Breakfast Fodder

Nothing gives me more pleasure after my 5:30 am wake-up crawl than a big bowl of raw grains. It reminds me of my days as a kid munching sweet feed with my friend Tori while we bottle fed a little orphaned foal. This is my Muesli mix for those of you who don't have an hour to spend tending a hot oven.

2 cups rolled oats (quick oats are fine, and I think they're easier to digest since they're not really raw)
2 cups rolled barley flakes
2 cups rolled rye flakes
2 cups rolled wheat flakes (or semolina)
2 cups whole nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans)
1 cup seeds, hulled (such as sunflower or pumpkin)
2 cups dried fruit (such as cranberries, raisins, currants, or date pieces in oat flour)
1 cup wheat germ (I don't know why)

Mix it all together and store in an air-tight container or wooden feed bin.

How to eat it:

The easy way-
Mix with milk, soy milk, or yogurt and eat it. If you always eat it this way, you may want to add 2 cups crisp rice or corn flakes to the mix.

The squishy way-
Mix with milk or yogurt the night before. Cover. And enjoy the gloriously gloppy mess in the morning.

The Swiss way-
Put 1/2 cup Muesli and enough water to cover plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a bowl the night before you want to eat it. In the morning add milk or yogurt (or heavy cream) to desired consistency. Top with shredded apple, in the fall, or fresh berries, in the spring.

Cooked-
Bring 1 cup water to boil. Add 1 cup milk and return to simmer. Stir in 1 cup muesli and return to simmer. Let simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 2 or 3 minutes. Serves 2.