It is still cold. There are highways that are closed after the blizzard warning and overall mess that Mother Nature is making. I woke up and wanted something a little more “homey”. I looked at the pantry and saw that I had more cornmeal!

Now, cornmeal for breakfast may not seem like a great option, but hear me out. If you are anything like most families in Puerto Rico, nothing says like home like a bowl of Farina (Cream of Wheat), Harina de Maiz, Avena (Oatmeal). My mom’s is always a little bit sweeter than most. It’s almost a tradition now that the day I come back to the US, on our way to the airport (or at the airport) we go have breakfast at El Meson (local sandwich chain) and get one of their giant bowls of harina de maiz. It will honestly tie you over until well over lunch. In my book, they are the definition of “stick to your ribs”.

My version is still sweet, but a twist (a lame twist at best, but it’s still some). Ready for it? I added Raspberry’s on top (because I had some left over the fridge). I know, lame. Either way, this is a really good, cheap and fast way to get your breakfast ready as you’re waiting for your coffee to percolate, French press, K-cup, etc.

Here’s what I used for ingredients (makes for 1 serving or 2 small servings)

• 1/2 cup of cornmeal
• 1 cup of milk (I used 2 %)
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 Tablespoon of dark brown sugar
• A pinch of cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

How to do it?

• In a small to medium sauce pan add the milk and water with the sugar. If you want you can also add the sugar. Wait for it to be warm, but not yet boiling.
• SLOWLY and I mean SLOWLY add the cornmeal and stir it. You want to babysit it, if not it will be clumpy. (At this point I added my dark brown sugar, if you haven’t done this already)

• After it’s in a thick consistency, pour into a bowl.
• You can now add whatever toppings you want. Normally my mom would add more sugar on top, but feel free to add whatever you want. Today I added a couple of raspberries, some chia seeds and dusted it with some cinnamon!

Do you have something similar as a family recipe? Have you changed it or are you a purist?

Let me know!