Thank you to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post!
One of the best feelings in the world is getting a care package from someone you love. The first time I got one was when I studied abroad in Nanjing, China, 9 years ago. According to Google maps, I was 6,204 miles from San Francisco. In other words, I was far, far away from home. It was my first time setting foot on China (let alone living there), and I had no idea what I was in for.
My brother happened to travel to China while I studied abroad, and my family convinced him to schlep over a care package. In no particular order of importance, I got 40 energy bars, 2 bags of ground coffee, snow boots, a large coat and, of course, CHOCOLATE! I was ecstatic when I saw the goodies. However, it also felt odd seeing all these American products in my possession all of a sudden.
Needless to say, I felt loved.
Now that my nephew is away to college, I’m starting to think more about making care packages again. That’s why I’ve partnered with Bob’s Red Mill to design a delicious and nutritious care package that you can give to your friends and family—anyone who could use some extra love, really.
Breakfast is the most important meal because it fuels me for the entire day. That’s why I came up with this breakfast-themed care package, designed to nourish your loved ones. It’s modeled after the breakfast muesli that I usually eat on the weekdays. I packed 2 bags of the tropical muesli (I love the macadamia nuts and fruit chunks), a bag of shredded coconut, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds in the box. That’s good enough for about a month’s worth of breakfasts.
The overnight apple muesli is very easy to make—just throw all the ingredients together into a container, stir and refrigerate. It usually takes me no more than 5 minutes to prepare the night before. The muesli is topped with crisp chopped apples that are gently tossed with spices and a light drizzle of maple syrup. It truly is a tasty, nourishing dish to jumpstart your day!
COOKING NOTES FOR APPLE MUESLI
- Variations: In this recipe, I use 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and 1/2 cup of low-fat kefir to soak the muesli overnight. You can use any combination of your favorite yogurt or milk that you enjoy. Note that if you are using non-fat Greek yogurt, you will want to blend it with something runnier, such as kefir or milk. I tried using 1 cup of non-fat Greek yogurt once, and the texture of the muesli was chalky.
- Flavorings: Besides cinnamon, I like flavoring the muesli with orange zest or dried culinary lavender.
MORE RECIPES WITH BOB’S RED MILL
- Pumpkin Millet Porridge
- How to Make Milk Bread
- Gluten-Free Crystal Skin Dumplings
- Baked Char Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Buns)
Cinnamon and Cardamom Apple Muesli
Ingredients
Muesli
- 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free tropical muesli
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup low-fat kefir
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
Cinnamon & Cardamom Apples
- 2 medium apples, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings
- 1 tablespoon shredded coconut, toasted
- pumpkin seeds
- dried cranberries
Instructions
- You can make the recipe as one big batch or in two on-the-go containers. To make one large portion, thoroughly mix all the muesli ingredients in one container and refrigerate overnight. To make two separate servings, divide the muesli ingredients between two jars, stir and refrigerate.
- When you are ready to eat the muesli, chop the apples into 1/2-inch chunks. Toss the apples with the lemon juice, cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla.
- Serve the muesli topped with the spiced apples, toasted coconut, pumpkin seeds and cranberries.
Notes
- Prepping the apples ahead: Because the apples are tossed with lemon juice, you can prep them the night before and the apples shouldn’t brown too much.
- Toasting coconut: To toast the coconut, throw it on a pan over medium heat. Let the coconut toast until lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Variations: In this recipe, I use 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and 1/2 cup of low-fat kefir to soak the muesli overnight. You can use any combination of your favorite yogurt or milk that you enjoy. Note that if you are using non-fat Greek yogurt, you will want to blend it with something runnier, such as kefir or milk. I tried using 1 cup of non-fat Greek yogurt once, and the texture of the muesli was chalky.
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill! To learn more about their products and to get more recipe inspiration, follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
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