Cereal Killer

I've had a love affair with cereal since I was kid. My favorite sugary-sweet choice in the late sixties and early seventies was Quisp - which I happened to see on the shelf today at Target. While this generally tastes like Cap'n Crunch, the saucer shape makes it more fun to eat. When I was kid, I'd suck all the milk off the saucers and they'd sort of collapse on my tongue with a satisfyingly soft semi-crunching noise. In addition, the silly alien on the box was just more fun than the old guy on Cap'n Crunch. Of course, my brother - who would contradict me no matter what I said - liked the captain better, or at least said he did. This caused a row between us because we were then forced to take turns choosing the cereal we would polish off for the next seven mornings.

Today, I'm a fan of cereals with a lower kitch factor like Raisin Bran Crunch, Honey Bunches of Oats, and Almond Crisp. Of course, the one trait these all share is crunchiness. I don't go for cereals like Rice Crispies or corn flakes because they just get soggy too quickly. I want something substantial enough to hold up to the milk and have a little kick when I get to the bottom of the bowl.

Some cereals actually make better snacks than they do breakfast food. For example Fruit Loops are great to munch while watching television, and Frosted Mini Wheats - especially strawberry and vanilla - are a good choice for munching satisfaction since they take awhile to chew and give your jaw a workout. Coco Puffs and Reece's cereal are good options for a chocolate fix.

Jeff's favorite way to eat cereal is in bar form. Rice Crispies treats are at the top of his snacking list. Of course, you can make these with just about any cereal. Coco and Fruity Pebbles are both good since they're really just flavored Rice Crispies, but all manner of Cheerios also make excellent after school munching. Honestly, when you add melted butter and marshmallows, even dull cereals perk up the palate.

While Jeff will eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast every now and then, I think my son has inherited the cereal killer gene. He can whip through a couple boxes a week without even trying. We've taken to buying the stuff in the large, generic bags to make sure the supply lasts until the next grocery shopping expedition. Cereal for breakfast is fine with him, but he says the best time to eat it is after school. There's something comforting about a bowl of Crunch Berries bobbing around in ice cold milk. It's enough to make even the most jaded of us feel like a kid again.