Farina, Farina

'What the hell is farina', you ask?  Just the generic name for what you may otherwise know as Cream of Wheat.  I am sure that most of you had Cream of Wheat as part of your morning routine at some point during childhood.  And until rather recently it had remained a childhood memory.

My wife and I have started eating a lot more of it, and during the cold months, it's just perfect.  Even in it's most simple form - cooked in water - it is a rib-sticking good breakfast.  Though I usually top it with brown sugar and a bit of margarine to make it a bit more interesting.

For this batch, I wanted to dress it up a bit more - and all that took was adding a little shredded, sweetened coconut and chopped almonds.  And for a bit of a surprise, I put a dollop of margarine (I prefer Brummel & Brown - it's yogurt based, so it's a bit healthier and has really great depth of flavor) at the bottom of the bowl sprinkled with brown sugar - so when the steaming hot farina is poured over it, it melts and creates a rich, creamy surprise when you dig your spoon in and reach to the bottom of the bowl. 

Start with a generous dollop of Brummel & Brown margarine sprinkled with brown sugar.

Pour the cooked farina over the butter and then top with a large pinch of brown sugar, shredded sweetened coconut, and roughly chopped raw almonds.

I know this post isn't anything too crazy, but I wanted to show that you can dress up even the most ordinary and seemingly generic of things.

Also, I wanted to show that I don't eat eggs at every breakfast.  Though I have made a savory version of this using eggs.  Just nix the sweet stuff and top the cooked farina with a bit of bacon or sausage and a poached egg.  Simple and savory. 

Do yourself a favor and if you don't have a box of Cream of Wheat at home, grab a little bit of nostalgia during your next trip to the grocer and experiment.  A little goes a long way, and a box lasts a long time...it's nice and quick to warm the soul on a frigid morning.