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It’s time for your weekly dose of delicious content, a tasty treat for your ears, packed with wholesomeness! Indulge in a hearty serving of Lileks! Pour yourself a serving of “The Diner” – it’s the most satisfying way to kickstart your day!
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My blood glucose hit 325 after listening to this episode.
Grape Nuts??
The only proper way to eat cereal in a restaurant is from the Kellogg’s variety pack box. And hope that the wax paper doesn’t leak.
It’s actually waxED paper.
I’m five or ten years James’ junior and we learned that Mikey died from Pop Rocks and pop exploding in his stomach. Weird that Mikey dying was a thing for a while.
In reality Mikey ended up as Director of Media Sales for Madison Square Garden.
Am I mistaken or were The New Country Cornflakes Singers blacklisted along with Pete Seeger, Fred Hayes et al during the Red Scare? (They never appeared on Hootenanny.)
One more thing, no love for King Vitaman? Got something against the morning monarch and the divine right of kings?
After 45 minutes I figured I’d better drink the milk and put the bowl in the sink, so to speak. I knew I’d get dinged for not mentioning some faves. ;) Including Sugar-Frosted Dings.
Thoroughly enjoyed this episode as I was taking my morning stroll. The only major omission I thought of was the “Monster Cereals”, and how Count Chocula and Frankenberry (remember, “Frankenberry” is the scientist, and not the monster…) got all the commercial airtime and Boo-Berry seemed to be just an afterthought. Wasn’t there also a werewolf cereal as well?
I grew up as one of those “poor kids” whose mother believed that children should have as little sugar as possible, so Cheerios was probably the most sweetened cereal we had – maybe the occasional Frosted Mini-Wheats. But my grandmother, saint that she was, had a cupboard full of all the forbidden cereals for when we would visit.
Am I the only person who likes Life cereal?
The talk about breakfast cereals brought sooooo many memories back to the surface. Thanks, James!
Mikey, is that you?
Anyone remember the balloting for which cereal should remain on the shelves, Quisp or Quake… [haven’t listened yet, hope it wasn’t mentioned]
Just remembered Dig ‘Em Smacks…Cookie Crisp…. I guess I ate too many back then.
I like Life cereal. One of my favorites.
Shredded wheat was like mini hay bales.
My mama used to fix them with hot water and butter. Mmmmmm, good.
Some people actually fry them in butter.
But with cold milk? No, thank you.
I like them when they are allowed to soak in the milk for several minutes.
I had Life again this morning, actually. But just the regular, I never get the cinnamon.
When I was a kid, mom would serve Grape Nuts cereal by first adding some hot water to soften them up, then add milk. If you tried to eat them without doing that I think they could break teeth.
But I think using water dilutes the flavor, so I use hot milk.
I don’t like them at all, but for people who do, they really should get the frosted ones.
Oh, and can’t believe nobody else did this first:
And, of course:
A classic!
When our two girls were in elementary school, they wanted us to buy the heavily advertised sugar-ladened cereals. In a moment of unpremeditated wisdom, I told them that those were Saturday cereals. Each month they could pick a Saturday cereal at the grocery store. Every week they looked forward to a real treat on Saturday mornings.
I am not sure if this practice is the only reason, but both of them have become discriminating shoppers.
Between them they have 7 kids. And guess what their kids call sugar cereals?
@jameslileks
You forgot the creative line for this cereal that is used in level 100 Logic classes in college today.
Honeycomb is big, yah, yah, yah. It’s not small, no, no, no
Big big taste in a big big bite.
Half Grape Nuts, half oatmeal, pour in some milk, then microwave. Add honey, sugar or syrup to taste. Very good.
I grew up on a farm and we got our milk from a local dairy. Only thing done to it was filtering. After a few days, the cream would rise to the top and mom would skim it off. That stuff was great with Grape Nuts. A thick concoction. Don’t remember ever trying Grape Nuts with plain milk.
Raw milk? Today your parents would be reported to Child Protective Services.
Yep. Sad.
I won’t be the husband in the “Bet he’s thinking of other women” meme. A recent one is, “I wonder if I’ve ever bought milk from the same cow?” I know I have. It is an interesting thought though for the mass quantities sold at a grocery store.
On cereals of the past, Mr. Lileks, do you have any opinions on Kaboom! ?