Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Sweet!


January 13, 1973 was a Saturday.  I was seven.  I know that because it was the first of what is now the 36th Annual Sweet Cereal Day tradition.  Sweet Cereal Day in the Kamhi (and now Beeny) household is serious business - celebrated with every bit as much energy as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays. O.k., we don't exchange cards, but that just because Hallmark is not on board yet.  But, what we don't do in exchanging cards, we more than make up for in the pomp and circumstance surrounding cereal selection.

First some background.  My parents are healthy eaters.  Parenthetically let me say... it works for them.  They are both in their 80's and between the two of them, don't take a single pill.  My dad's foods of choice... yogurt, broccoli, wheat germ, nuts (soy), yogurt and broccoli combined, and have I mentioned... yogurt?  Just in case you're thinking yogurt, as in Dannon....  No!  My dad dedicates an evening every two weeks to make it from scratch.  No sugar.  No flavoring.  Just sour milk cultures... straight up!  As for my mom... cottage cheese, grilled vegetables, fruit, and when she is being really self indulgent... a smoothie made from frozen bananas, my dad's sour yogurt, and some fresh berries.

Naturally, you can imagine the idea of sweet cereal in our house was out of the question.  Shredded Wheat - no sugar - was our morning drug of choice.  My sister, Ellen, and I used to sit on our bunk beds and dream about all the junk food we would buy when we were adults.  "Devil Dogs, cookies, and ice cream," she would say.  "Soda, chips, and Fruit Loops," I would reply.  On and on we we would go for what seemed like hours.  Our dream world was a world where the streets were paved with chocolate and life's speed bumps were Tootsie Rolls and Snow Caps. 

Bohaks was the local grocery store in 1973.  Located in Great Neck - the next town over - it was often a family outing on Saturday mornings.  We loaded in the car and together made our way up and down the isles shopping for next week's food.  Behave and we'd earn an occasional ice cream cone at the neighboring Friendly's Ice Cream Store.  The sales pitch my sister's and I would launch, somewhere around the canned soup and vegetable isle, became as predictable as our weekly trips themselves.  "Come on, all our friends get sweet cereal."  "If you get it for us, we'll do whatever you want."  "It says 'corn and oats' on the box."  Try and try again, we did, to make our case, but to no avail.  It was decided... the closest we would ever get to sweet cereal was Raisin Bran, with sweetened raisins or Cream of Wheat with maple syrup.

Then came that fateful day in January.  Saturday, January 13, 1973.  We launched the same old sales pitch, but on this day... IT WORKED!  "Ok," my dad said.  "Once a year, on this day, you may have sweet cereal."  We couldn't believe it.  There was lots of cheering and dancing in the aisles.  Then came the serious business of deciding which cereal we would buy.  Count Chocula, Trix, Apple Jacks (nope, the word "apple" is in the title), Froot Loops, Lucky Charms....  We could have spent the day there deciding.  Ultimately, our decision was based purely on which box of cereal came in the biggest box.  Captain Crunch, it was.

I won't drag this out.  Most of you are probably already a little surprised at how something as mundane as cereal could be stretched out over six paragraphs.  I'd love to tell you about all the Breakfasts of Champions I've hosted over the years with various friends, students, and colleagues.  Or, I could tell you about the super-sized bowls reserved specifically for this day and the friends from all over the country who call to send well wishes - or better yet, who have decided to join in my fun.  None of that seems essential.  What seems essential is cautioning you about how much damage can be done to the roof of your mouth by eating a third of a box of Captain Crunch in a single day.  Shred it.  That's what it'll do.  The the coarseness of the cereal is a little like sand paper on cantaloupe (how's that for a visual?).

So today, after much ado in the cereal isle yesterday afternoon, my boys and I will enjoy our Annual Box of Sweet Cereal.  We'll eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, since as tradition would have it, whatever isn't eaten gets thrown away.

You and I could spend the day sharing which poison we would pick if standing in the sweet cereal isle.  But, yesterday chips and today sweet cereal... I'm worried you'll get the wrong impression.  Instead, I have an idea that is healthier and far more creative...

So, what random personal holiday do you have in the making?  For me, a simple trip to the grocery store has led to 36 years of celebration and memory making.  How about you?  Do you have a weekly errand, a life chore, or a quirky ritual you can declare a holiday and share with others?  Tell us what you've got and maybe we can create our own HLA new and improved calendar.  

It's 5:00 a.m. and a second bowl of Captain Crunch is calling my name.

Signing off until tomorrow...

 

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Man I LOVED captain crunch when I was a kid. And when I got it, I was so excited. I especially loved peanut butter captain crunch, and crunch berries, as apposed to the original.

Ill be back later for more on today's topic!

Kristen Giger said...

