On Eating and Loving Food

On breakfast idiosyncracies

“I’m from Maine. I eat apple pie for breakfast.” - Rachel Nichols
Wed, 03/02/2016 - 8:15am

    Breakfast during the week, for me, is usually a bowl of cereal — Cheerios, Raisin Bran or Shredded Wheat (the full-sized biscuits — no mini squares or added flavors).

    I know (yawn), but I look forward to it every weekday morning. I work my way up to it as I feed my two cats, scoop the litter box, dress and apply makeup, all the while trying to not miss anything on the Today Show.

    I don’t allow myself to enjoy my bowl of cereal with cold 1 1/2% milk, until I have completed all my morning rituals, and am ready to head out the door. Then I perch on the coffee table and enjoy every mouthful of the cereal of the day, which must be eaten quickly to avoid getting tepid or mushy.

    When I say ‘cold’ milk, I mean really cold. I read something about putting ice cubes in bowls of cereal to insure that the milk stays cold. I did that for a while, and it worked. Then one morning I had a brainstorm. I had picked, and frozen several bags of blueberries the previous summer. I started putting a handful of frozen blueberries in the bowl, pouring the cereal, then the milk. Voila! Icy cold till the last spoonful. And nutritious!

    In all seriousness I have wondered if there’s something addictive in cereal because I crave it so.

    This morning I placed the frozen berries in the bowl, poured on the Cheerios, turned up the volume on the Today Show to override the crunching, got the milk out of the fridge, and started pouring. 'Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z.' A text came in. My friend Nancy wanted me to call her.

    I did.

    After I finished my cereal. Do not interrupt me when I’m eating my cereal.

    For people who work five days a week, cereal is a pretty typical breakfast. It's quick and easy, and depending on the type, and the milk used, at least moderately healthful.

    But after checking in with co-workers and friends, I discovered that there's a wide berth of workday breakfast choices. If they're all telling the truth they’re a pretty health-conscious group.

    Nancy (who texted me at the strategic moment mentioned above) doesn't have cereal for breakfast because she says it leaves her hungry. Instead she opts for toast with peanut butter or avacodo, and eggs, if she is up to preparing them.

    Linda D. has a scrambled egg and cheese and a piece of ham. No toast these days. Linda E. has oatmeal with blueberries (when she’s being good).

    Pat's breakfast is cottage cheese with fruit — strawberries all winter, and strawberries and nectarine in the summer.

    Kathy eats her breakfast on the run. She has a long drive to work — from Alna to Boothbay Harbor. Sometimes she inhales a banana, and sometimes an English muffin. When she has time and she's feeling especially adventurous she'll spring for some yogurt with grapenuts and blueberries

    Bill opts for cereal. His favorite is Special K with Red Berries.

    Sue’s breakfast of choice is granola, cereal or oatmeal with fruit, or a breakfast sandwich with spinach, tomato and cheese. Her husband, Jon, usually has a bagel, plain, not toasted, or a couple slices of bread. Basically a gut filler.

    Sarah is another cereal girl. She likes Honey Nut or Multi Grain Cheerios. Present favorite is Basic 4. She admitted though that she’s not above the occasional Corn Pops. We’re going to have a chat about that.

    Mike said he sometimes has a boiled egg, and once or twice a week goes wild with a slice of breakfast pizza or breakfast sandwich.

    Kevin said he forgoes breakfast, opting for just coffee in the morning. As does Lisa. I don’t want to judge those who think it’s OK to just have coffee for breakfast, but really? It just seems wrong.

    Our friend and co-worker, Zeke, who sadly passed away in December, usually had a cup of coffee on his long drive to work, but he once said if there was a place to get a good homemade doughnut between Friendship and Boothbay Harbor, things might be different.

    Dave said he typically will have yogurt and an English muffin for breakfast, and sometime mid-morning he’ll splurge on a banana.

    Steve, the new guy, stops by T & D Variety most mornings and picks up a bacon, egg and cheese bagel. He said this week he also had four honey wheat donuts from Baker’s Way. You wouldn’t know it to look at him.

    Judie, from Camden, has a boiled egg (in an English egg cup  no less!) And toast. She said she was making freshly squeezed juice from clementines while they were available. And my friend Maryellen, from Cohasset, Massachusetts, has this for breakfast: two prunes, eight almonds, and 16 oz. hot water with ginger, peppermint oil and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Every. Single. Day. (Insert wide-eyed emoticon).

    All in all my friends and co-workers are a pretty mundane breakfast crew during the week. Hopefully their weekend breakfasts are more exciting. I know mine are. (My favorite weekend breakfast is creamed asparagus on toast, with sausage on the side.)

    Suzi Thayer will be writing a recurring column about anything and everything food-related. 

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