The Breakfast Bulc

A post on the morning meal!

Let's go through it by the years

As far as I can remember, I wasn't particular with the food I ate for breakfast (it's given that veggies are excluded). Usually breakfast dishes are cooked on that day, but I have no problems with leftovers that pass the senses-test. On school days, grade school days, I usually take cereals and milk, or oatmeal and milk. I just have enough servings to fill me up.

Most of the time, I eat alone or with my sister because my parents seldom eat breakfast. They would just drink water, and if it were my dad, he'd drink coffee.

Our maid would usually cook the ulam late at night, and we would just heat them the next day.

Some things that were instilled or which I was aware of were the ff:
1. Eat like a king during breakfast...prince... and pauper.
2. Don't eat ice cream.
3. Don't take carbonated beverages. Sour and acidic treats.
4. Avoid eating tahong, halaan, talaba and probably related dishes.

Another staple breakfast snack, is Taho. Ten o'clock I would hear the vendor far up the street, and that prompts me to get my mug and change. Err, i forgot his name, but he would always pass by our subdivision (I would also buy when I stay at my grandmother's house, which is nearby). It's just now that I wonder why I have to yell out "taho" for him to stop in front of our house. Automatic na dapat!

High school was a different story. I would usually prepare my own breakfast since our place was so small that it couldn't accommodate a housemaid, and also for other reasons. Despite that, I still don't know how to cook food! I just heat, toast, boil, fry or buy! Cereals was still there, but most of the time I take my meal as early as 5:15 AM. I didn't know how to prepare oatmeal with the viscosity similar to what my mother makes, I either too much water or too few oats.

Those days proved to be more energy demanding than earlier years. I would starve after the first period, that I needed to have snacks in school. Sometimes I buy before the morning ceremonies take place. Donuts saved me throughout the morning ordeal since I reserve the rice meals for brunch or lunch. One favorite treat I ate was the Krabby Patty of Creative Stuff. It's a small burger nook at the main cafeteria that offers an option to make your own burger. My krabby patty formula is: Bacon mushroom cheesemelt burger, egg, potato strings and the crab sticks! No ketchup, mayo and mustard, just a plain burger. If I want to save money, i'd just buy cookies from Creative Stuff of the high school coop store.

Studying at a different school might have changed my diet. Our house is situated in an area were food is very accessible. Restaurants and malls are just a 10 minute jeepney ride away. I'll mention a few breakfast favorites. First, beef pares. It's... beef stew? Small strips of beef boiled in a flavored thick broth, paired with rice or noodles, and mixed with your choice of chili, pepper, chives, kalamansi, Knorr and garlic. The place where I buy it isn't that clean, so I usually eat at home. Sometimes, I choose to have the beef swapped with cow eye's or cow/pig brains. Amazing meals, if I may emphasize! Pancakes! Just with maple syrup, scrambled eggs and hotdogs. Leftovers never get tired of me.

ang taho. 

Barracks life was different for a year (when I was biletted). During call-to-quarters (CQ), the lowest class was ordered to prepare the meal for the officer corps. We (of course i went through this stage) would shop for whatever ingredients we found and whatever fit the budget! Mahirap humingi at maningil sa upperclass, kaya minsan napapasobra yung gastos mo. Naalala ko na napaabono ako ng mahigit 500 dahil dito, pero ayos lang. We had to wake up at 3 in the morning to prepare everything before we wake up our upperclass officers at 0400H. Our meals were very simple, canned goods and rice! I remember cooking tinola once for Friday night and for the breakfast the following day! Minsan, champorado, tinapay na may palaman, de lata ulit na may kasamang instant noodles. We were lucky if the department gave us food allowance for breakfast or whenever we had events that entitled us to free breakfast! Breakfast is usually served after physical training (PT).

a pares look-alike

Sometimes skipping breakfast isn't a good idea during college. Sobrang lakas ng bawi ng katawan mo sayo, at mararamdaman mo talaga kumukulo yung tiyan mo sa oras na di dapat. I make it a point to eat at home since i don't have breakfast allowance, pang lunch, at snacks lang.

Notable breakfast meals
1. Eat-all-you-can! Eggs, tapa, daing, champorado, bread, hotdog, fresh fruits.
2. Kakanin! Kutchinta, sapin-sapin, tikoy, puto!
3. Turon or banana cue
4. Silog meals! Ang silog lang na nakakain ko kapag breakfast ay tapsilog ng Rodics!
5. Sausage McMuffin with Egg, Big Breakfast