Last Thursday was crazy. I had class until six and then I was supposed to have a friend over for dinner. I had promised her I would make something super yummy after we had a conversation about how seldom we get to have nice, home-cooked meals anymore, now that we are winning the heck out of our lives and are soooo busy all the time. You know how hectic things can get.
But then I got home from class a little after six and I hadn’t had time to go grocery shopping all week—did I tell you how crazy my week was? I literally could not stop to breathe, there was so much to do. I need to sleep for a week to recover. I knew law school would be busy, but a person needs a break, you know?
So anyway, there I was, searching through my cupboards, searching through my fridge, looking for anything I could make. I must have opened and shut the fridge thirty times, thinking that maybe something would magically appear. Even just a container of hummus would have been a start. But there was nothing. Or that’s how it felt, anyway.
You know how sometimes you’ll be working on something, like maybe a paper, and it feels like you’re making no progress at all? You just can’t seem to get anything done and the deadline is getting closer and closer and closer and closer and— you get the idea. Like this one time, I was writing a paper for my first-year small group and I had no idea what I was trying to say and suddenly the paper was due the next morning. So there I was at two in the morning and suddenly it just came to me, ideas started flowing from my brain onto the page and next thing you know, I’ve got a completed paper that I was really proud of—and I don’t mind saying that I got a pretty good grade on. I know, I know, grades aren’t that important, but they still feel good. It’s important to appreciate the positives in your life. I know I can struggle with that sometimes.
So that’s kind of what happened to me last Thursday night. My friend was due to arrive at seven, so there was no time for me to go out and buy something and I couldn’t order takeout because, after all, the whole point of this get together—aside from the healing joys of seeing a good friend, of course—was to have a home-cooked meal! And so, just for a second, I lay face down on the ground in defeat. And that’s when something clicked and I figured it all out.
The solution was so simple, but so effective. Sometimes the best answers are staring you right in the face. Sometimes you need to take a step back and let things wash over you for a bit. To paraphrase a sentiment I hold dear, you’ll find the perfect recipe in the end, and if you haven’t found the perfect recipe yet then it’s not the end.
There’s a real lesson here, I think. I was looking so hard for something good to make that I couldn’t see what was in front of me. I wanted so badly to be perfect that I almost ruined a night with a friend who means so much to me. But the second I let go of that kind of thinking, the solution presented itself. Sometimes you just need to let life wash over you.
So I made this recipe for my friend and she absolutely loved it. She said it brought her right back to her childhood, when simple dishes were a true joy; a time when she wasn’t worried about the latest fusion this or that but just wanted good, wholesome food. I have to admit I loved it too. I’ve made it a few times for other friends in the last week, each time to nothing but rave reviews. So, from my table to yours, I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Simple Breakfast for Dinner
Ingredients
1 Box of breakfast cereal (I prefer Honey Nut Cheerios, but you can use any kind)
1 Litre of milk (almond, hemp, or soy milk can be used instead)
Directions
- Pour desired amount of cereal into a single-serving bowl.
- Pour milk over cereal as desired. I find some people like a lot of milk, while some people like hardly any at all, so I like to put the milk on the table and let my guests pour it themselves. Not only does this allow people to have their desired amount of milk, it also adds a fun participatory element to dinner!
Estimated Preparation Time: 20 seconds
Serves: 4–6 people
If you’re looking for a side, see my recipes for Plain Toast or Bananas.