First off...

Cap'n Crunch is my all time with out exception favorite cereal in the whole entire world!! I used to buy two boxes at a time when I was in college. In fact, I made sure to eat it on the first day of each semester for good luck! I too can attest that cap'n chrunch has the ability to shread the roof of your mouth, however, like any other body part going through rigerous physical conditioning, it gets better and more accoustomed to the harshness of the cereal!!!

More on today's topic later...

Peggy said...

Odd ball here.... although I can't remember my childhood breakfasts, today I looked in the cupboard and there is:
Honey Smacks
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Coco Puffs
Apple Cinnamon Cherrios

at $2.50 a box (we usually purchase them as the loss leaders)

Everything in moderation!!! My 15 y o has finals this week and just made himself a fried egg....

I'll be back for more... but having sweet cereal in our house, is the norm!

Jess said...

You crack me up! I remember you sharing your sweet cereal story when you were here. I love that it is now a tradition. We don't have a tradition like this...will have to think on this one.

Katie said...

Happy Sweet Cereal Day!!

Don't worry, Peggy, I grew up on sweet cereal, too! I ate it every morning growing up.

In college, I stopped eating breakfast because I am never really hungry that time in the morning, but now I have started at least eating a piece of fruit or a bowl of oatmeal.

As for personal holidays, I don't really have any. I do celebrate (by myself) my 1/2 birthday every year! It's kind of my own personal party for making it half way through another year.

Julie said...

Just like what my sister said above, Cap'n Crunch holds a special place in my diet, my heart, and my stomach! Forget it being a childhood cereal! I just bought myself a box of it a few weeks ago, and stood in the cereal isle just this past week contemplating getting another one. I decided my box of Cheerios still had enough in it to get me through this week!

As far as for today's post, I'll have to think about it and come back after work.

And, P.S. Cassie P ... I have to disagree - regular Cap'n Crunch far outweighs peanut butter and/or crunch berries! LOL!

Claudia @ Highlowaha said...

Hey everyone... Who knew that 36 years ago my sisters and I simply stumbled on what is, today, still considered a "favorite" among cereal lovers.

Lots of you have promised to check back in with some ideas for your own - or our own - new holidays or annual traditions. I hope you will. This could be fun.

Anonymous said...

Mmmm...I LOVE cereal of all kinds and could eat it morning, noon and night. It is my true comfort food (I bet most of you didn't know that). I love honey bunches of oats with strawberries, lucky charms, fruit loops, cap'n crunch (especially peanut butter Cassie) and I'll even take the healthy options like Granola and Kashii...YUMMO for cereal!!!!

As far as personal traditions...I probably should infuse some but I might stick with my tradition started in college where my roomate and I would take the first day that was sure to be warm (over 70) and would call in sick to all of our commitments to take a "mental health day" and go play in the park. One year we just did a local park, another year we drove an hour to Lexington and played at an outdoor Children's museum park, whatever it was there was something about taking that day to play outside, soak up the sunshine that made you know you could make it through until summer. Maybe I'll start doing this with Lily (at least while she is young and won't miss much in "school") and take her to the park on the first really warm day. The bad thing is we have warm days in January that would meet my old standard of warm...time to re-invent I guess.

Cheryl Houston said...

Happy Sweet Cereal Day!

I think I've said this before but I'll just say it again since breakfast is todays topic. Let me tell you about little sugar donuts and a soda. I can remember my mom taking me to the local 7-11, picking the poison of choice and then I'd go to my grandparents house. (Where candy, ice cream, gum and soda were at a kids fingertips but that's another story.) Those were summer and weekend mornings. There were also the soda and peanut butter crackers. Still a staple with my mom. OR, the wonderfullly sugared cereals. :) I don't really remember having a favorite. I usually picked one that had a good toy. So... no, I'm not a health nut and my boys breakfast usually consists of Lucky Charms or Cinnamon Toast Crunch or even better, Cinnamon Rolls.

Now. I'll have to think about this personal holiday business and come back.

Cheryl Houston said...

Here are two things I've come up with though I don't think they are completely unique.

Last year, at the end of school I gave the boys a gift and thank you note for working so hard during the year. I think I will continue this.

Not so much a holiday but as for HLA, we have to celebrate Ray's Birthday. :)

Anonymous said...

oooh good idea! We should celebrate Ray's bday! and BTW, julie, I think many people would agree that crunch berries is much more fun and exciting than the regular. and peanut butter crunch is the best!!! so there! ;-)

Anonymous said...

