robert wagner has nothing to do with this post

this morning i had a cup of cereal. the cleanliness of the bowls in the office is suspect, so i used a coffee cup that seemed to be made out of packing peanut material. it was the first time i've had cold cereal for breakfast in at least 5 years, maybe even more. during college i went on a brief kellogg's smart start kick, but i mostly liked eating it out of the box dry. usually what happens is that about halfway through a box, i get bored of the morning repitition.

however i was grocery shopping yesterday afternoon and decided to buy a box of kashi heart to heart. i might have been influenced by the recent new york times article about alternative cereals. i also decided i need to be healthier and getting donuts and brioches from balthazar bakery doesn't help my arteries or my wallet.

the key for me is the proper milk-to-cereal ratio. i think i might be mildly lactose intolerant. sometimes eating dairy products upsets my stomach or makes me very phlegmy. in fact i am kind of phlegmy now. i used a tiny bit of 1% milk - just enough to coat the cereal but not make it a soggy mess. the cereal retained its shape (circles and hearts) and the centers remained somewhat crunchy. we'll see how the week progresses.