breakfast breakdown

I make it a point to have breakfast most days. Before work. Or before meeting up with others and starting weekend activities. I do eat brunch out on occassion but for the most part, I eat breakfast at home or at the office.

During the week at home
I like to eat my breakfast while reading articles from the Sunday Boston Globe that I didn't read on Sunday:
cold cereal with skim milk and berries (usually blueberries)
cup of coffee
cup of grapefruit juice
daily vitamin

I eat the cold cereal because I like to have the fruit. Sometimes I have a mixture of different kinds if there are multiple kinds available. It's usually something like cheerios or puffins. One combination that I really like is grapenuts and cheerios. It reminds me of my Nana. The fruit is a must in order to fulfill that rediculous quantity of fruits and veggies we are supposed to consume in a day. Plus it just tastes good. I use skim milk because I like it. It's usually the organic cow of vermont or stonyfield farms. Did you know that the organic milk usually lasts longer? It's rare I throw away a container of milk. Just saying. I program the coffee maker to make my cup of coffee at 7 am so I don't have to make it when I get up. I am dark roast all the way. No milk. No sugar. Black. BLACK. I like to buy my beans from Capone's in Union Square. They also have a location near Davis and Porter Squares. Their house blend is really good. If I can't make it over there, any other french or dark roast will do. I'm not really that picky. I MUST have a little juice. Grapefruit is best because I think the others are too sweet and I have the impression that it helps with the nasty morning mouth film. Perhaps I just want to give myself an ulcer with all the acid I am drinking in the morning. I take a one-a-day essentials daily vitamin. I like the small pills because the horse pills make me want to vomit. But I can only get the small ones at drugstore.com. If you can't get something you really like at your local drugstore or grocery store, there's a chance it is discontinued. But it's worth it to see if any of the online vendors still sell it.

At the Office
Sometimes I don't have time to eat at home because I need to be at work at the crack:
packet of instant oatmeal
americano

The oatmeal is a very good office meal. It doesn't go bad. The variety pack allows you to choose the flavor for your mood. And it doesn't require lots of extra utensils and ingredients. All you need is:
oatmeal
bowl
spoon
microwave or water cooler with hot water option

My office recently got an espresso maker and it has changed my life. The pods, though they fulfill the coffee-need purpose, don't really make anyone happy about what they are drinking. Then came the espresso maker. We get our espresso from Starbucks down the street and all pitch in about a dollar a week or so. I make my americano by doing two shots of espresso from the maker and then adding hot water from the water cooler. Instant bliss.

Weekends
One would think that the weekends would offer me a chance to branch out, but no. Only slight modifications. While reading the paper, watching the Sunday Morning show or listening to the Money Show on wtkk I eat:

instant oatmeal (see above)
grapefruit juice (see above)
french press
daily vitamin (see above)

I guess you may have guessed by now that I like coffee in different forms. I like to master the taste and differences and nuances that make coffee vs. espresso something you would like to injest. I have a 12 oz french press which is perfect for one. I start the kettle and prepare the instant oatmeal while the water is boiling. The french press is very similar to the americano with the exception that the french press coffee is a little bit thicker. Again no milk, no sugar. Just the coffee please.