Morning cereal is a tradition in many households. I remember the corn flakes from my childhood. I also remember “hot cereal” for those times when you needed a little something extra.

We never had hot oatmeal at my house. My husband eats oatmeal. As a child I ate Cream of Wheat. Recently, when I was in search of something quick to get me started, I returned to this family tradition.

But naturally, I had to turn it into designer cereal. So after adding water and heating my cereal in the microwave, I added some fruit. First I used golden raisins. Then I switched to cooked apples, and then pears. Finally, I began mixing blueberries with apples or pears. Aha! What a treat! I also added the brown sugar which was a tradition from my childhood, and a little milk.

While I was microwaving and stirring in between, I did some stretching exercises. They wake you up, and feel pretty good, too. It’s less boring than just watching the microwave. So this morning cereal experience is a complete diet and fitness program. How does “Stretch and Stir” sound to you?