Chocolate Muesli Bar for My 50th Post & A Few Awards

My 50th post… a milestone achieved. It’s a little over 3 months that I am a part of this foodie blogosphere and yet it seems it was quite sometime back when I wrote my first post- Maavinkayi Chutney. I have made 44 new friends with similar likings who are following my blog. I am very thankful to them for being so supportive.

I remember when I was editing my first post, I was so nervous thinking is it the right post as the first post… and with all those mixed feelings, I just posted it, as we all loved the recipe very much. For that post I got 6 comments and I had 2 people following the Blog. I would think sometimes, now that I have started this blog, would I have enough recipes to post? But gladly I am still posting and still have enough and more to share…. As a matter of fact I have become more experimental and try many more things in my small little kitchen. My family has started teasing me by saying that we eat only blogged food .

I am extremely thankful to S for being so supportive . He would read each and every comment that I get for my posts. He would pick up trendy platters, suggesting that they are good for my clicks. He would also read my posts critically and give his inputs.

The most important thing that I learnt about myself after I started blogging is.. I can write and for this I must thank myself, because if it were not for this blog, I would have never realized about this skill.

If I see my first post today, I have come a long way. My friends in the blogosphere were really kind to shower awards on a novice like me. And today with this post I am sharing a few more, I am accepting them humbly and I will try that I do not disappoint my friends and readers in future too, and keep sharing new and interesting recipes.

I am extremely thankful to Padma and Sushma Mallya to pass me the Honest scrap award.

This award comes with the following requirements :

I must thank the person who gave me the award and list their blog and link it
I must list 10 honest things about myself
I must put a copy of The Honest Scrap Logo on my blog.
I must select at least 7 other worthy bloggers & list their links
I must notify the bloggers of the award and hopefully they will follow the above three requirements also.

My dear friend Priyaraj has showered me with a yum yum blog award, a giant bear hug award and 360° Foodie Award . Thanks a lot dear, I feel honored and at the same time humbled. It means I have to improve and become better in my skills.

You guys have made my day especially when it’s coming just before the 50th post. I am passing on these awards to all new bloggers, please feel free to take them. I am doing this because the last time I passed on the awards a few people did not even acknowledge it. I do not want to dishonor the awards as they mean a lot to me. I hope my fellow bloggers would empathize with my feelings.

Ten Honest things about Me.

1. I am a Sagittarian.

2. True to a Sagittarian, I am very honest.

3. I am an extrovert and mix up quickly but I am extremely picky about my friends.

4. I hate people taking me for granted.

5. I hate keeping any one’s money and at the same time some one not paying me back, a virtue I learnt from my dad.

6. I love buying cookery books and have a huge collection.I can read cookery books like a novel and keep admiring the clicks.

7. I regret a lot of times that I sacrificed my career.

8. I am a cleanliness freak and sometimes I go hard on myself because of that. Though the last few months I have been lenient with myself.

9. I am too attached with my personal belongings and would not like to share them easily, especially my crockery and my books.

10. I am a self learner. Most of the things that I have achieved is through hard work and patience.

Coming to the recipe. This is a recipe which S suggested I should make. The kids do not like eating Muesli, so mixing it with Chocolate helps me serve 2 purposes- make them eat Muesli and consume my chocolate slabs which I had bought in excess greedily.

These are very healthy bars with the health benefits of both the Muesli and the Chocolate. Chocolate is a natural antioxidant.The main ingredient in chocolate is cocoa beans - the seeds of the fruit of the cacao tree. Recent studies suggest that the antioxidants in foods may reduce the risk of many kinds of illness, from heart disease to cancer. Antioxidants like those found in dark chocolate and cocoa have also been linked to some of the hallmarks of good cardiovascular health such as enhanced blood flow, healthy cholesterol levels and, in some cases, reduced blood pressure. So should not we indulge in more Chocolates?

About the Muesli

A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of cancer and other age-related diseases, and fresh muesli is a tasty way to start the day with one or two portions of fresh fruit.

Oat products have been shown to help lower high blood cholesterol concentration (hypercholesterolemia) and thereby reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis and also

Products made from whole oat and wheat grains are rich in fibre and essential trace elements. Some types of nuts (especially hazelnuts) are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are associated with many health benefits, including the development of the nervous system.

All this makes the Chocolate-Muesli bar a very healthy combination to indulge in ,especially for the growing children and also the Mom’s to be. These can be given in lunch box or after play in the evening or to satiate the hunger pangs.

Ingredients for Chocolate Muesli Bars

300gms dark compound

125gms Muesli

2 tbsp unsalted butter

Method

Break the dark compound into small pieces and melt it on a double boiler.

Mix in 2 tbsp butter and Muesli. Mix properly.

Spread a parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Using the curved part of two spoons spread the mix into a bar shape on the paper. You can make round shapes also which I made a few.

Then even the sides and top surface as much as possible using the plain side of the spoon.

These bars do not have a smooth finish so don’t panic.

Refrigerate for 1 hour or keep in the freezer for 15 mins.

The bars are ready to serve. The bars have a nice crunch because of the Muesli . One can use milk chocolate or a mix of milk chocolate and dark compound. As we like the bitter version, I have used only the dark compound.

My bars are heading to CFK- Chocolate

This event is hosted by Hema of Salt to taste and is the brain child of Sharmi of Naivedyam.
I am also sending this to Food for seven stages of life- Pregnancy hosted by Sudeshna of Cook like a Bong and Radhika Vasanth of Saurashtra Kitchen.