I'll say it up front. I'm a cereal lover. I can eat it for breakfast, dinner, snacks and supper. I could even do that all in one day, and I'd be OK with that.
What I don't love is sugar cereals - you know, Fruit Loops, Cap'n Crunch, Kix, etc. I used to eat them all the time, yes. But I recently bought a box of Waffle Crisp and basically ate the whole thing in one day because it didn't fill me up...and then I felt sick afterwards and was reminded why I don't eat that stuff anymore. Pure sugar. Yuck. Give me Raisin Bran, Shredded Wheat and Grape Nuts. Wait, what the heck are Grape Nuts?
Yes. Grape Nuts. Never heard of these? Well, if you didn't know it before, you know now - they ARE in the cereal aisle. That's the brand name, of course. They're called that because the little pieces resemble the seed of a grape and have a nutty taste. Hearty and delicious, they're packed with fiber and nutrients. And I've found the perfect recipe to make your own - these are even better tasting, and they turn out EXACTLY like the store-bought kind.
So here's a recipe for homemade cereal that's neither oatmeal nor granola.
Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home.
HOMEMADE GRAPE NUTS
7 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. brown sugar
2 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. buttermilk
6 T. butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. maple flavoring
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, soda, and salt. In another bowl combine buttermilk, butter, vanilla and maple. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Spread mixture into 3 or 4 9x13 baking pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees. Break mixture into pieces and process in batches in a food processor until tiny pieces are formed. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. Serve cereal with milk.
