The sun shines brightly on this beautiful Sunday morning. The children are up and already running around asking when we'll be eating. "Soon", I tell them, as I measure out the ingredients into the colorful bowls purchased the day before and take them all outside to photograph for yet another attempt at writing this post. This hot cereal is a favorite in our house - the dried blueberries being the most requested addition to the cereal by all three children. Today was the first time I had used my newly purchased 4-quart soup pot and I wondered why it took me so long to add it to my collection as it is, in my opinion, the most useful sized pot in the kitchen.

Earlier in the week (on Tuesday), I had made changes to my original recipe (posted below) - adding lemon zest and pure vanilla extract, and using chopped walnuts instead of the sliced almonds. After tasting the cereal, I decided that the lemon zest and vanilla posed an overpowering flavour so I left them out. Also, after seeing Sagey meticulously pick out the chopped walnuts, I chose to use the sliced almonds - which appealed to him better. However, I do like the taste of walnuts with this hot cereal and will remember to chop them finer next time.

Sometimes it's best not to combine too many flavours.

Sunday's Five Grain Cereal

made enough to feed our family of five

INGREDIENTS

40 ounces (1 liter + 240 ml) whole milk

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

200 grams 5-grain hot cereal (I used this one from Bob's Red Mill)

50 grams wild dried blueberries

25 grams sliced almonds

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons honey

INSTRUCTIONS

Add milk and salt to 4-quart pot and heat over medium heat. As the milk starts to boil, stir in the 5-grain cereal and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, until mixture has come together into a creamy consistency (as it cools, it will start to harden).

Remove from heat. Stir in the blueberries, almonds, heavy cream, and honey.