Oct. 26, 2008 - Breakfast Cereal

My Influences:


Breakfast Cereal
yummy food

Right!
Back to the food stuff ...

To be specific, 1980s breakfast cereals!

I grew up believing that a proper breakfast was at least two bowls of whatever colorful and delicious sugar cereals stocked the shelves in Mom's pantry. We were allowed to eat whatever cereal was in the cupboard; the only rule: one box open at a time.
My dear brother Russell enjoyed tormenting me on weekend mornings by separating the entire marshmallow content from the "other" content of cereals like Lucky Charms then eating a bowl of fun sugary sweetness while I finished the not-so-enjoyable bowl or two of the remnants. Boo!

During the junior and senior high school years, the morning program began with a quick shower, followed by a hustle downstairs to figure out which cereal was going in the bowl. When I fixed up my delicious part of a nutritious breakfast, I'd either sit down in front of the TV to take in some similarly influential and inspiring early morning, before-school 80's cartoons or pick up the paper to read the comics and the police blotter (maybe even a headlining article or two).
The morning's cereal was always exciting to me; I can remember clearly many jaunty hops down the stairs thinking about what (evil) confection awaited my consumption! Would it be Frankenberry, Count Chocula, Boo Berry, Quisp, Cookie Crisp, Apple Jacks, Fruity Pebbles, Golden Grahams? (The list goes on and on ... Mom was quite good at keeping cereal content thick.)
After three bowls of super tasty sugar, disguised as any number of random objects, I brushed the old fangs and hopped the shoe leather express to school. I was always good and old-fashioned awake for the mile walk to school.

Cereal even followed me through the old USMC. My roommate always a had a good laugh when Mom would send a care package filled mostly with five or six boxes of my favorites. Benny came back to the room one day after the arrival of one of Mom's packages. Before he could turn the corner to see me sitting happily with a bowl of Froot Loops, he announced that the room reeked of sugar! Afterwards, Benny often referred to me as "The Cereal Killer."

It's a sad situation that I can no longer eat the wheat foods (and choose to avoid the evil cane sugar). I don't get to enjoy Frankenberry when it hits the shelves during this time of year.
No matter though, I will always have the extremely pleasing memories of digging through a box of cereal to pull out a ridiculous plastic glow-in-the-dark toy or a submersible, self-propelled submarine. I will always enjoy the memories of great cereal commercials ("It's Circus Fun right in your bowl, and your gonna wanna come flyin', With horses and hoops, balls and bears, elephants and lions!")

... it's really too bad nobody ever turned me on to a nice bowl of millet with raisins and bananas and cinnamon and walnuts until a year and half ago!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... thanks yummy breakfast cereals! I couldn't have done it without you.

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In case you're wondering, here is a list of my favorites. The number one spot is held by my all time favorite; otherwise, there is no particular order as my taste would change back and forth at any given moment.

1. Frankenberry!
2. Waffle Crisp
3. Count Chocula and Boo Berry (didn't like Yummy Mummy one bit)
4. Cookie Crisp (Vanilla and Chocolate Chip)
5. Quisp
6. Cap'n Crunch (Crunch Berries and Peanut Butter)
7. Buc Wheats (Great-Grandmom's favorite!)
8. Smurf Berry Crunch
9. Fruity Pebbles (there was an exact ratio of milk to cereal to achieve perfection)
10. Honeycomb

Ten will do for now, but I could probably do a list of top 100. Instead of ninety more, here's a link:
http://www.lavasurfer.com/cereal-guide.html

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"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."
~ Albert Einstein