To celebrate the idea of an abundance of fruit and nuts to welcome the new cycle of growth, I decided to make muesli. It so quick and easy and adaptable to what you like. I used what I happened to have in the house, and it could be as traditional or wild as you like. I used seven add-ins in the traditions of Nowruz, with oats as a base, which is perfect as oats support the skeletal and nervous systems. The amounts here are completely flexible. If you use 2 lbs of oats, with 8-9 cups of add-ins, the recipe will yield approximately 4 quarts.

Ingredients:

32 oz (2 lbs) rolled oats, about 8 cups

1 cup ground flax

2 cups almonds

1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds

1 1/4 cups raisins

1/3 cup hazelnuts

1 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup sesame seeds

Procedure:

In a very large bowl, mix all the ingredients together, stirring until evenly combined. Check out options below for some variations. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge to lengthen shelf life, or at room temperature.

Options:

Toast nuts and seeds (but not the flax!)
Soak nuts and larger seeds separately by type, then bake at a low temp oven until they are “dehydrated” and the largest items are not moist in the center. Soaking and dehydrating reduces some fat and increases digestibility by softening and removing nut skins, and breaking down phytic acid which interferes with absorption of minerals like iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, and calcium.
Spice it up with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, turmeric/black pepper, or spice of your choice.
Herb it up with ground: nettles, red clover, roses, and so many more.
Use it as a easy add-in for all the kitchen sink cookies.
Make it into granola with a touch of maple syrup, fat of choice, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, baked until dry.
Use it for individual portions of overnight oats where water or “milk” beverage is added overnight to get some of the benefits of soaking.