Cereal Killers

My husband is a cereal killer. But no need to fear for me, unless I happen to find myself covered in Grape Nuts and then we might have a problem. Until meeting him, I thought cereal was just for breakfast, a nice crunchy way to kick off the day. After meeting him I learned that limiting cereal to the AM would be like saying Bloody Mary's are just for Sunday brunch - a crime! It is interesting to note that not all breakfast food suffer under such strict regulations as cereal. Eggs and bacon served for dinner? Delicious. Pancakes served right before you get into bed? Sweet dreams for you. Diners originated from people's need to consume an omelet at 1am. But for some reason, cereal never made that leap. Sure, there are pockets of folks who secretly embrace their love of such classics as Cap'n Crunch and Fruit Loops, huddling in dark corners at 11pm, shoveling hand fulls of delicious, sugary goodness into their mouths, fearful of being discovered with a Rice Krispy stuck to their upper lip. Others, like my husband, make no secret of their devotion to the boxed wonder known as cereal. Perhaps the most famous cereal killer out there is Jerry Seinfeld. He loved a wide variety of cereals, as evidenced by his kitchen cabinets, filled to the brim with cereal boxes. In fact, when describing Jerry, Elaine says - "Well, his life revolves around Superman and cereal." And what is so wrong with that? Do not let the clock get in your way of a nice heaping bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats if that is what you are craving. Take strength in the knowledge that there are others out there, just like you, daydreaming of a time when round the clock cereal eaters can come out of the pantry and into the sun.

Most people take their cereal with milk and perhaps some fruit on top. I prefer to eat mine dry with fruit. This is due to my fear of soggy cereal. There are very few cereals, I have found, that can stand up to a liberal dosing of milk. And the last thing I want to deal with in the morning is a bowl of squishy mini wheats. I usually like to have a sidecar of milk. Bite of cereal, sip of milk and you pretty much achieve the same effect as if you had put milk into your bowl, without the pressure of having to eat before the cereal's crispiness buzzer goes off and you are left with mush. Plus I have found that pouring milk on say, strawberries, tends to dilute their tangy zip - which I really need in the morning. The above are pretty much your only 2 options when it comes to cereal as a breakfast food.

After breakfast the gloves come off and anything goes. Feeling a bit peckish after your super healthy but uninspiring lunch of salad and water? Try putting some cereal in a standard size coffee mug and add a spoonful of peanut butter. Have two different cereal types in your cabinet and can't decide which one to use? Toss them both in - chances are they will go great together. Add a spoonful of peanut butter on top. Then microwave for roughly 15 seconds. Don't do it for much longer then that or your cereal may burn and potentially catch on fire. I kid you not, I have come very close to having a flaming mug of cereal just because I put it in for a minute. Burnt cereal is also terrible smelling and turns sort of rock like - impossible to eat. So mind the timer on your microwave. After 15 seconds, take your mug out, the peanut butter should be slightly melty though not totally liquified (this is where the cereal fire happened, I tried to get my peanut butter to go past melty) and add a bit of milk. Grab a spoon and enjoy. The crunch of the cereal is balanced nicely with the smoothness of the warmed peanut butter and than the coolness of the milk pops up unexpectedly adding some neutrality to what would be an otherwise overly sweet snack. Some of the best cereals to try this with are Chocolate Mini Wheats or Peanut Butter Cheerios, but feel free to experiment with your own combinations. For an even more decadent version add some marshmallow fluff. And don't limit yourself to just regular old peanut butter. Hit the food store and look for Peanut Butter & Co. peanut butter. This wonderful company produces such favorites as White Chocolate Wonderful, Dark Chocolate Dream, and the Bees Knees. A personal favorite combination is the Dark Chocolate Dream with some fluff.

Cereal consumption need not be limited to a cup or bowl. Those recipes on the back of the box are not just for killing time in between bites. In the mood for a cookie but looking for something slightly healthier than what the Keebler Elf can offer? Try out this recipe for Grape-Nut cookies.

½ cup softened butter
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons honey (I used agave nectar)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup flour (I used whole wheat flour)
1 cup Grape-Nuts cereal

Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add honey, eggs, and vanilla; mix well. Add baking soda, salt, rolled oats, flour, and Grape-Nuts. Combine until just mixed. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, 2-inches apart onto lined or greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2-3 minutes; remove from baking sheets. Cool completely on wire racks.

Feel free to play loose with the ingredient amounts, the above recipe calls for a lot of sugar products. For instance I only used 1/2 cup of brown sugar and skipped the second 1/2 cup of granulated. You can always add in a bit more honey or agave if you are looking for extra sweetness. For an extra special kick scoop in some peanut butter.

These cookies come out moist and flavorful. The oats give them a unique texture and the Grape-Nuts give them a nice, satisfying crunch. Because brown sugar and honey are used the sweetness is subtle and won't send you into sugar shock. This recipe proves that cereal can be used to make more than just Rice Krispy Treats.

Cereal can also be used to make other breakfast foods. I present to you, Whole Wheat Banana Nut Pancakes made with Kellogg's All Bran. Admittedly these pancakes do take a bit more effort than the Aunt Jemima mix variety, but the end result is totally worth the process.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Kellogg's® All-Bran® Original cereal
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/4 cups milk
1 medium banana, mashed (1/3 cup)
1/3 cup chopped pecans - Did not use.
- OR -
1/3 cup chopped walnuts - Did not use.
Maple syrup - We used agave nectar instead
Banana slices (optional) - We added these. Strawberries work well also.
Chopped pecans (optional) - Did not use.

In large bowl combine flour, KELLOGG’S ALL-BRAN Original cereal, brown sugar, soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In medium bowl stir together egg, milk and banana. Add to flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in 1/3 cup pecans. For each pancake, on hot, lightly greased griddle or large skillet pour about 1/4 cup batter. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown, turning when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve with syrup, banana slices (if desired) and pecans (if desired).

There is just something about made from scratch pancakes that conjures up images of sitting in a log cabin with the fireplace crackling and a blanket wrapped securely around your shoulders. Everything is just more homey with pancakes. The banana flavor comes through clearly and is nicely complimented by the cinnamon and nutmeg. Top the cakes with some strawberries for a tart contrast. We used agave nectar instead of maple syrup which added a richer sweetness to these flapjacks. If you decide to use agave as well, be sparing with it, a little goes a long way. Come to the table hungry as these pancakes are pretty hearty, but you will leave, belly full, ready to face the day.

Cereal is the multi-tool of the food world. It can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. It is one of the best road trip foods out there - it comes in its own carrying case and available at even the most desperate looking gas station convenience stores. It can help you lose weight or maintain weight, and assist in the lowering of cholesterol. Just one serving of Grape-Nuts can provide over 100% of your daily whole grain requirement and one serving of All Bran gets you 40% of your daily recommended fiber. And all you have to do is open the box and pour! So get out there and grab a spoon, your cereal awaits!