The last day of 2009 – New Year’s Eve and the inevitable new year’s resolutions. In anticipation that some of us will wake up tomorrow resolving to eat less, drink less, grouch less, exercise more, give more, chill out more – at least for a couple of days – here’s a muesli recipe to start you off on your new resolutely healthy day!

It’s so easy to make: just chuck it all in a big oven tray and bake for 20 minutes, then toss in some dried fruit. I like to use cranberries and dried apricots because they look pretty, plus my nephew and niece don’t like raisins and I usually give them a container full to eat while it’s fresh. You can use any ingredients you like but I like to use health-foodie stuff that my family wouldn’t normally touch such as linseeds, wheat germ and oat bran. The batch I made this week uses whole linseeds but you will likely absorb more nutrients from ground linseeds.

Yoghurt, oats, nuts – do you find it hard to eat these super-health foods? Tired of porridge for breakfast? Husband hates yoghurt? Here’s one solution – Swiss muesli. It tastes delicious and is so easy to make. The amounts are just a guideline. You can use more or less of each ingredient to get the taste and texture you like best.

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup apple juice

1 cup water

1 apple, chopped (leave skin on)

1/2 cup almonds, chopped

I got these fresh this morning and have just finished photographing them on my balcony which is bathed in NZ’s springtime sunshine – it’s a splendid  day!

My favourite Saturday morning treat is freshly brewed coffee with frothy milk (reduced fat of course) and a croissant from the fabulous Boulangerie L’epi in Ellerslie, Auckland. Outside of France these are some of the best bread and croissants I’ve tasted. They use organic flour and make a range of healthy sour dough breads. But on an indulgent Saturday morning I by-pass the walnut, rye and grain loaves and head straight for the croissants.