Cereal Killer

March 7 is National Cereal Day, a time to celebrate one of our favorite comfort foods. Cereal, thank you for always being there for us, for breakfast, a quick snack, a midnight feast, when it’s 4:30 p.m. and we realize we haven’t eaten anything since dropping the kids off at school and we’re going to pass out if we don’t eat something right this second. You really come through.

Naturally, we at Sweatpants & Coffee hold cereal in fond esteem:

Capn Crunch cereal“Growing up we were a blended family of six. With four kids, it meant money was tight. We ate generic – a lot of generic. Our cereal brands were Magic Stars instead of Lucky Charms and Cocoa Bites instead of Cocoa Puffs. I had one cereal love, Cap’n Crunch. The crispy flavor, the sweetness, that weird film on the roof of my mouth – I know you know what I am talking about. Any time I could get it, I was happy. I would live for the sleepovers at friend’s houses where name brand cereal was the norm.

One Sunday – coupon day – we were clipping away with my mom. She found a coupon for Cap’n Crunch and it was on sale! My mother would hoard circulars, so we’d have about 5 or 6 of the coupon. I asked her would she pretty please buy us the Cap’n Crunch? I got the old parental standby: “Maybe.” Translation? NO. I lost hope for my Cap’n Crunch and continued clipping.

That following grocery day, as we walked the aisle I went to grab my ‘Honey Os’ and ‘Magic Stars’ and my mother said, “I thought you wanted the Cap’n Crunch?” I almost died right there in the cereal aisle.

We walked out with over 14 boxes of Cap’n Crunch. That day is still known as the Cap’n Crunch Windfall.” – Kathy

Honeycomb“Honeycomb cereal has become my obsession ever since I discovered I can eat it without a reaction. I’ll literally have a meltdown if we run out. I eat it dry, like popcorn.” – Kati Mae

“I have always loved cereal. Some of my fondest childhood memories are the ones of Saturday mornings spent over a bowl of cereal watching cartoons. It was my first real taste of independence, being able to choose the kind I wanted and pour my own bowl. As a kid I would eat 2 or 3 bowls a day. I loved all kinds, but one of my favorites was Lucky Charms. Eating marshmallows for breakfast felt like I was breaking all the rules. It is still my go to comfort food. Today, I tend to make more sensible choices and stick to Special K Vanilla Almond for my daily breakfast, but I always keep a box of Lucky Charms in the cupboard just in case I feel like I need the comfort of the sugary marshmallows.” – ShandleLucky Charms cereal

“After my mom entered her Jane Fonda phase and my dad started organic gardening, we were stuck sprinkling tiny bits of sugar on Cheerios. But in the olden days, I remember the colorful mornings of Cocoa Pebbles, Lucky Charms, and Fruit Loops that flavored my leftover milk.” – Amy

“Lucky Charms was my favorite as a kid. I would eat all of the cereal first and save the marshmallows for last. They’d always be squishy on the outside, from floating in the milk, and crunchy in the middle. But my comfort cereal is Frosted Flakes. They are my Dad’s favorite. I remember plenty of nights, after everyone else was asleep, I’d sneak into the kitchen because I knew he’d be there. He was always eating Frosted Flakes or Oreos. My favorite part of Frosted Flakes is the sugary, sweet milk it leaves behind. It reminds me of full bellies and easy sleep.” – Jessica

SONY DSC“I’m a cereal fanatic. I learned late in life that it’s okay to mix cereals, and I have a great friend who is a cereal mixologist. I’m more of a purist, however. I’m not gluten-sensitive, I love dairy, and I even love raisins. So Raisin Bran comes out in the top 5. Frosted Mini Wheats are a pleasure-indulgence. My favorites are Wheat Chex, Grape-Nuts and other plain-grain cereals like Cheerios, Wheaties, and Corn Flakes. I like my cereal hearty and smart, and sometimes sweet. Like my men.” – Julia

“I craved the cereals with the most florid food coloring and sugar because my father would only buy unsweetened, puffed rice from the health food store. Once, we ran out of milk and he tried using Apple juice and I never ate them again. Only my grandparents in the summer would allow me to have the Froot Loops and Honeycomb I so coveted.” – Jordan

“Cereal is my lifesaver. As a child, I loved it because it was the very first meal I figured out I could make for myself. I remember tiptoeing out to watch Saturday morning cartoons and feeling so self-sufficient as I poured myself a heaping bowl of Peanut Butter Crunch or Corn Pops. I mean, I was practically an adult. I figured I’d be moving out any day. In high school, it was study food. In college, it was the perfect late night snack after a night at the bar. FYI, cold cereal tastes better when you are buzzed on cheap wine. This is a scientific fact. These days, life is so hectic, I often forget to feed myself, and then bam! All of a sudden I’m starving and irritated and my blood sugar is crashing. Cereal to the rescue! It’s satisfying and delicious and better for me than the 50 candy bars I feel like scarfing in that moment. I do have one strange cereal habit that tends to appall people: I love it soggy. I will purposely let my cereal sit until it achieves just the right sogginess. And then? Milky, delicious heaven.” – Nanea

What is your favorite kind of cereal?

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