31.5.12

Quinoa and Berries

Quinoa and Berries, page 36

Dee-Li-Shus(period)
I really do not need to write more.
Just that, delicious. 

Here are the players, minus the bench warmer*:
The play:

Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: Bananna
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: I added a splash of vanilla & rhubarb strawberry compote
What I'll try next time: play with different fruit combos
How it Scored:
Jonathan: 5
'becca: 5
Boys: still sleeping


*Bench Warmer: Rhubarb Strawberry Compote (not from The Feed Zone, but something I made in Rwanda often to top scones.)
ingredients: 
3 or 4 large stalks of rhubarb, rinsed and chopped
handful of strawberries, chopped
a large sprinkle of sugar or big glug of honey from the jar
some water
method:
kitchen madness, is there really a method? 
  • place the rhubarb & strawberries into a sauce pan
  • add water...1/3 of the pan
  • place on burner and bring water to a boil 
  • allow it to boil down and turn into a sauce, this takes quite a while
  • add your sweetener of choice, honey or sugar, stir and continue to boil until it's the thickness you desire.
Here is it on top of brown rice muffins, turned bread: 




29.5.12

Brown Rice Muffins

Brown Rice Muffins, page 106

I made two batches of these, one as muffins and the other as a thin cake. The cake is easier to freeze and also easier to wrap similar to a rice cake for a ride. 

Did you ever read the magazine Highlights as a child? Remember the hidden picture page and the puzzles where you compared the two pictures finding the differences? I realize I didn't do a very fantastic taking the two photos from the same spot in my kitchen. Differences? Leave a comment and let me know what you notice. 

I followed the recipe, making sure to only use 1/4 cup of milk to begin. I am thankful I did, because the batter would have been too runny, had I used 1/2 cup. I only had 5 eggs, using 3 in the first batch and 2 in the second. It didn't seem to make much of a difference in the thickness of the batter, but that could be, because I used a bit of extra apple sauce to make up for the missing egg.

I do not always have on hand, potato flour, usually rice flour. So, that's what I used. I placed the ingredients in the Blentec & chose the batter setting. It took 2 cycles to make it smooth, allowing it to pour with ease into the muffin cups.

I am not sure if I filed them too high, but they sank in the middle. Not a big deal, because the little indention fills well with a rhubarb strawberry compote I made over the weekend. They just are not very pretty.

I have eaten them warm, chilled, in the car and on my bike, shared some, but mostly eaten them myself. Each time, especially on the bike, they hit the spot.


Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: 1 egg
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: Brown rice flour & almond milk were used, vanilla, cinnamon and fresh nutmeg were additions.
What I'll try next time: I'm not sure how to make them not sink in the center. Boo! Any suggestions?
How it Scored: 4.5 for taste and 5 for ease. I'm the only one in this family who has eaten them.

24.5.12

Ham and Cheese Burrito, Redux



Remember THIS? Yesterday I woke at 4 to make sure Jonathan had breakfast before he left for the airport and get the boys to the pool before school. The rest of my day consisted of field trip chaperon until 12:30, LT test on my bike, a little work on the Memory Maker triathlon, pick the boys up from school, typical after school activities around the house, soccer tryouts for Elliott 5:10-8:00 and a run workout with Chas while Elliott was on the pitch. We made it home in time to catch the last half of Modern Family and I had a glass of wine.

Dinner? Not a drive thru or pizza, but pulled from the freezer Ham and Cheese Burritos!

Today will be a repeat of yesterday, but with different activities and dinner just may be Jim's. Oh, one more thing before I run out the door, I am excited to share that I will have some guest posting here soon. There are a number of homes eating from The Feed Zone in the area and if all goes well, they will be sharing some of the action happening in their kitchens.

Are you cooking from The Feed Zone? Are you willing to share? Leave a comment and let me know. I'll get in touch. Have a great day. Off to school, then a quick swim and then to the track for a day of fun.

Kitchen Action: Not really any, rather microwave action.
How it Scored:
Elliott said it was  OK, not as good as the first time.
'becca: Made in flour tortillas, I didn't eat one, but I gave it a 5 for convenience.

23.5.12

Simple Biryani


Simple Biryani, page 224

This was the first recipe my FF* made when he received The Feed Zone in the mail. A big thank you to him for supporting TTR with his purchase. FF, I sure hope you enjoy the book as much as our family.

