Homemade Muesli Makes the Morning Brighter

Before Bed.

Breakfast in 5 Minutes Upon Waking

The Swiss are credited with creating 4 of the most beloved meals of all time at Cafe Drake HRV - fondue, raclette, rosti and muesli. The latter is a relatively new love for us here, breakfast being a non-event most days at CDHRV. But oh how we've fallen head over heels for this bowl of morning goodness! No cooking required, no pots or pans, just a bowl and a spoon. Best part of all? Following the traditional Swiss method, muesli is soaked overnight for the perfect result of soft and crunchy. Add some yogurt, honey, fresh fruit if you like, and you're ready to dive in to an AM meal packed with protein, whole grains and fiber.

As with most truly classic dishes, muesli is open to endless variations, and the ingredients, in Switzerland, differ from home to home. Rolled oats and some sort of dried fruit are constant but the sky's the limit beyond that foundation. Here's our Muesli of the Moment. This recipe makes 1 generous bowl for breakfast. We quadruple the recipe (dry ingredients and fruit) and then just add 1/2 cup water overnight to individual portions throughout the week. You can of course also totally skip the yogurt and honey add-ons but why would you?

Mix in a jar or bowl 3/4 cup rolled oats, 2 T. sunflower seeds, 1 T. raw pumpkin seeds, a small handful of roughly chopped almonds or walnuts, 1/2 t. ground cinnamon and 1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries or chopped dried apricots or chopped dates or A COMBINATION OF ANY OR ALL. Whew, that's a lot of options.

Before bed, stir in 1/2 cup water, cover and place in the refrigerator. The Swiss leave it at room temperature and that's fine I'm sure but we like our cereal chilled.

The next morning, get the coffee brewing and uncover the muesli. Voila! It's transformed overnight. Add a dollop of plain or vanilla yogurt and 1-2 T. honey or maple syrup. Dig in and make plans to have again tomorrow.