Saturday, September 17, 2011

Wiebe Style Cereal



The boys in this house are lovers of cereal! Let me clarify what cereal means to them...anything granola type with lots of nuts and seeds and fruit. They would likely explode with excitement if they were ever shown what a real cereal isle looks like!! For now...I keep them in the dark:)

We try to steer clear of processed cereals, no matter how healthy they are, they still contain unnecessary things. However, there are times when we buy it, like in the summer, for mornings we don't feel like having smoothies. Earlier this summer I was thinking that I could probably try to recreate some of their favourite ones that I have bought in the past...and this is what I came up with. Definitely about a third of the price of buying it from a health food store...and it seems to be a hit in our house! You'll notice all the variations listed at the bottom because I have basically never made it the same way twice. The first shot was literally all the odds and ends I had in my pantry, where now I go to the bulk store to buy ingredients to make this recipe. This one batch lasts our family almost a week...and that's even with Levi having two bowls most mornings! I figure it costs about $7 to make...so that's pretty good for a week of breakfasts! We like ours with unsweetened almond milk...but any milk or yogurt would taste great with it! We loved putting fresh blueberries on top when our massive order arrived! Another great bonus to this cereal is that it holds you through til lunch...gotta love it when a breakfast does that! Jay and I can even confess to having this for supper a few times this summer after a long day out with the boys:)

Hope your family enjoys it too! I let Noah help me when making cereal...likely part of the reason he likes it so much!!



Wiebe Style Cereal

6 cups oats & barley flakes...or any type of grain flake (rye, kamut, etc...)
1 cup chopped almonds...or any nut
1 cup quinoa flakes (great protein)
1 cup seeds (any variety...usually I use sunflower and pumpkin)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup cocoa powder (optional...sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't)
1/2 cup chia or flax seed
3/4 cup honey or maple syrup (honey will give you clumpy granola which is nice sometimes...I usually do half and half of each)
1/2 cup coconut oil...or oil of choice

Variations/Add-Ins:
1/2 cup coconut...I usually do this!
1/2 cup chocolate chips...once it's baked and cooled!
2 tsp toasted sesame oil...gives a great/unique flavour...just don't add too much!
Crystalized ginger, finely chopped

Options are endless...really! Make it your own:)

You will notice this recipe is extremely vague....it's so flexible...you can switch things around to your liking and it will always turn out. The only way to ruin it is to burn it!

That being said...mix all ingredients in a large bowl together. Spread out evenly on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 for 25ish minutes. I usually check on mine and stir it every 10 minutes or so. You want it baked until it all looks lightly toasted.

Remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled, feel free to add any dried fruit if you'd like! Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks...although ours has never lasted that long:)