My grandfather always told me how important breakfast was. As a child I ate breakfast every morning and continued into young adulthood. As my life got busier and busier, I would skip it from time to time until my mid-20’s when I finally just gave up, too much to do. Maybe you recognize yourself here?
I remember visiting my grandfather for a weekend when I was in my late 20’s. I loved that man but he got me out of bed at 5AM so I could have a good breakfast. I moaned and complained. He reminded me that the word breakfast broken down to its root means to break your fast from the long night. I smiled and joined him for breakfast.
This was a very long time ago and breakfast meant 2 or more eggs, hash browns or cottage fries, ham or bacon or sausage, sometimes all three plus toast or pancakes. Usually you also had a bowl of cereal or fruit with this. Then don’t forget the coffee plus milk and orange juice. This breakfast really took some serious time, not just to create but also to eat.
Breakfast doesn’t usually mean this anymore. A whole new world of breaking the fast has opened up to us. For many of us, this is another secret to start your day. Usually, these days I will start my day with a bowl of hot cereal topped with berries or fruit and a glass of juice and milk. It is quick, very satisfying and you don’t feel like your whole day has gone.
My favorites are Corn Meal Mush (4 parts water to 1 part cereal), a whole grain cereal. Quick grits: every time I eat this, I think about the movie, “My Cousin Vinnie”, another whole grain cereal (3 parts water to 1 part cereal). Oatmeal, a traditional standby and a whole grain cereal (2 parts water to one part cereal). The other one is called by various names, Locally to me it is called Bear Mush or Cream of Wheat. This is not a whole grain cereal but is quite tasty (4 parts water to one part cereal). All of these taste best with a pinch of salt.
Having eaten simple breakfasts like this for many years and being a person who loves to experiment in the kitchen, I have found some ways to cook these cereals that are quicker and more tasty than the directions on the package. This secret will change your life, at least it will change your morning.
Don’t buy the quick or instant oatmeal. The regular oatmeal is so much easier, tastier and faster if you ignore the instructions and do it this way. Put the oatmeal in the pot first, then the cold water. 2 parts water to 1 part oatmeal plus a pinch of salt. Your oatmeal will be creamier and will cook in 2 1/2 minutes instead of 5 minutes. You can cut this time even further by using the microwave. Cook it right in your bowl, just one minute at a time until it’s done.
When you follow the instructions you will boil the water first, then add the cereal. In fact the corn meal mush instructions call for you to split the water portion into 4 equal parts, boil 3 parts and mix the other part with the dry cereal, then add to the boiling water. Really!! I’m not kidding you!
I have found that putting the cereal in first then adding cold water for all of them, reduced the cooking time, reduced the amount of dishes you have to do and eliminates all lumps, talk about benefits!
If you haven’t thought it all the way through yet. This is the old way; Measure and put the cold water into a pan, bring to a boil. Now you have to measure and add the dry ingredients. You have to either try to dry your measuring cup, that never works, or get out another one. Get real and try it my way.