This was far more delicious than I expected. I did make a few changes due to lacking ingredients and 3 very hungry boys and 1 very hungry momma. The biggest change was the addition of chicken. I used 2 of my favorite spices I pick up while in Rwanda, along with a bit of kosher salt and diced onion to flavor the chicken. I allowed it to cook as I chopped and cooked the veggies and the rice cooked in the rice cooker.

Have I told you how thankful I am I have a rice cooker? Well, I am. I do however wish I'd purchased the smaller version. I have yet to cook 10 cups of rice.

I chopped more veggies than the recipe called for, but kept the amount of rice the same. With the addition of chicken it was a little less rice-y than the picture on page 225. Here are a few pictures from my kitchen...
Do you have reusable produce bags? Are they this cute? I picked these up at a friend's Etsy shop, but it's no longer in business. It should be, because these bags are darling and imaging how many fewer plastic bags people would use if they also used darling reusable produce bags. Just in case you are wondering, cuteness does play a factor in bag purchase, be it a handbag or grocery bag.
 Chicken, seasoning and onions, ohmi!
Maybe I used more than 1/4 cup of raisins. I like them. 

Kitchen Action

Lacking in Pantry: Cashews & Peanuts
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: I used sliced almonds and only 1/2 an onion; grape seed oil, not olive; extra curry powder and a bit of chicken masala spice. Oh, and fresh grated ginger and chicken.
What I'll try next time: cashews or peanuts.
How it Scored:
Jonathan: 4.5
Elliott: 4.5
Chas: 3 (he only had 1 bite, but still gave it a 3)
'becca: 5 warm and 4.5 cold the following day

*FF = First Friend
Richard was the first person I met when we were relocating to AR. We were waiting to go into a yoga class and were both wearing Newton running shoes. Newtons are gaining popularity, especially among triathletes, but this time last year I noticed far less on feet. I shared I had just run my first (and probably only) marathon and was going to make the leap to triathlon. He invited me to the kick off for F5 the very next day. I joined and the rest is history. He has been an encourage-er, support and is a great friend to me and my family.

21.5.12

Whole Roasted Chicken


Whole Roasted Chicken, page 249


A whirlwind of a weekend has come to a close. More meals were eaten in restaurants and on the go this weekend than meals around the table, but not Sunday night. I finally thawed the chicken I had frozen and we enjoyed it as a family.

The boys had a fantastic first IronKids race on Saturday. One of their teammates qualified for IronKids Nationals, another was voted best smile on the course, but ALL of them raced well and had a blast. I am not exactly sure if it is the case for all 5, but I know that for Elliott and Chas it was their first open water swim triathlon. I was so very proud of them, as I am only semi-over my fear open water swimming. It's not the swim or the green water, but the creatures which call it home...I like my fish on a plate, well seasoned eaten with a fork.

Elliott helped me make this dinner. He was my veggie man, slicing, salting, peppering, garlic-ing and stirring.I looked over at him and love seeing his TriTat number on his shoulder. So proud of him. He raced in the morning, then slept in the car for a few hours, so we could make it back for his state soccer tournament. He played well on Saturday as left forward and later as keeper, but on Sunday his performance as keeper was exceptional. It was fun to watch, but had me biting my nails. The team they played I later learned is nationally ranked and often wins games in the area, by 8 - 12 goals. Only 2 got past Elliott. They ended up loosing 2-0. There is always next year...

Back to the chicken...I followed the recipe, only changing the veggies and their amount. My chicken was a bit larger than the on in the recipe, requiring longer baking. Instead of the early dinner I hoped for, we ate at our usual soccer practice evening time.

I do not think I could have stuffed another veggie in the dish.
I have roasted many chickens, but I ordinarily do not cover them with foil to bake. This one was extra juicy. I think I'll add this to all of them I roast at home. 
Roasted.
Ready.
And boy were were thankful.

Thankful for the weekend, our health, the food we were about to enjoy, but mostly for those we were sharing the table. Some moments I overwhelmed with gratitude...this night was one. 

Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: I remembered to thaw the chicken, so it was all good.
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: Change in veg, adding mushrooms, grape tomatoes, green bell pepper and sweet potatoes.
What I'll try next time: Getting started a little earlier.
How it Scored:
I forgot to ask for a score from everyone, but my guess is a round of 4.5's or 5's. Elliott asked for it in his lunch & Chas, who had already fallen asleep for the night, woke, came to the table, finished a plate and stayed. His favorite part -- the skin.

