Puffed Wheat

I haven't posted for a while, not because I haven't been cooking, but because I never feel much like cooking during the long hot days of summer. We made an amazing fresh pesto pasta salad for supper last week, the sisters and I (thanks to Yvonne's generous plantings of basil) and I think it was my favourite meal of the summer, so far.

We've been on a bit of a puffed wheat binge these days. I've discovered that you can make puffed wheat squares with canola oil instead of margarine or butter, thereby making them completely free of saturated fats.

I thought that was cool. What got me on the puffed wheat kick was a little place close to my house that makes the puffed wheat recipe with millet. Oh my, one does feel virtuous eating millet, even if it is sweetened up with gobs of sugar.

Anyway, here's the recipe:

1/2 cup corn syrup or honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1-2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla

Bring to a boil and then boil for one minute, stirring frequently. Pour over 8 cups of puffed wheat and stir. Press into a greased 7x12 inch pan.

Substitutions:

If you want to stay away from cocoa, substitute a few tablespoons of molasses for the corn syrup or honey. These are delicous with dried fruit and nuts. Just decrease the amount of puffed wheat or millet that you use and add the equivalent amount of extras.