight and also a go-to for kids.  Marketing would like us to think that yogurt is a healthy, calcium-filled snack that's going to get us ready for the beach.  If you investigate what most commercial yogurt contains, you realize that what it can do is make you really unhealthy.  Also, I don't know about you, but I've had my share of those little containers, and, let me tell you what, they never filled me up.

Greek yogurt is really catching on, and a little investigating online reveals it's many charms- but not all greek yogurts are created equal.  Many commercial flavored varieties are over-sweetened, or the texture is strange.  As for the brand to buy, I've tried several, and Fage Total 0% is the best (unless you want to go organic.)  I get it at Sams in a 4 cup container, and have found the same container at Target for just a bit more.  It really is better tasting and sturdier than others, and it's so basic- you can improvise with it in so many ways.  I'll also mention that most dairy- cheese, milk, etc, makes me sick, but this doesn't at all, which is good, because it's fantastic.

You need to do a little searching to investigate the myriad ways you can incorporate Greek Yogurt into your life, because it has so many uses. Today, though, I'll focus on a very traditional form. 

This is an everyday food at our house.  Hudson often has some greek yogurt with his lunch, and the girls take it to school in their thermos; sometimes as yogurt alone, sometimes as Muesli.

Here are a few things that taste great combined: Basic Vanilla Greek Yogurt, Warm Berries, and Hearty Camp Granola.*

Basic Vanilla Greek Yogurt

Prep Time: 1 min.

Total Time: 1 min.

Serves: 1

Calories: 130

Ingredients:

1C Fage Total 0% Plain Greek Yogurt

1/2 t Vanilla Extract

2 t Stevia in the Raw (or your favorite sweetener)

1. Simply combine and mix. 

I like to use Stevia here because it blends in with the yogurt so nicely.  Also, it goes without saying that you can improvise and adapt this to your taste- perhaps add some pumpkin pie spice, or switch the extract flavor.  

Hearty Camp Granola

This recipe comes from a 4H camp Jim attended growing up, but I have substituted coconut oil for the vegetable oil that the original recipe calls for.

Prep Time: 10 min.

Total Time: 1 hr 10 min.

Serves: Makes about 6.5 servings, 1/2 C each

Calories: 300 per 1/2 C

Ingredients:

5 C Whole Oats

1 C Flaked Coconut

3/4 C Brown Sugar

2 T Cinnamon

1 t Salt

3/4 C Unrefined Coconut Oil, melted

3 T Vanilla Extract

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Combine all ingredients by hand or with a stand mixer.

2.  Spread the mixture out on a cookie sheet with raised sides.  Bake, stirring well and often (about every 10 minutes) until the granola is nicely toasted and no longer feels damp, about 1 hour.

3.  Cool and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks, or freeze a portion for later.

This is delicious alone, added to yogurt as I've done here, or with some almond milk for a hearty snack.

*To make the meal pictured, I combined 1 C of the vanilla yogurt, 1/4 C of the granola, and 1/2 C frozen berries, which I heated in the microwave before adding them in.  This meal is just 320 calories and is packed with good fat, good carbs (and a little tasty sugar to boot), and protein.