What’s For Breakfast

Hey,CAPT CRUNCH, take a look. DIG 'EM FROG and FREAKIES are harassing GUMMY YUMMY and COLD MONKEY. Send FRUIT BRUTE and FRANKEN BERRY over and shoo-em away!

Yes, if you take a look at the cereals available at today’s market, you will find names like this! I can't imagine (when I was young) my Mom bringing home a box of COLD MONKEY or CRAZY COW! I would never have known what a breakfast cereal was!

As it was, I do remember, behind that grey cupboard door with the clear glass knob, were: a box of Shredded Wheat, Corn Flakes or Pep, and Rice Krispies. These were the dry cereals to which warm water or milk was added, along with sugar and fruit. During WW2, sugar and milk were scarce. Only the basics could be found in those cupboards.

My Dad's favorite was two Shredded Wheat biscuits. He called them '' hay bales.” Softened with warm water, some milk, then topped with brown sugar. In season, sliced strawberries, peaches or raspberries would be a welcome topping.

Corn Flakes or Pep worked for me until Cheerioats came along during WW2. I had to trade off the Pep, but that was easy. Cheerioats floated on top of the milk and stayed crispy much longer. The powered sugar I liked stayed on top much better. They stuck to the side of the bowl and had to be picked up with my fingers . . . not a bad thing until I got caught!

At the end of WW2, they discontinued the name ''Cheerioats,'' and renamed them ''Cheerios.'' A new name, a new box -- I was devastated. I couldn't be convinced they were the same.

Do you remember when you couldn't wait to find the prize in the cereal box? Many times the box would get opened in the car and the contents rummaged through until the prize was found. My Mom would go bananas if she found out!

I think I was about 10, I discovered the variety packs of 10 single serving boxes. Kellogg’s offered: three Corn Flakes, two each of Rice Krispies and Pep, one each of Shredded Wheat, Bran Flakes, and Kellogg Krumbles.

Many of our old favorites have come and gone. It seems everything I really liked got discontinued. After WW2, there were so many more to choose from. Lots of sugar coated stuff with goofy names. As I left my teen years behind, so did my desire for any cold, soggy breakfast cereal.

Names like Quaker Oats, Kellogg’s, General Mills, Post Foods will remain in our lives forever.

by Ray Freden.  Seaview, 60 years. Marshfield 70 Years.