18.5.12

Skratch, formerly Secret Drink Mix

Skratch, formerly known as Secret Drink Mix

I only have a few minutes to share a recipe. Elliott and Chas race in their first IronKids Triathlon tomorrow morning and guess what is packed in their transition bag? SKRATCH! It is the drink that fuels these kiddos and their parents during workouts and on race day.

We also are fans of the Everyday Skratch. (Parents, it's more affordable if your kiddos like to drink sports drinks just 'cause. And it has much less sugar.)

Order it HERE. (Code TTRacing will help kick back 15% to TTR kids)
How it Scores: 5's all around

Make sure to cheer for Triple Threat Racing tomorrow morning. Because I'm a momma and because I'm super proud of my boys and the team and because Skratch and The Feed Zone keep these kids going I'll probably post a race review and some pictures. Here's a start. A few of the Triple Threat Racers in their new kits...

17.5.12

Ham and Cheese Burritos

Ham and Cheese Burritos, page 135

I had very high hopes for this recipe. As you are already aware, we are a family on the go, but we are also a family who tries to sit around the table for dinner as often as possible. Jonathan and I have it down to a science on soccer nights. I take boys to soccer pitch and either watch for a bit or go for a run, Jonathan shows up, we visit a few minutes, I leave to go home and prepare dinner, they arrive after practice and if dinner is finished we eat right away, if not, I finish cooking, boys clean up and prep for the next day, then we gather around the table, give thanks for our many blessings, share a meal and talk about our day. Phew, that sounds like much, but really, it flows well. 

OK, it flows well when Jonathan is in town. When he is out of town, it does not. (Enter: high hopes) Recipes like this, which are able to be prepared, wrapped and frozen would be great on nights when I'm doing my best to keep it together. Soccer is almost finished for the spring season, but triathlon is picking up. I know these will come in handy.

I did not change the recipe much, but did adapt it for myself and other GF folks.
I used an extra egg, because, well just because we like eggs.
I made the salsa fresh: grape tomatoes, jalapeno, red onion, lots of cilantro, the juice of a lime and salt. It was a nice addition to the top of the burritos.

I soaked white beans during the day with large slices of onion and salt and finished cooking them in the evening. Our family prefers rice to potatoes, so I prepared brown rice in the rice cooker to add to the ham and bean mix. I was unable to find burrito size wheat tortillas at the grocery where I shop, so I used soft taco size, yielding 10 wheat and 3 corn.
 Elliott with 2 of the 3 burritos he ate after swim & soccer practice. He also requested that he take one in his lunch the next day.
The GF version: ham & bean mixture stuffed into warmed corn tortillas, topped with fresh salsa & sides of plain Greek yogurt & a favorite snack - Chip'ins.

I love chip'ins(exclamation point) My great pal, Amy, text me a picture of them weeks ago. She knows I'm always on the hunt for new GF snacks. I bought a bag. And I bought another and another. There has been no turning back. I love 'em. And I love Amy. And it's an extra special moment when I get to visit with her AND eat chip'ins at the same time.

Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: not-a-thing.
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: Brown rice, not potatoes. A Mexican blend of cheese for straight cheddar, white beans, an extra egg and squirts of Sriacha for some.
What I'll try next time: not-a-thing.
How it Scored:
Elliott: 4
Chas: 3
Jonathan: 4
'becca: 4.5 (for taste, ease and hopefully helping on nights when I'm not keeping it all together and want to feed my boys well.)

16.5.12

Fruit and Ginger Cream

Fruit and Ginger Cream, page 254

Heavy whipping cream and my family are friends, great friends. For me it has been a growth process, but for my boys it has always been preferred. My mom makes a killer french silk pie. It's to die for, delicious! When I was young I'll never forget the first time she made it with fresh whipped cream. Having not ever had it and a lover Cool Whip by the spoon, I was unpleasantly surprised by its lack of sweetness.

