Why Cream of Wheat makes me cringe

Apparently I've been obliviously saying dirty things since I was little. I was recently (and ever so kindly) reminded that my pineapple chicken and frozen lemonade slip-ups were definitely not the first times I've blurted out something wildly inappropriate in a very public setting.

When I was growing up, I went to Northern Wisconsin on vacation with my whole family (cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc). Every single summer we all packed up our cars and headed up north for a week at this wonderfully run-down resort (kind of like a rustic version of Dirty Dancing). My Mom and her family had been going since she was 12, so the place was pretty much in our blood. We LOVED it there.  Sadly, the place shut down two years ago and we were all devastated.

The resort was known for having handsome college-aged waiters. And when girls vacationing there were in high school and college, it was their turn to party with the waiters—sneak up to their cabin at night, steal food from the kitchen, drink on the tennis courts—AKA be a total badass (ha). I definitely had my days, but that's a story for another time.

So when I was 10, my sister was at the "party with the waiters" stage and I thought she was SO lucky. Our waiter that year, Pete, was SO cute and I had the biggest crush on him. I'd blush (of course) every time he talked to me. And I desperately wanted to grow up faster so I could be cool like my sister and hang out with him.

One morning, Pete came over to take my breakfast order and I wasn't prepared. I was too lost in a daydream starring me and him to think about food. So I quickly blurted out:

"I want some Cream of Pete"

He immediately burst out laughing. I quickly became embarrassed, but I didn't know why. And unfortunately, the whole table heard what I said. Everyone was laughing hysterically, but no one would explain to me what was so funny. So being the total crybaby I was, I burst into tears and ran out of the dining hall. I was totally mortified. 

After that day, Cream of Wheat officially became known as "Cream of Pete" in our family. And every year we vacationed there, the story was repeated over and over again. Even to this day, if I'm out with my siblings and see it on a menu, I'll always get a "Look, Pam! Want some Cream of Pete?"

The saddest part? I didn't get what the heck "Cream of Pete" meant for another 6 or 7 years (I was very sheltered), even after being tormented by the story every summer. I couldn't figure out for the life of me what was so funny about my tiny verbal slip-up. 

No worries. I get it now. What a dirty kid I was...

Breakfast of Champions

While on the subject of breakfast, I might as well profess my love for it. I make sure I enjoy it every single morning, without fail. It starts my day off on the right foot and if I don't have it, it's not a pretty sight. I get grumpy, tired, crabby and just generally unpleasant to be around. Yikes.

But I'm not one of those "just a granola bar please" girls, nor am I all about piling on the bacon and eggs. (In fact, I don't like bacon at all). I love cereal (obviously), yogurt, bagels and english muffins (I love the carbs). I get up early on weekday morning just so I can have time to relax and eat breakfast. I've even developed a little routine:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday....fat free yogurt and a whole wheat english muffin topped with peanut butter (organic) and a touch of honey
Tuesday, Thursday...fat free yogurt and a bowl of Special K cereal

And lately, I've been changing it up on Tuesdays and Thursdays and making an amazing peanut butter and banana smoothie instead. My recipe is:
-1 cup of light vanilla soy milk
-1 whole banana
-2 tbs. organic peanut butter
-1 packet flax seed oil
-2 ice cubes

Oh and I have an apple as a midmorning snack EVERY single day. It's delicious and nutritious. My friends think I'm a bit nuts, but I'm a creature of habit and boy, do I love breakfast.

They're always after me Lucky Charms

I love cereal. A LOT. From Lucky Charms to Cheerios, I love them all. And right now I am absolutely in love with Blueberry Muffin Frosted Mini Wheats. Since I've really been on a blueberry kick lately (which will surely show up in another post), I was more than willing to try this new cereal. I bought my first box a couple months ago and it was love at first taste. Even as you open the box, you can smell the delicious blueberry aroma wafting toward your nose. I could easily finish a box in one sitting, so it truly is a test of self control. Each bite seems to better than the one before—from the first crunch to the very last wheat-y scraps on the bottom (my favorite part). But to me, this cereal is a little too sweet to eat for breakfast...but it's absolutely perfect for a snack any time of the day.

So what's my breakfast cereal of choice? That would be Special K. Aaaamazing. For years I refused to try it. I thought it was just another one of those other plain cereals like Wheaties or Total (no offense). But one day in the grocery story I decided to be a grown up and give it a try and it's been a part of my complete breakfast ever since. I like it plain, with just a dash of milk. My only complaint is that it gets soggy ridiculously quickly. But then again, I'm usually in a hurry in the morning, so it doesn't have time to go too far down the mushy path.

My next big adventure is a brand new Kashi cereal I picked up yesterday called Honey Sunshine. (And yes, I picked it because of the name...it's just so darn perky) I can't wait to give it a whirl.