Cereal

You've probably noticed I don't like to eat a lot of overly-processed foods. When I can, I make my own sauces, soups, breads, etc. Now that we have a meat grinder again (I gave mine up when I had a tiny Manhattan apartment and kitchen to match), we even grind our own meat (can't wait to start making my own veggie sausage again!).

I don't do this for any sort of food snobbery, it's just how I've grown as a cook. Why buy something when homemade is often not any more difficult? It can also be healthier and a money saver. The money-saving part was key during my "starving artist" days. Why live on ramen when there's a perfectly good farmer's market available, also on the cheap? Provided I have a little extra time, I just prefer knowing firsthand exactly what I'm eating. But I honestly don't judge on shortcuts. When I'm in school, I often have to take a few of them, myself. My former career, while demanding, was so much less time-consuming. I also find cooking is relaxing enough to be practically meditative. 

The one thing from which I've never really broken free is cereal. I'm practically Seinfeldian in that respect. I love cereal. It's a great snack or easy meal (It's not just for breakfast any more). Yeah, I buy the healthier stuff without too many crazy additives that is low on sugar (though I do sadly mourn a lack of Lucky Charms in my diet), but it's still pretty darn processed. I was absolutely crestfallen to discover that Kashi and a few others are from the cereal mega giants (warning: potentially disturbing content if you love your cereal as I do).

I think the only reason it bothers me at all is because I know I could  make cereal myself, I frankly just don't want to. Why make some sort of cereal paste, extrude it, bake it, and still have it not look like the mechanically made stuff out of the box? I've made my own muesli and granola, but they're not really my favorite types of cereal for meals (I snack on granola, sans milk), so why? I'd much rather have something flaky or wheat biscuity with a hint of sweetness.

I suppose if one is to have a vice, this is not the worst to have. It's not like I have to eat my cereal out of a brown paper bag in some back alley. But I still feel like I shouldn't love it nearly as much as I do. I think that's really the part I just have to get over.