I'm happy to report, my taste-buds have grown up and the thought of Cool Whip makes me cringe. There is nothing like fresh whipped cream on top of: scones, pancakes, fruit, warm pound cake, french silk pie, coffee, on a spatula as you make sure to empty the bowl completely - you get the picture. I am also happy to share, my boys have known fresh whipped cream since they were old enough to eat scones. The love fresh whipped cream, but also enjoy squirts of whip cream from a canister, especially when we play for distance. (please see note at end)

As I flipped through The Feed Zone for the first time, this recipe caught my eye. Surprised? Last night for dessert I served bowls full of berries, topped with cream. I made enough to have extra, because I had a scone delivery to make to a friend. Now I can deliver scones AND fresh whipped cream.

I will make it again, playing with the additions. I really liked the addition of ginger, but not 100% a fan of the liqueur I chose.


Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: St. Germain elderflower liqueur
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: Grand Mariner for St. Germain 
What I'll try next time: To buy St. Germain for a tablespoon or not? That is the question. I'm not sure I will, but may try Chambord or another liqueur or just use honey as the recipe note suggests.
How it Scored:
Elliott: 1
Chas: 1
Jonathan: 4
'becca: 3

Note: If you are a momma or daddy and especially if you are an uncle or auntie you must play this game with the kiddos in your life: Whip Cream for Distance.
Object: No messes and much laughter
How to play: Kiddo lays down on the ground on his or her back with mouth wide open. Adult stands directly above kiddos head with canister of whip cream. Starting with arm fully extended below, squirt a bit into kiddo's mouth. Gradually moving up higher and higher until you miss. If you are brave you can switch places, allowing the youngster the opportunity to make it in your mouth.

15.5.12

Wine and Soy Mushrooms

Wine and Soy Mushrooms, page 193

Elliott and I both love mushrooms, Jonathan tolerates them and Chas, bless his taste buds, avoids them. Always. I knew that if I served this as the main dish 2 of the 4 around the table would need an alternative, so I served it as a side. Because it was served as a side, I eliminated the bread which the recipe calls for the mushrooms to be served over.

I allowed these to simmer for much longer than the 8 - 10 minutes suggested, adding a splash of wine here and there when the pan began to look a bit dry. It seems to be the way I work in the kitchen; a little more wine is usually not a bad idea.


Kitchen Action
Lacking in Pantry: Nothing
Additions, Subtractions or Method Changes: No bread, extra wine, GF tamari for soy sauce, chives instead of parsley and chicken stock because that was what I had on hand.
What I'll try next time: I think these would be delicious with a red wine sauce too.
How it Scored:
Jonathan: 3
Elliott: 4
'becca: 5
Chas: Well that night for dinner his plate looked like this:
Beef hot dogs and his favorite, Cabot extra sharp white cheddar. He did not like what we were having, so he fixed his own dinner.

12.5.12

Page 101 in Boulder, CO

Our journey west ended with an added night in Boulder. An evening with friends; an evening in the kitchen and around the table. Perfect, only we miss Jonathan.

For dessert we enjoyed a favorite from The Feed Zone...macaroons. Tomorow morning we head east, home. It's only a 12 hour drive.

8.5.12

Olympic Dreams

We were honored to meet and receive a tour of the Olympic Training Center from US Triathlete, Mark Fretta. It is moments such as these, where dreams are born. What a gift we were given by our friend & boys coach Shawn who arranged for it to happen.
Mark will race on San Diego at 2pm on Saturday for 1 of 2 spots on the men's 2012 Olympic team. Go Mark!

6.5.12

Great Plains>Rocky Mountains

Fuel, coffee & rice cake.
Front.
Top of every hour treat for c & e, 1 pretzel m&m in every color.

5.5.12

The mountains are calling...

...and we are listening.

Elliott and Chas attend a school which used an alternative school calendar and currently they are in the middle of their 2 week May intersession. We will be heading westward later today to visit family, meet folks we have only known virtually, face to face and maybe even make a stop in Boulder at Skratch Labs.

We have rice cakes packed and wrapped, along with the waffles for some car snacks, so we are not leaving without taking a little of The Feed Zone with us. We will not be posting recipe reviews until we return next weekend. It is quite possible that we will be posting along the way from my phone.

Off to the lake for our first open water swim followed by a bike and run w/ TTR, then westward we go!




