1 The Cereal Milk
n; def.: The milk left-over in the cereal bowl (or mug OR GLASS) / cereal container after the cereal has been consumed; can contain small bits of cereal. Often, as in the case of sweet "sugar cereals," cereal milk takes on the flavor of the cereal itself (chocolate, cinnamon, "fruity," bran-y).
Standards and Deviations
I was raised to believe/with the belief that the cereal milk is nothing more than a formality with which one must deal after the consumption of a bowl of cereal, much like the placenta, minus the act of birth. I was shocked and disgusted when a babysitter suggested/demanded that I "finish my cereal" by drinking the dreaded cereal milk. As I grew older, I found my own way to sugar cereals (all but forbidden in my household) and, with it, found a new appreciation for the cereal milk. (Milk that tastes like frosted flakes? Has little bits of shredded wheat/frosting in it? Don't wake me from this dream).
Some of my contemporaries believe that the cereal milk is vile in principle, and that the (necessary) purity of the milk has been corrupted--that it is the very contrast between the cereal and the milk that makes the experience enjoyable. I will more than grant that contrast and opposition are two huge factors in the enjoyment of cereal, and the very fact of its being enjoyable. The crunch of a dry flake with the cool, creaminess of milk (preferably soy; this issue will not presently be addressed); the sweetness of a frosted flake with the grainy flavor of a corn or even rice flake; the hollow crispness of a rice puff with the hearty crunch of an oat cluster. It's possible that it could follow from a love of these contrasts that the aftermath-amalgamation of cereal flavor and milk, combined with the fact of the milk's inevitable creeping-towards-room-temperature, would be antithetical to the cereal experience (put more gently, "not prefereable;" less so, "reprehensible.") I, however, don't draw this line. Maybe that's because whenever there's milk leftover, I usually just add more cereal. No matter! The issue of the cereal milk is a contentious one, and my final verdict is this: drink the cereal milk if you wish--I won't think less of you. But if you don't want to drink the cereal milk, hey--you're alright with me.
I was raised to believe/with the belief that the cereal milk is nothing more than a formality with which one must deal after the consumption of a bowl of cereal, much like the placenta, minus the act of birth. I was shocked and disgusted when a babysitter suggested/demanded that I "finish my cereal" by drinking the dreaded cereal milk. As I grew older, I found my own way to sugar cereals (all but forbidden in my household) and, with it, found a new appreciation for the cereal milk. (Milk that tastes like frosted flakes? Has little bits of shredded wheat/frosting in it? Don't wake me from this dream).
Some of my contemporaries believe that the cereal milk is vile in principle, and that the (necessary) purity of the milk has been corrupted--that it is the very contrast between the cereal and the milk that makes the experience enjoyable. I will more than grant that contrast and opposition are two huge factors in the enjoyment of cereal, and the very fact of its being enjoyable. The crunch of a dry flake with the cool, creaminess of milk (preferably soy; this issue will not presently be addressed); the sweetness of a frosted flake with the grainy flavor of a corn or even rice flake; the hollow crispness of a rice puff with the hearty crunch of an oat cluster. It's possible that it could follow from a love of these contrasts that the aftermath-amalgamation of cereal flavor and milk, combined with the fact of the milk's inevitable creeping-towards-room-temperature, would be antithetical to the cereal experience (put more gently, "not prefereable;" less so, "reprehensible.") I, however, don't draw this line. Maybe that's because whenever there's milk leftover, I usually just add more cereal. No matter! The issue of the cereal milk is a contentious one, and my final verdict is this: drink the cereal milk if you wish--I won't think less of you. But if you don't want to drink the cereal milk, hey--you're alright with me.
2 comments:
Not too sure if your definition holds true!
One may own a 'CrumbCatcher' cereal dispenser (take a look at www.storefresh.co.uk). Now the cereal milk is pure and sweet, a delight to consume.
OK, I am the inventor, so a little biased, but hey, if you've got it, flaunt it!
You are going to get hell for this soy milk thing, sooner or later. Prepare for the storm.
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