Living in a Cereal World

Yeah, I felt like getting back to the cereals today. I'm almost through my Special Ks. I opened the box of Vanilla Almond the other day, and upon the first bite I thought, is this honey? Then, of course, I remembered what I was eating. I suppose it tastes like vanilla. And almonds. That really cuts into the vanilla flavor--but not in a bad way. I just realized that one thing I like about these cereals with nuts is the way the essence of nut flavor gets all the way the through the entire bag. Also, I ate too much. Every time I open a box of Special K I forget how filling it is. **** Bonus review: Last weekend I happened to come across Thomas' Cranberry Swirl Bread. And the name is not misleading: it really does have a cranberry swirl, in addition to the big chunks of cranberries. Also, the bread itself tastes buttery without putting anything on it. I don't know why Pepperidge Farm isn't making theirs this year, but, no matter. This one is much better.

I didn't think it was necessary to list everything that went on over the long holiday but I did want to mention a few things. First, this Jellied Cranberry Sauce, which I made for the first time. I've only made cranberry sauce one other time, in '10--and that was with Craisins. This time I wanted to try the real thing but in a way I thought my family would enjoy it. Like a lot of people, we were used to the Ocean Spray in a can, so when I found this recipe I figured, hey that's not too far off. It was perfect, and even better the next day. So I definitely suggest making it the night before to make sure it's completely solid. Ok, on to dessert. This was a pumpkin pie year for me, so I tried this one, from PARADE. It's not a typical custard-y filling, probably due to the corn muffin mix. Even that little bit made a difference. Actually it reminds me of a sweet potato pie I made last Xmas. Texturally. Spice-wise, it's intense, in a good way. We polished t...

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. We didn't have any extra guests this year, so I think we may have overestimated our sides intake. I may be trying stuffin' muffins tonight! But I'm actually here today to share my birthday cake. I had to make it last weekend because that was the only free time I had. I've had this Duncan Hines hummingbird cake recipe stashed away for five years, waiting for someone to request it. But no one ever did, so I finally decided to make it for myself. Yes, I make my own birthday cakes. Why? Because I want to. I loved how the batter smelled like snickerdoodles--maybe a little too much, as I didn't quite pour the batter evenly into my Bundt pan. It didn't taste like snickerdoodles, though; in the finished cake, the pineapple flavor comes through the strongest. I also don't think it would've made much difference if I'd used a whole banana instead of just half. I'd still label it a successful cake, though. Next...

Well, I finally did it this morning. I tried almond milk. I knew my sister would get around to wanting some eventually and there's no way she could drink the whole carton herself so I figured, hey, why not? And as far as I can tell, no ill effects. To be fair, I did empty the last of my Lactaid into the bowl first but I don't think it made that much difference. The consistency, color, and taste all reminded me of soy milk (still not sure why that tastes nutty) but without the throat "fuzzies." It complemented my chosen cereal well--Golden Grahams mixed with Maple and Brown Sugar Life--but I'm not sure how well it would work with a corn based cereal. I'm thinking Corn Pops or Kix here. But I did like it. Beats eating cereal dry. ***Oh, and I've been meaning to mention that my schedule is totally messed up right now what with Thanksgiving prep and all. I might not even have regular posts through Xmas. But I'll do the best I can.

Another one I can't believe I haven't reviewed yet. I've been eating Golden Grahams as far back as I can remember. At least since the late '80s, when I first had a say on what I wanted for breakfast. Does it taste the same? As far as my taste buds can tell. I don't remember such a slick coating, but then, why would I have paid attention to that as a kid? The sweetness is also hard to describe. The ingredients list includes "brown sugar syrup," which is probably I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It wasn't honey and it wasn't straight sugar, either. It works with the graham pieces, though. It does get soggy and chewy pretty fast, but that's part of the nostalgia factor for me. It wouldn't be right if Golden Grahams were suddenly extra crunchy. Also, the box had better not ever be any color other than yellow.

(Why no, I'm not afraid to go there.) Anyway, I wanted to share one of my favorite soups. Like I said, it's easy; it's also very flavorful. Oh, I guess I should mention the name: Chicken-Vegetable Soup with Dumplings. I remember as a kid I loved my grandma's chicken and dumplings but now I couldn't possibly eat it--way too greasy. So when I came across this soup I jumped at the chance to try it. You can use whatever frozen vegetables you like; I prefer to stick with the mixed vegetables. Yesterday I forgot to thaw them until two hours beforehand; just a little rinse and they worked fine. I have overcooked vegetables in soup before and it's not pretty. The best part of the soup, though, is the dumplings; they help thicken the soup and make it almost creamy without using a dairy product. Plus it tastes just like the canned kind--maybe even better--without coming from a can.

My sister came home (again) with a new pumpkin butter to try, this one by Meridian Marketplace (there was no actual website but I did find it in a fundraising catalog). It's on the darker side of the color range, like Dickinson's, but with its own distinct flavor--a bit heavy on the cloves. It tastes like what I expect Celestial Seasonings' new Harvest Pumpkin tea to taste like: slightly overseasoned, to get that recognizable flavor. It's not my favorite but I like it and I would totally try their strawberry-rhubarb preserves, too. In other news, in case you missed it: there's been a recall of Nesquik chocolate powder. Man, that takes me back. Not to product recalls or Salmonella outbreaks, but to my milk-drinking days. My favorite at-home lunch as a kid was a tall glass of chocolate or strawberry (preferably strawberry) Quik with a PB&J sandwich and two homemade peanut butter cookies. They just aren't peanut butter cookies if you don't do the cross-h...