Muesli

Like most moms, there are mornings where I just can't get it together to make the perfect breakfast for my kids. On those days I try to have nutritious, packaged foods on hand, which are both easy for me to prepare and things I know Kenya and Chloe really enjoy. On a whim a while back, I bought a box of muesli at the supermarket just to see if I could get the kids to try it. I was hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Boy, was I surprised. Not only did they eat every bite in their bowls, but museli was all that Kenya wanted to eat for breakfast for weeks.

If you've ever bought a box of muesli, you know it's not cheap. Since I'm frugal, I came up with an easy-to-make recipe of my own, which gives you a lot more bang for your buck. I had Kenya make it with me so he would feel ownership over the food he would be eating for breakfast. And knowing how much pleasure kids get from opening a box of cereal -- and not wanting to take away from that experience for Kenya -- I found a great jar for us to store our museli in. Every morning, Kenya would come into the kitchen, grab his jar, pour the museli in a bowl, stir in the yogurt and OJ and mix it together....just the way he liked it! (I've put a couple of ways to serve the museli below.)

** Here are 2 weelicious ways to serve your museli that I love. I made my muesli for 8 people, using the recipes below. Half liked the orange juice version and half liked it better with apples, but it's really up to you and your kids to discover what you like best (and use what you've got on hand)! Each recipe below makes 1 serving.

Muesli with Orange Juice (Serves 1)

1/2 Cup Muesli

1/4 Cup Yogurt
 (I used plain Greek yogurt)
1/4 Cup Orange Juice

1. Place the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Allow the ingredients to sit for 10 minutes until softened or refrigerate overnight (unlike most cereals, muesli is a cereal that actually gets better the longer it sits in liquid).
3. Serve.

Muesli with Apple (Serves 1)

1/2 Cup Muesli
1/4 Cup Yogurt (I used plain Greek yogurt)
1/3 Cup Apple, peeled & grated

1. Place the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Allow the ingredients to sit for 10 minutes until softened or refrigerate overnight (unlike most cereals, muesli is a cereal that actually gets better the longer it sits in liquid).
3. Serve.