Sugar Free Muesli

Inspired by a wonderful company in Australia that makes 97% Sugar Free Muesli which is packed full of nuts I had a go at making a version of my own.

It turned out to be such a delicious and wonderfully satisfying breakfast that I just had to share it with you.

I made a large quantity (3kg). If you want to make less then just adjust the amounts accordingly. It is basically 1/3 oats, 1/3 nuts and 1/3 seeds and coconut.

Chop chop chop....yummy nuts packed with good nutrition

Muesli Recipe

1kg mixed raw nuts chopped.
 (Equal amounts of Cashews, Brazil Nuts, Walnuts, Almonds and Hazelnuts)
1 kg rolled oats
200g sunflower seeds
200g pumpkin seeds
200g sesame seeds
200g linseeds
200g coconut flakes
Chop the nuts. Mix all the ingredients together and store in  airtight containers.

Hey Presto! Yummy Muesli

Now that I have 3kgs of the stuff I thought I might use some of it to make some Muesli Bars. Below is the result of my first attempt. They were very moorish and delicious tasting but ended up rock hard. I had cooked the caramel mix for too long. (I really think it's time to invest in a candy thermometer) To make matters worse I had made them twice as thick as regular muesli bars. I ended up hacking them in to bite size pieces  to ensure that no teeth were broken in the sampling of my fare.

 Mmmmmm..... Crunchy Muesli Bites. Not all bad.

My Crunchy Nutty Muesli Bars 

Inspired by the kind of Muesli Bars I used to feed my kids when they were young (thinking they were a healthy snack) I decided to add some puffed rice to my next batch. I was hoping that this would make them lighter and easier to eat.

Puffed Rice without all the added sugar and salt

  

I bought Puffed Rice in the health food section of my supermarket. It has 1.1% sugar per 100g. I carefully monitored the caramel  making stage and I ended up with Muesli bars to die for! 

My Very Yummy Chewy Nutty Muesli Bars

Maree's Muesli Bar Recipe

3 cups Muesli

2 cups Rice Puffs

1 cup dextrose

125g butter

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup Rice Malt Syrup or Liquid Glucose

Line a 25cm x 30cm baking tray with baking paper.
Lightly toast the Muesli.
Spread it out on a tray and put it under the grill. Pay close attention because the nuts burn easily (especially the coconut). You need to take the tray away from the heat several times and give it a stir around to enable even toasting.
Place toasted Muesli and Rice Puffs in a heatproof mixing bowl.
Place all the other ingredients into a medium saucepan and stir over heat until the butter and dextrose is dissolved.
Bring the mix to the boil and cook until (if you have a candy thermometer it reaches 248 degrees F) or if you don't until it reaches firm ball stage (when you drop a small amount of the mix into cold water and it forms a firm but pliable ball ) Cooking time varies due to size of pan and temperature of hotplate but it takes around 10 to 15 minutes. A good clue is that it's just about ready when the bubbling starts to slow down.
Carefully pour the hot caramel mix into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Place mix in lined tray and flatten it down with the back of a spoon.
Cut into bars when cool. Makes approx 24

A six pack to lovingly share with family and friends

Despite cooking and indulging in treats like this my weight continues to drop. I am happy to report that I have now lost 12kg. I still find it hard to believe that I have been able to feel and look so much better by simply reducing my Fructose intake.

My self esteem and confidence has also improved to the point that I now dare to share a profile photo of myself on this blog. In case you have not already noticed it is in the top right hand corner of my blog.

.....and here is another one!

A photo of me and the BBQ taken by me!

This photo is one of a series taken to go with my yet to be published interview with Body and Soul Magazine. Grrrrrr! The reporter initially told me that she would be sending a photographer to my house *thinking glamorous* but in reality I was asked to submit via email a few recent photos of my own. 

Enjoy this exclusive preview!