Eating breakfast at Meemaw’s house was such a welcome change from eating breakfast at home. During my annual week long visits to her house, I was almost always assured a nutritious, delicious two-course breakfast that consisted of fruit and fiber.
At around 8:30, if I hadn’t woken up yet she would usually come around and wake me to say that she’s preparing breakfast. After taking a few moments to realize that I’m awake, I would slowly make my crawl to the kitchen bar, where I sat watching her prepare a half cantaloupe for me.
While I sat at the bar enjoying my sweet cantaloupe, she would be sitting on her stool, drinking her morning cup of coffee and reading the newspaper at the end of the kitchen counter. As my cantaloupe’s mass steadily decreased, she would begin the second course of breakfast.
Most of the time, my second course was what I wish every breakfast was like. We’d usually go to the grocery store and buy a box of blueberry waffles not too long after she picked me up from the airport. The two minute toasting of these waffles produced a heartwarming aroma that always made my mouth water. Blueberry waffles was probably one of my favorite meals growing up because it consisted of the best of food: fruit, bread and sugar. The perfect consistency and combination of blueberry waffles was a great way to start my day.
There were, however, those breakfasts where she was out of waffles. In this case, my second course was usually a bowl of high fiber cereal like All-Bran or Fiber One, different than most of the cereals I ate at home. I was used to Cheerios, Frosted Mini Wheats, Raisin Bran, or maybe Life on occasion. Those high fiber cereals Meemaw served were usually not too bad of a difference since there was usually *some* flavor.
Over the years, breakfast diminished in value. During my stay on campus my first year and a half of college, my cereal habits would vary depending on what the cafeteria had available. I moved back home for my spring semester of sophomore year and my breakfasts quickly became less important: breakfast bars or the occasional eggs and bacon that my dad would cook. I didn’t like cereal anymore and would never eat it.
As college continued and I ate more breakfast bars, I got sick of those, too. There was, however, one breakfast food I occasionally ate and never got tired of eating. Oatmeal is the wonder food when it comes to nutrition. You can make oatmeal however you want, varying the ways it can be served. My last year or two of college began my love for the oatmeal breakfast.
Since then, oatmeal has been my instant breakfast of choice. I moved so many times that it was just the easiest and quickest meal for me to prepare no matter where I was. Because eating fruit is a past time favorite, I usually buy fresh or dried fruit to serve with my oatmeal. Not only is it good, it’s a great way to start the day.
Just this morning, I ate a half cantaloupe. I can’t help but think of those times my grandmother served me breakfast anytime I eat a cantaloupe. They’re still very tasty, but it’ll never be the same.