What's for Breakfast: 'Crush Cup'

By Ed Bruske
aka The Slow Cook

Here are the remnants of what Chartwells calls a breakfast "parfait" made of yogurt and granola. You could eat it with a spoon--or, in the case of school kids, a "spork." But kids are far to clever for that. They now call this a "crush cup."



Why a "crush cup"?

As you can see here, the cup is lifted with the hands directly to the mouth, where a sucking action pulls the yogurt and granola into the gullet. To maintain flow, you have to "crush" the plastic cup with your fingers.

Hence, "crush cup."

What's for Breakfast: Granola Parfait

By Ed Bruske

aka The Slow Cook

Here's a real switch from the Pop-Tarts, Golden Goldfish Grahams and Otis Spunkmeyer Muffins we've seen in past Chartwells breakfasts: homemade granola.

This granola was made from dry oatmeal mixed with brown sugar and baked fresh in the school kitchen. It was then tossed with dried blueberries that arrive frozen and canned peaches, then spooned over the raspberry yogurt I described yesterday. The dish is garnished with more blueberries and slices of local peach.

What a revelation! We don't need to buy pre-packaged, processed "treats" from corporate food factories. We can actually make our own. (Thanks to the local kitchen ladies.)

Not to complain, but the yogurt in this "parfait" hardly needs much sugar with all the sugar in the granola and the peaches. (Chartwells is calling this "all natural yogurt" on its menu website, even though the ingredient list is a mile long and heavily dosed with sugar). Otherwise, this is a great idea for mixing dairy, grains and fruit. And notice the plain, fat-free milk on the tray. D.C. no longer serves flavored milk with added sugar.