Friday, March 10, 2006

"Life's like a bowl of granola..."

Have you heard this line? "Life's like a bowl of granola. If you're not a fruit or nut, you're a flake." I think I'm still a little high strung about the choose your own cereal box idea-so bear with me for yet another cereal post. Actually, if I can even present something in a coherent manner today it will be an amazing feat.
Chip is away at a golf show for the weekend {working at it- not just hanging out and browsing- so I totally support him being gone} as I mentioned, so I got left with one sick girl, another crying and complaining of earache and the other two wanting to bounce off the walls and be their ordinary energetic little selves. Fortunately I have an enormous amount of patience (or at least I'd like to believe I have more than some moms out there), after losing a child it helps to put the rest of your child-rearing years into perspective. So, I'm hanging in there, playing Deluxe Monopoly- which frankly I think deluxe simply means- "more pieces to keep track of or make a mess with"- but that's a debate I could raise with Mattel another time. So, I let a few things go today, and mealtime was one of those things. I fed the kids mix-match dinner, fruit & cheese, noodles and crescent rolls. Nothing glamorous. Anytime there's someone sick at my house I find I have a hard time making great meals. This is where the cereal part comes in.
After more laundry, tidying the kitchen, bathing 3 of 4 kids and getting everyone into jammies, I decided I should eat something myself. So I poured myself a bowl of Frosted Flakes and then I sliced up some strawberries and threw them on top. Here's where it gets good. Now I know some of you will be thinking, "What? She did what?", while the rest of you will be thinking, "I will definitely be trying that on my next bowl of flakes!" It's not all that weird- I just poured my milk on top- but then I added a splash of French Vanilla creamer. I can honestly say it was one of the tastier meals I ate all week!
I plan on having Great Grains with nuts and adding a splash of Butter Pecan cream next round. Or maybe I'll have Shredded Wheat and Hazlenut. I just thought it was a really simple thing to do- and it changed up my whole meal. So, I want you to try it and tell me what flavors you ate and how you think they worked together. Also, I know a lot of you do other funky things to food and recipes and they sound twisted or terrible and yet for some reason they taste great.
If you've got a favorite- little bit funky food tip- tell me about it. I think I could start gathering a bunch of weird ideas and put it into a Nitty.Gritty. cookbook and well, you get the idea. I could design a cookbook cover and add this item to my Nitty.Gritty. boutique. Okay. I'm now open for your ideas, recipes and comments. Go!

6 comments:

Unknown said...

I love mix-and-match meals! We do that sometimes at our house when everyone is really in the mood for different things. And when I was growing up, my parents were separated and several nights a week, when my mom didn't feel like making a big, something-from-every-food-group meal, we'd have cold cereal--and I loved it!! She'd never buy sweetened cereal, but a bowl of Cheerios with ice cold milk and honey drizzled over the top was always a favorite. So, when my parents got back together, my dad was not too enthusiastic about having "cereal for dinner night". (He grew up on a farm where literally EVERY meal featured potatoes, three kinds of meat, etc.) I'm going grocery shopping today (yes, I know the store will be packed--that's why I'm dragging my husband along ;) )-so I'll keep you posted on what new funky-food recipes I try!

Me! said...

OK Jody...you've gone global!!!

I know this is kinda weird...kinda creepy...but I have some tracking software on my blog...and someone accessed by blog through Google in AUSTRALIA by searching for "Jody Ferlaak"!

Now, I guess it's feasible that there is another "Jody Ferlaak" in the world...but hey, you're the only one I know!

Weird, eh?

Lain said...

Hmmm... the thing is, what's normal to our family may be totally wacky to another! But here goes...

My kids love steamed edamame. You can get it at Trader Joe's.

I also like Mini Wheats with chocolate rice milk on top. I can eat this at any time of the day.

The other one that is kind of a family tradition is pancakes with butter and powdered sugar instead of syrup. My husband started this one, and the kids love it -- but it makes quite a mess!

My sister-in-law swears by orange sections sprinkled with a little sugar for when someone is sick.

Can't wait to hear what everyone else comes up with!
xoox
L

Shannon said...

My favorite food "thing" is a grilled cheese sandwich with mayo and pickles. Mmmmmm!

Unknown said...

Ok, the whole coffee-creamer on cereal sounded good, so I tried French Vanilla and Cinnamon Vanilla Creme on Raisin Nut Bran---delicious!! Another variation to grilled cheese: put grape jelly on top, it's really good!

Anonymous said...

1.you take a slice of bread
2.take a spoon
3.take the cream jar/whatever you keep it in, from the fridge/wherever you keep it
4.with the spoon put some cream on the slice of bread. as much as you prefere
5.hope you have honey
6.if you do, add some on the slice of bread that by now should be wih cream on it.

enjoy it. (if you see this, of course :) ).