You are cordially invited to add the many wholesome benefits of starting the day off right with a delicious bowl of cereal, Friday, March 7th, when National Cereal Day kicks off at the stroke of midnight all across the United States.
Some Like It Hot
Long before the birth of America, cereal, which was typically served hot from boiling oats, wheat, rice or corn grains that had been grounded into flour with water, was eaten for breakfast throughout Great Britain and Northern Europe. It wasn't until 1860, however, when Ferdinand Schumacher of Akron, Ohio discovered that oat grains, when rolled flat instead of ground into flour had a more pleasant taste, that hot cereal became standard breakfast fare in the US. Rolled-oats and rolled-wheat continue to this day to be popular breakfast cereals on chilly winter mornings especially when snow has fallen overnight.
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Kellogg's Cornflakes have been around for over a century.
@ 2008 Jorge Uzcategui |
Some Like It Cold
Originally intended to be a health food, processed ready-to-eat cereals were introduced in the late 19th century. Dr. James C Jackson of Dansville, NY is credited with inventing the first ready-to-eat cereal in 1863. It was called granula. According to the Encarta Encyclopedia, “It was made from a coarse, whole-meal dough which was baked into loaves, crumbled, then baked again and ground into small bits.”
American surgeon and the founder and director of the Miami-Battle Creek Sanitarium in Miami Springs, Florida, John Harvey Kellogg, along with his brother Will Keith Kellogg processed grains for serving healthy cereals such as cornflakes to the vegetarian patients at the sanitarium. Later in 1906, Will Keith Kellogg, founder of the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company, produced the now popular corn and wheat flake cereals.
Another inventor of ready-to-eat cereals was Charles W. Post. Post made and sold his cereal, Grape Nuts, in 1898. He was the first person to see the ready-to-eat cereals as a convenience breakfast food instead of as a health food.
New York resident, Dr. Alexander P. Anderson's discovery that rice kernels when exposed to extreme heat and then cooled suddenly would expand to several times their normal size was used by the American Cereal Company, now known as The Quaker Oats Company, in the manufacture of Puffed Rice, which was introduced to American consumers in 1905.
For these inventors, cereal manufacturer's and the millions of cereal lovers around the globe, scooping up mouthfuls of their favorite grain floating in milk is a daily pleasure worth remembering, especially on Cereal Day.
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Preparing your own brand granola is an ideal way to celebrate National Cereal Day, March 7th.
@ 2007 Marta Rostek |
Some Like It Homemade
Prepackaged hot and cold cereals, especially those loaded with sugar, aren't always on the receiving end of complimentary thoughts. For those who are disheartened by the excess sugar content, there's still a way to participate in this year's national holiday. How? Serve up your own cereal brand from scratch.
Adding or eliminating ingredients to a basic granola recipe, which takes only minutes to prepare and make, can produce a yummy and healthy breakfast cereal. For cooked cereals, adding fresh fruit, yogurt, and other ingredients of your choosing will result in a piping hot cereal you're sure to remember throughout the day.
Frannie's Granola
Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup honey
6 cups rolled oats (regular or quick cooking)
2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup wheat germ
1 ½ cup raisins
½ cup dried cranberries
Method:
Melt butter or margarine in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan. Stir in the honey. Add oats and coconut and bake for 15 minutes in a 350° oven, stirring every three minutes. Stir in the wheat germ and bake an additional ten minutes, stirring after five minutes. Remove granola from oven and stir in the raisins. Let cool before storing in airtight container.
Griessuppe
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 2 tablespoons chopped onion
- 1 cup Cream of Wheat or Semolina
- 4 cups chicken broth
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons grated American Cheese
Method:
In three-quart casserole, melt butter in microwave. Add onion and microwave on high for three minutes or until the onion is tender. Stir in Cream of Wheat or Semolina until well coated. Add chicken broth, salt and pepper. Microwave on high for 15 minutes, or until thickened, stirring frequently. Sprinkle grated cheese across the top, cover and let stand for five minutes before serving.
