Bircher Muesli Recipe and story

when i was a small girl

we lived in the West Australian wheatbelt

summer days frequently kissing blue skies and 40~celcius

after school the seemingly endless burnt orange gravel drive

shimmered and baked me

chasing after bigger faster sisters on bicycles

anxious in the hot vast expanse of golden crisped paddocks

i don’t remember a single tree on that km stretch to the house paddock

was there shade along the way?

and then i was there

pushing through the small side gate

often teary often late

there was our sturdy brick home with deep shaded verandahs

and my calm mama waiting in the cool dim kitchen with

hugs cheerfulness and

bircher muesli

sweet tart chilled textured cooling surprising delicious

was it so tasty because it was made with genuine swiss hands

and the apple grated with an authentic swiss bircher grater {so i call it}

what secret ingredient did you infuse this refreshing meal with mama?

mine never meets the reputation of my memory

so here i am now

on a meltingly hot day

waiting for my little to come dancing into home again after a long week

and i make bircher muesli

and think of cool kitchens and dark, even cooler pantries

{where i used to sneak crunches of dried pasta or other goods and lat on the cold floor

or draw on the back of door chalkboard}

now i think of

mama love

growing up

sour apples and yoghurt

i am blessed to be using yoghurt from the cows milk provided by yonder dexters

which forms a coveted cream top

thankyou to C for making it

there is an abundance of Bircher Muesli recipes out there in the world

i wouldn’t say mine is traditional as my bircher grater is still in storage and i chopped the apple instead…

you know i’m kidding right?

so I won’t do more than list the ingredients i used this particular time

2 handfuls organic unstabilised rolled oats

2 oranges squeezed over oats fresh from orchard

2 cups natural yoghurt from neighbours cows

1 handful dessicated coconut

2 tablespoons unhulled tahini

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 small handful raisins

1 handful chopped almonds

1 tspn cinnamon powder

1 green apple from farmers market

1 green pear

1 banana from big market

1 handful blueberries

1 handful wild rasberries picked by a neighbour

mix and refridgerate

be inventive be flexible use what you have

the idea is softened oats yoghurt and fruit

i tend to soak the dry goods in the orange juice for a while before i add the yoghurt and fruit section

some people soak the oats overnight in the fruit juice til morn

for me that becomes a super digestible breakfast but kind of slimy and sticky, what do you think?

i forgot to add chia seeds, that might be nice

my mama used to put in stone fruits and grapes in later summer

and i hear tell she used some condensed milk to sweeten it…

is that true? did i forget any other special ingredient mamala?

how do you make this dish?

what would you add?

what was waiting for you when you got home on hot days?

what do you make for your kidlets now?

**peace be with you and your bellies**