Cream of Wheat and Cocoa Wheat

I'm the kind of person that likes to have a variety of breakfast options—it is my favorite (and the most important) meal of the day, after all.

Now that I'm at college and on the meal plan, I'm happy to say that there's usually quite a variety at breakfast, from bagels to omelets to cereal to waffles. A few times a week oatmeal, cream of wheat, pancakes, or cinnamon rolls will show up too.

One day I decided to try the cream of wheat. Well, at least it looked like cream of wheat. I'm not sure what it actually was because it tasted terrible! Maybe it needed more brown sugar? Either way, it made me miss real, good cream of wheat.

I've been eating cream of wheat and cocoa wheat for years. I remember when I used to wake up in the morning to my mom pouring thick, warm, chocolatey yumminess into a bowl...who doesn't want chocolate for breakfast? And while I loved cocoa wheat, I was slightly less excited when she made cream of wheat because I didn't think that she ever put enough brown sugar on top. But I've gone past that now—give me either and I'll be happy! *Ahem* But not from the cafeteria...

In Russia I discovered that I could easily make either variation for breakfast (I tried not to overload on the cocoa wheat). I'm not really sure why it took me so many years to make it myself instead of waiting for the days when my mom to decided to make it.

In fact, we started eating so much cocoa/cream of wheat in Russia that we became cocoa/cream of wheat pros:
-We discovered the cheaper Russian version of cream of wheat at the grocery store (well, ok, my mom gets all the credit for that one).
-We kept said Russian cream of wheat in its own special little Polish pottery canister.
-We discovered a way to make both kinds using only the powder for the cream of wheat.

Also, you know those chewy little balls that you sometimes get in cream of wheat? Yeah, well my mom raves about those—to those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, just wait until you try them—they sound strange at first, but they’re actually pretty good.
Well, I discovered how to get those elusive, chewy little pieces every time. You're welcome.

So, first off, for both cream of wheat and cocoa wheat, heat 1 1/4 cups milk in a small pot.

And while it's getting warm, measure out three tablespoons of cream of wheat.

If you want the chewy pieces, wait until the milk is quite hot before pouring in the cream of wheat. Pour in the cream of wheat, let it sit for a second, then mix it up a little. Only stir occasionally. You want the heat of the milk to make the cream of wheat granules stick to each other; stirring too much will separate them.
You can also add a pinch of salt before adding the cream of wheat to give it a bit more flavor.
If you don't care about getting the chewy pieces, just wait until the milk is quite warm, then pour in your cream of wheat. Stir as much as you want!

After about 3-5 minutes, your cream of wheat should be thickened up. Pour it in a bowl, and let it cool for a minute while you do the dishes.

Top with brown sugar...

...stir it up, and enjoy!

Ok, now for cocoa wheat, using the cream of wheat powder.

Again, heat 1 1/4 cups of milk. Measure out 3 tablespoons of cream of wheat again, but don't add it yet.

Add sugar to your milk; I usually do 2-3 teaspoons.

Next add some cocoa powder; I like one heaping teaspoon. Stir both the cocoa powder and sugar in. You can also add a pinch of salt, if desired.

When the milk is hot, add your cream of wheat. Again, don't stir too much if you want chewy pieces!

There they are! Now you know I'm not making the chewy pieces up. After about 3 minutes, turn the heat off and let the cocoa wheat sit and thicken up for about 2 minutes. Cocoa wheat has to cool more than cream of wheat before getting thick.

Now pour it in the bowl, and let it cool a little more. The longer it sits, the thicker it gets!

Cream of Wheat
Serves: 1

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup milk*
1/8 tsp. salt (optional)
3 Tbs. cream of wheat
brown sugar, for topping

Directions:
In a small pot over medium-low heat, heat milk and salt (if using) until just hot, with bubbles at the edges; do not scald.
Once hot, add cream of wheat. Stir occasionally and heat until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
Remove from heat and pour in bowl. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

*For chewy pieces:
Make sure that the milk is quite hot before adding cream of wheat. When adding cream of wheat, pour all three tablespoons in the same general area of the pot. Wait about 30 seconds before stirring. Do not stir too much, or there will be no chance for the balls to form.

*For a more creamy consistency, replace 1/4 cup of the milk with 1/4 cup of cream.

Cocoa Wheat
Serves: 1

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup milk*
2-3 tsp. sugar
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. salt (optional)
3 Tbs. cream of wheat

Directions:
In a small pot over medium-low heat, heat milk, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt (if using) until just hot, with bubbles at the edges; do not scald.
Once hot, add cream of wheat. Heat for about 3-4 more minutes, until slightly thicker, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and pour in bowl; let sit for 2 minutes to thicken and cool before serving.

*For chewy pieces:
Make sure that the milk is quite hot before adding cream of wheat. When adding cream of wheat, pour all three tablespoons in the same general area of the pot. Wait about 30 seconds before stirring. Do not stir too much, or there will be no chance for the balls to form.

*For a more creamy consistency, replace 1/4 cup of the milk with 1/4 cup of cream.