4.5.12

Muesli (sorta. kinda. ok, not really)

I'm feeling left out! I am unable to eat any of the recipes my boys have created. I am unable to eat oats. Yes, I know there are Certified Gluten Free Oats, but oats, GF or not, cause a very similar reaction inside my belly as wheat. This has been a fairly recent discovery for me and was unfortunately confirmed when I sampled every flavor of Bonk Breaker at the Galveston Half Ironman expo. I should have known better, but I have a serious weakness for almond butter and honey. From now on I will stick to rice cakes and ride waffles, which offer me no tummy troubles.

I thought I'd try to make a recipe similar to the ones my boys are making, but using cooked, chilled rice in place of old fashioned rolled oats.

Not really Muesli, Chocolate, Cherry
by a feeling left out mom, 'becca

 Above are the ingredients I used: plain Greek yogurt, chocolate almond milk, cooked & cooled rice, dried cherries.
It was delicious and will be something I make again in the future. I know it will be refreshing this summer after a workout in the heat and humidity of the Ozark Mountains.

Recipe
Ingredients ~
1 cup cooked & cooled rice
1/2 cup chocolate almond milk
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup dried, tart cherries

Method ~
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. If you forget to make it the night before, you can combine the ingredients and enjoy it after, but it it best after an overnight soak.

Review:
I'll stick to unsweetened vanilla almond milk, my favorite and maybe sticky rice. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't outstanding. It will be refreshing after a hot and humid ride or even as an end of the day sweet treat. If you, like me, are unable to oats and are also GF let me know what you think about this recipe. It is not from The Feed Zone and it is not something which Dr. Lim or Chef Biju make or use. It is purely the result of a mom who watched her kids make recipes she was unable to eat and her husband enjoy.

3.5.12

Muesli (Mango-Mango)

Today is Elliott's birthday, he's 11. Happy Birthday to the person who made me a mom.
 I love you more than you can imagine and pray that you discover for the very purpose you were created and upon that discovery, pursue it without abandon. I pray that in the world you live, play & work, you are a leader and changer, loving God and people. I pray you achieve the goals you have set with hard work, grace and kindness. May year 11 bring great moments...I love you, kiddo. ~ momma

As we cook and eat our way through The Feed Zone, many of the recipes have become meals we prepare with regularity. Last night Elliott had 5 of his pals sleep over. Yes, it was brilliant, birthday chaos. Yes, they were wide awake playing Xbox at 2 am. Yes, they played a combo game of hide & seek and tag around 3am. No, Jonathan and I didn't sleep well. Yes, they are still sound asleep in various corners of the boys & guest room, under makeshift tents. And yes, they had Feed Zone pizza crust as the building block of make-your-own-pizza for dinner. This morning they will have Buttermilk Pancakes when they wake.

The Muesli recipe we are sharing this morning was from our lover of mangoes, Chas. Last week the boys were talking about memories they will always have with their daddy. They both said, "We will always remember eating mangoes with daddy. The ways he peels them, slices them and shares them with us." Chas, our picky eater is a huge fan of mango. Here is his Muesli recipe...
Muesli, Mango-Mango
by Chas

 oats + milk
 oats + milk + yogurt
 oats + milk + yogurt + frozen mango
 oats + milk + yogurt + frozen mango + dried mango
now STIR!


Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1/4 cup dried mango,cut into pieces

Method
Mix ingredients above, stir, refrigerate overnight, enjoy the next morning for breakfast or as a snack.

With the boys still sound asleep, Jonathan enjoyed open face egg and greens sandwich, coffee and a bowl of muesli, mango-mango. I also packed a bowl for him to have as his mid-morning snack at the office.

2.5.12

Muesli (Vanilla, Banana)

I have zero pictures of this being made or eaten. Last night we received a phone call from my parents asking us if we could help out a person stranded person in the area. Through the magic of social media, they realized a the youth pastor, of a pastor friend, of a friend, of a co-worker of my dad's, was indeed stranded and sitting at a McDonald's 20 minutes from our house. His bike was broken and he needed to get parts in the morning. Until the shop opened he would need  a place to rest his head and my parents knew we had an extra.

With what little information I had been given, the word I heard loudest was bike? I immediately thought he must be biking across America and popped into action mode. We will put the rack on the Jeep, come to his rescue and introduce him to our cycling friends in the morning making sure the rest of his trip was smooth sailing. As I came up with this plan, my thumb* dialed his number.

