muesli . oscar wilde . the pregnant pause

Almost once a week I am asked for my muesli recipe. How awesome is that! I post this recipe often as part of The Colourful Diet that I enjoy. And it is slightly different every time.

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As Daughters pregnancy advances - we have under 5 weeks to go so now - our final preparations begin. This is the last week of birthing classes. Her last week of work. My last week of solitude. The hospital bag is, at least, open.

We are both pretty calm people. So it is a lovely time really. And baby is best right where he is until he decides otherwise.

But our walks are becoming more challenging - maybe the waiting is beginning to weigh on our minds and subconsciously we are pushing the limits a little. This is a feeling as old as the ages. Frustration at having to wait.

The weather has become misty and wet which my garden is thoroughly enjoying.

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Gardens

In our Wellington garden out at the beach they are planting long rows of onions.

You might remember that he just got chickens so adding chicken manure to his compost has heated it up nicely. He is pleased.

So I am pleased. He has one of those high pressure jobs and the garden is his balance. I don’t know who said it but a mother is only as happy as her in un-happiest child. Which seems unfair but there you are. And all my children are content at present which makes for a content Mum.

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And so to the frugal kitchen

The muesli recipe is more of a method than a recipe and (as usual) you are invited to take it as a suggestion. Add your own favorites. Take out your un-favourites. Make it yours. Buy ingredients on sale. Mine is different every time.

This recipe is one of my pantry staples. And leads to THIS RECIPE for breakfast cookies. And the breakfast cookies lead to a divine pie crust but we are not there yet.

Most importantly this muesli (in American we would call this granola) is dependent on what is in your pantry. This is where we try to be frugal. Just go with what you have in the pantry as long as there are some oats, some seeds or nuts, some raisins and a little honey.

The rest is luck! Or good planning because a lot of luck is from good planning if you ask me.

I thought I had time for a quick SubStack scroll while the muesli breakfast cookies finished cooking!! 😆

Mama’s Muesli

Place a rack low in the oven and turn the oven on to 250F (125C)

In my big old roasting pan; the one with the blackened corners and history baked in, I drizzle a little olive oil. Maybe two tablespoons. Then I tip in:

• 4 big cups of rolled oats

  Toss the oats around in the oil.

  Now comes the heart of muesli; the nuts and seeds. Usually I make a big batch at a time so I aim for about six cups altogether, adjusting as I go depending on what I have tucked away in jars and tins. Today it went like this:

• 2 cups chopped almonds
  (Vitamin E, calcium, magnesium)

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
  (Omega-3s, Vitamin E, iron)

• 1 cup flax seeds
  (A true superfood ; omega-3s, Vitamin B complex)

• 1 cup sunflower seeds
  (Antioxidants, Vitamin E, manganese, niacin)

• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
  (Copper and manganese)

I stir the whole lot through the olive oil with a wooden spoon.

Slide the pan onto the low rack in a low oven set at 250°F. We are adding crunch to the oats without browning. Every ten or fifteen minutes, give it a gentle stir. After about an hour everything will be lightly toasted and the kitchen will delicious.

Now for the fruit and honey. About 4- 5 cups.

Turn the oven up to 350°F.

Take the oats mixture out of the oven. Then stir in:

• 2 cups raisins
  (Full of iron, copper, magnesium)

• 1 cup dried cranberries
  (Rich in antioxidants plus Vit C)

• 1 cup dried blueberries
  (More antioxidants plus Vit C)

• 1 cup chopped dried apricots
  (Potassium, calcium)

• ½ cup runny local honey
  

Back into the oven it goes. This time, watch closely - stir every 5 minutes for about 10 minutes. You’ll see the raisins puff up, the honey melt into everything, and as you stir, the honey will encourage clumps. We love the clumps.

When the raisins have puffed out bring the whole pan out of the oven and set on a rack to cool.

Once cooled, I scoop the muesli into a big glass jar. It’ll keep for a couple of weeks and I eat muesli every morning with yoghurt. Like I said this is a staple.

Adjust quantities to suit your budget and your family.

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Bedtime Stories

I have begun to read an early novelette by Oscar Wilde.

SubStack housekeeping tips: SubStack does this thing where if you put a paywall into an ordinary post (like this one) then ONLY paid subscribers can comment. And I hate that. So I don’t do that. I want everyone here to have a chance to use their voices. So if you see a post - it is for you. Open it. There are no hidden paywalls.

Upgraded subscribers: (to cut down on emails in your overtaxed inboxes), you will find the link to the BedTime story at the bottom of every public post. As you are a paid subscriber it will automatically open up for you.

ALL subscribers: I am working on a page with the narrations so far this year. All in one place It is a work in progress as I will be adding Winnie the Pooh when that collection comes free. This way everything is in one place for everyone. And is free to everyone.

That link ⬆️ will be in our chat thread this afternoon. Pop in - The Chat is for everyone - at the moment we are showing each other pictures from our walks!

However you subscribe I am just so happy to have you along for the ride.

Have a lovely day/afternoon/evening. Wherever you are - we are there too.

Love Celi

I was thinking about making Fede’s croquettes - they are the most frugal of foods. I will look back through the archives to find the recipe.

How is your garden growing? Have you had any rain where you are?