Show some heart...

I am not a morning person, neither am I one of those "breakfast" people. K2 unfortunately is like me...sunny temperament most of the time but a grouch in the mornings...it is painful to get him to drink his bottle of pediasure before leaving for Kindergarten.K1 however is a morning aka breakfast person...from the breakfast aisles in the grocery stores ( Think Honey and Oats Cluster), to huge cartons of breakfast bars from Costco (think Kashi, Fiber One)  to the muesli from the bulk section at Whole Foods, to pancakes and eggs (omelette's are pretty much all he cooks) he goes through it all.
Seeing his avid appreciation for all things Muesli and the fact that we paid close to $7-9/lb for it,  I did a little bit of research on it -

1. Muesli is a popular breakfast cereal based on uncooked rolled oats, dried fruit and nuts.
2. It was developed around 1900 by Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital.
3. It can be had hot or cold, primarily for breakfast and in some countries as a light dinner.
4. Health Benefits
1. All Around Nutrition -Eating muesli at breakfast will enhance your energy, and also help you to maintain high concentration levels throughout the day  
2. Fulfills the daily fiber requirement- helps in lowering the blood cholesterol level. The soluble fiber (beta-glucans) in muesli helps in avoiding dramatic changes in blood sugar level.
3. Aids weight loss - Complex Carbs are harder to digest making us feel full longer and also speed up metabolism
4. Reduce risk of cancer - Oats, nuts and seeds, when added to Muesli, contribute plenty of phytochemical agents called lignans and antioxidants which decreases the risk of problems like breast cancer, prostate and ovarian cancer. 
5. Prevents heart diseases -The presence of manganese in muesli along with low saturated fats keeps your heart safe. The nuts bring to the table the heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and essential omega-3 fatty acids.

 Guess what I did next - I rolled up my sleeves and ended up making some muesli (really good stuff if I can say so myself). I used

• 2 parts rolled oats
• 1 part Barley Flakes 
• 1 part nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios)
• 1 part Dried Fruits (blueberries, cranberries, golden raisins). In a large mixing bowl I mixed all the above ingredients along with 2 tablespoons of  organic turbinado sugar. I made about 3 pounds of muesli for roughly $10.

p.s - I had Muesli this morning with some greek yogurt and honey and it tasted great.Have you done something good for your heart lately?

Sending this muesli recipe out to Tickling Palates  for the  Let’s Cook Series #7 ~ Scrumptious Breakfasts