Hardship No 1 - We Miss Cereal

So far, Little & Local hasn't really been too hard.  We've enjoyed having to be more active in our shopping choices and there's very little that we've had to do without.  But this morning I realised that the cereal cupboard is empty.  The void stared back at me without so much as a single Weetabix to tempt me.  We'd had a suspicion that it might be difficult to find packet cereals for sale in Beverley's little and local shops and so it has proved - we haven't seen them anywhere on our tour of shops.

The obvious answer is to eat Porridge which Antony loves but I just can't bring myself to feel excited about.  Somehow it always feels like penance for something I've done wrong.

So in preparation, I'd made a plan to buy the ingredients for homemade muesli instead.  I do sometimes make my own when I can be bothered because I don't like a lot of sugar or (and I know this is odd) too much fruit.

I have G Jack & Son in Wednesday Market to thank for the fact that I don't have to go without cereal altogether.  It was from them that I bought jumbo oats, sunflower seeds, almonds and some gorgeous fat, sticky raisins.  And I managed to get Sesame Seeds from The Herb & Spice Cupboard stall on Saturday Market, although I would have preferred a bigger bag.

So here's the recipe I use which I adapted from Bill Grainger's Toasted Muesli Recipe which I found reprinted on the food blog A Spoon Full of Sugar.

Ingredients:

3 cups of jumbo oats
1 cup of sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of whole almonds
1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds (I already had some of these in the cupboard)
1/4 cup of sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1/2 cup apple juice or orange juice
Raisins - as many as you personally like

Put all the dry ingredients except the raisins into a large bowl.

Add the oil and the juice and mix well until everything is well coated.  I didn't have apple or orange juice in the house today so had to improvise with some lemon barley instead.  It still tastes good!

Spread evenly over a baking tray and put in the oven (160 degrees) for about 30 minutes.

Remember to stir a few times so that it cooks evenly.

Take out of the oven and allow to cool before stirring in your raisins - or if you want to get fancy, any other dried fruit.  I keep meaning to try some cherries.

Stick it in an airtight container where it will stay very happily for a few weeks.

It's great served with just a little milk and topped with natural yogurt and fresh fruit.