"Hi, I'm 'becca and you don't know me, but because of a message on Facebook my parents read (I'm not on Facebook) and a series of connections, we got your number and are happy to have you in our home for the night. Where are you and can I fix you a meal before you arrive? Oh and what kind of bike are you on?"

The conversation was short, but I learned this, it was not a Trek or Specialized, it was a Honda and he was on his way to Oklahoma to attend a week long spiritual retreat. His trip was rudely interrupted by a nail in the rear tire and he didn't need dinner. Because he was stranded at McDonald's and had eaten dinner there.

Jonathan and our boys hopped in the car to go pick him up and I made the guest room for him, cleaned the bathroom, swept and mopped the floors, finished laundry, tried to tidy up the kitchen and in the mix of it all threw together the ingredients for the Muesli the boys wanted to try the next morning. At the very least I would be able to feed him a healthy breakfast before he left our home.

He was so kind, a beef farmer, fish and wildlife worker and youth pastor. Oh and get this, he lives with is grandmother. Not weird, but sweet. He is young and she is old and it works. He spoke so genuinely about her, so darling. He was kind of surprised, but so thankful we opened our door to a stranger. I said in return:  it's what you do. It's how we should treat others, with grace and love and kindness and yummy food like Muesli...vanilla, banana, muesli.


Recipe
Ingredients ~
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup white cows milk
splash of vanilla
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup banana chips
1 fresh banana sliced

Method ~
In the order listed above and in a bowl, mix well. Cover with a lid, refrigerate and in the morning you have breakfast.

In the morning I woke at 4:45 to make it to a 5:20 swim workout with some tri pals. I usually train alone, so it was nice to have people to push me during our main set. I returned home to kiss Jonathan on his way to work and bake 2 batches of scones before they, my boys and our guest, woke. The warm scones and the cool Muesli went well together. Muesli was new to him and he liked it. My boys thought it was fair.

I drove him around out little town and to the Honda motorbike dealership. They had the parts he needed in stock, which was an answer to prayer. He wanted to be on his way to the retreat and I couldn't blame him. We drove to the place where his bike stayed the night and would be repaired. I handed him a bag of  bike treats I packed for him: fruit, cliff bars**, scones & almonds, wished him traveling mercies and waved.

I trust he made it to his destination and for some reason our paths crossed. He said our gesture gave him reassurance that there are still good people in the world. Maybe he needed that reassurance and I need to know that the Muesli is a perfect match for someone. So far we have had more misses than hits for the @nimrodboys. I'm beginning to think they like their oats warm. We have 2 more recipes to try. Tomorrow it's Chas' turn: Muesli Mango!
Muelsi, Chocolate Chip Recipe
Muesli, Honey and Jam Recipe

*That's for you Amy.
**I know, I know. I'm currently out of rice cakes.

1.5.12

Muesli (Honey & Jam)

If this is your first time here, welcome. We are spending the week playing with the Muesli recipe on page 33 of The Feed Zone. Each day we are making it a new way and sharing the recipe with you. Here is a link to Muesli ~ Chocolate, Chocolate Chip which we shared yesterday.

Red, watery eyes, coughing, stuffy noses...allergies. Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? How do you treat it? With our most recent move, both of our boys have discovered whatever is blowing in the air is making them blow their noses, bummer! Saturday was opening day for at our local Farmer's Market and we were able to finally find local honey. A much better way to treat the sniffles, than Benadryl, don't you agree? That local honey is key in today's recipe.

Muesli ~ Honey & Jam
by Elliott with help from Chas
 ingredients.
 They'd been playing outside all afternoon and his hands were filthy. Teaching good food prep manners, wash your hands boys!
 First in...oats.
 Ahhhhh, liquid silver....honey. (Come on, liquid gold is coffee, but honey runs a close second.)
 Look at the grin in Chas' face. He most certainly scooped in more than the 2 tablespoons our recipe has listed below.
 As I snapped this picture, Chas was digging in the drawer for the perfect wooden spoon with which to stir.
He found it.
We used an all fruit strawberry jam, which is sweetened with fruit juice and as you have already read, local honey.

Muesli, Honey and Jam
Recipe 
Ingredients ~
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup plain cow's milk
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons honey, at least
2 tablespoons of your favorite jam

Method ~
Combine all of the ingredients above and mix thoroughly. Place a cover over the bowl and refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, enjoy. You may want to add a bit more honey and jam to taste.