Editor's Choice: Holy Crap Cereal

If I don't have a bowl of cereal immediately after waking up, my day is ruined, and I'm immediately grouchy.  I'm starting to think it may be a result of some kind of mysterious scientific experiment performed on me by the collective mainstream cereal companies.  Enter stimulus of cereal: subject responds with happiness and frivolity. Continue introducing cereal for years. Enter french toast stimulus: subject is bewildered and disoriented. Permanently discontinue all stimuli that isn't cereal. Profit from resulting cereal sales over subject's lifetime.

Unlikely conspiracies aside, I have recently noticed that my daily routine of cereal has been rendering me increasingly sluggish and unfathomably hungry by 10:30 a.m. What should I do?  I can't stop having cereal or I could be attacked by secret cereal company agents. Thankfully, Holy Crap cereal has come to my rescue.

This gluten- and lactose-free cereal is jam-packed full of things that will keep you healthy and alert all day long. It's high in calcium and iron, and has more protein, lipids and dietary fiber than rice, barley, oats, wheat or corn. The secret ingredient is chia, an ancient grain used by the Tarahumara Indians, who happen to be the greatest long distance runners on the planet (and are a fascinating story in their own right - check out the book Born to Run and be amazed). As a runner myself, I'm not even exaggerating when I say that the day I had Holy Crap cereal, I found myself running with a little extra kick.

You might be thinking, "hold on, there is hardly any sugar, no marshmallows, and the word 'frosted' isn't written anywhere on the bag.  There's no way this tastes good." That line of thinking is the exact opposite of correct. I was completely surprised with how much I enjoyed the taste.  And you can mix it in with soy or hemp milk, or sprinkle it on yogurt, oatmeal or granola. It's really a super versatile item to have in your cabinets.

The convenient, resealable zip bag keeps the cereal fresh for several months if need be - not that there's a chance it'll stick around that long. If you're looking for a way to jump start your day in a delicious and healthy way, I'm recommending you look into getting a bag of Holy Crap cereal to try out.

-Marc Kozak (mkozak@talcott.com)

Editor's Choice: Nonni's Food Company

Now it has already been established that most of the Fancy Food staff has a bit of an issue with mornings. We've talked about our favorite hot cocoas, teas and beverage accessories, but liquid breakfasts do not a happy editor make. That's why I was happily surprised when samples of Nonni's Food Company's new Soft Baked Tusconi showed up at our office. Flavors include Classico (almond and praline, topped with toasted almonds), Cioccolato (almond with chocolate morsels, topped with shaved almonds and ribbons of gourmet dark chocolate), Double Cioccolato (a chocolate treat with chocolate morsels topped with shaved almonds and ribbons of gourmet dark chocolate) and my personal favorite, Raspberry Cioccolato (raspberries with chocolate morsels, topped with ribbons of gourmet dark chocolate). These little Tusconi are a softer alternative to notoriously crunchy biscotti, and are the perfect morning accompaniment to my favorite warm beverage -- whether that be coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

Everybody loves a little treat in the morning, so even when there's no time to mess around in the kitchen, these individually wrapped pieces are ready to go.

The products are still pretty new and should be out early this month. Visit www.nonnis.com for more information.

-Stephanie