Heather - I feel the same way about cereal. I absolutely love it, the sweeter the better. Frosted Flakes is a favorite snack food of mine when watching a favorite TV show.
Ya'll should see Ricky when he visits us each summer. He is so cute digging into the cereal everyday.
I can't think of any super special traditions that we have in our family that compares to Claudia's. Now, we do have a Happy Birthday banner that I bought for Daniel's first birthday party almost 16 years ago. Every year, I hang that banner in the dining room so the birthday kid sees it when they come in for breakfast. I may cry when it finally falls apart.
Susan

Claudia @ Highlowaha said...

Birthday banners, first day of spring, small treats for getting through the school year... these are great, but simple, ideas for finding celebration in life's small pleasures.

Keep your ideas coming.

As for Ray's birthday... I LOVE IT!!! Yes, Ray needs a birthday. Pronto. Maybe this will be the topic for tomorrow's Whack.

Get ready

I'm looking forward to hearing what other ideas we can come up with for celebrating the little things.

Anonymous said...

Should Ray's bday be the first day you thought of the idea of him? Or maybe the day he recieved his name? OR the first day HE actually posted on HLA?

OK, I do have one tradition to share, but its not a new personal holiday...but either way its kind of fun. Last January for my best friend from high school's 21st bday, part of her bday present was a tiara she had to wear that night when we went out. It was hilarious, and embarassing, but fun nontheless. Then, in August, when I turned 21, she kindly returned the gesture with a far more embarassing hat for me to wear on my head. It is in the shape of a birthday cake, with three candles sticking out the top. SOOO last weekend when we went out for her 22nd bday, I decided to continue the tradition, and bought a little girls princess hat- pink, sparkly, and pointy! BUT I also added the phrase "Its my 22nd birthday" on it with fabric paint. She realized as soon as she pulled it out of the birthday present bag that I wasnt goin to let her get away with her far worse come-back. I wouldnt doubt if, come next August and I turn 22, she kindly finds some awesomely embarassing thing to wear on my head!!! LOL its so fun though!

Kristen Giger said...

Last February 14th (Mine and Jory's first V-day as a married couple) we decided to squash that Halmark holiday for the rest of our lives.

In lieu of valentines day, we end up with two "J/K days" through out the year. Each of us picks some totally random day to surprise the other one with a gift or the night out. It is a fun way to still celebrate loving eachother without all the commercialism involved with the traditional v-day.

Kristen Giger said...

And also...

Schnepp Sister Power says:
Just as sequals are never better than the original, peanut butter and crunch berries will never be better than the ORIGINAL CAP'N CRUNCH!!

Kat said...

First of all, I would be such a party pooper on Sweet Cereal Day. I really don't like many sweet cereals! My favorites are the lightly sweet ones like Kix, Life, or Corn Pops. I know, I am a weirdo. I can see the rest of my family loving this day though since the sugariest cereal that I usually buy is Honey Nut Cheerios.

As for new holidays, I don't know. When I was a kid I invented "Run Day" which was June 8th (for no particular reason). On Run Day, you are to do as many fun, physical activities as you can. I remember riding my bike, jumping on a trampoline, and swinging on the swing set in celebration. I'm not sure that I have celebrated it as enthusiastically as I did back then, but I always remember "Run Day" when June 8th comes around.

Nicole said...

Hello! My name is Nicole and I was given your blog info by some coworkers. I'm a Resident Coordinator at La Salle University in Philly. I drop by your blog often to get inspiration, but have never posted anything. I was inspired today though because I have a very similar experience!

My parents were health food nuts and cheerios (regular only) were the closest we ever got to sweet cereal, EXCEPT on our birthdays. On each birthday my brother and I got to buy one sweet cereal. I always picked lucky charms and would eat all the marshmallows out of the box! I don't have kids, but I suspect that I'll continue that tradition when I do.

Thanks for inspiring that walk down memory lane...

Kristen Giger said...

On the topic of Cheerios...I took Jennifer to the docto's for a check up today and the doc told us that we can start her on finger foods...she got cheerios today!

Claudia @ Highlowaha said...

Yeah!!! A lurker joined us today and made a post! Thank you, Nicole. Maybe now that you've broken the seal, you'll post again. We'd love to have you.

I like the idea of eating your choice of cereal on your birthday. We got the dinner of our choice, but NOT breakfast. I wonder if I could negotiate cashing in on the 36 birthdays I've missed?

Julie said...

I've been thinking all day, and my mind keeps coming back to this, so I'm going to share it ... along the lines of "goal fishing" ...

I think that the first of every month should serve as a check point for whatever our "new year's resolution" is ... and if we find ourselves not keeping that new year's resolution, then perhaps take a month, and make a "stepping stone" resolution. See if you can keep to it for a month, and then work back up to your original resolution.

I hope that makes sense!

Claudia @ Highlowaha said...

Nice point, Julie. We will certainly revisit the topic of resolutions throughout the year. I will make a note of your suggestion.