Grandpa's breakfast has come a long way

My most anticipated and favorite meal of the day is breakfast, but it wasn't always that way. My standard Great Depression breakfast was hot cocoa made with water, to which I added canned evaporated milk such as Pet or Wilson. My mother's homemade bread, up to a week old (with the mold cut off after the fifth day), was a staple. It was soaked in the cocoa concoction to soften it and make it easier to slide down my throat.
During those teenage years, I don't recall eating cereal. There were no funds available for that kind of a treat. During my U.S. Navy World War II years, we had good breakfasts and navy beans popped up quite often. We had hot and cold cereals, with milk made from a powdered milk mix and hot water. I was probably one of very few sailors who never had a cup of coffee during my 33 month naval career.
A good breakfast habit has continued with me to this day at 81-plus years of age. Recently my 18-year-old grandson, Jeff Vicarel, had breakfast with me, He told his mother -- my daughter, Sandy -- about the usual breakfast I concocted.
Cereal mixologist
I mix three cereals together, add frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries and pour orange juice over this medley. I top the breakfast off with two slices of cinnamon bread and decaf coffee with French vanilla coffee creamer. That is more food than I had at three meals during the lean Depression days.
For the past year, this is my most anticipated and favorite meal of the day. At my last annual comprehensive eye examination my ophthalmologist said that my 81-year-old eyes were better than the 80-year-old ones. Why? Who knows? Recently I read an article that told of British pilots during World War II who improved their night vision by eating bilberries, a member of the blueberry family.
By the way, grandson Jeff also enjoyed Grandpa's O.J. breakfast.
Michael J. Lacivita is a Youngstown retiree. A collection of his columns, "Rag Man, Rag Man," has been published by Pig Iron Press..