Lucky Charms

For anyone who read and enjoyed my blog post about Froot Loops, you’re probably going to enjoy this one too; it’s the same, but with the king, no, in fact the god of all American cereals. Lucky Charms! (If you didn’t read my Froot Loops post, take a couple of minutes now to familiarise yourself with it.)

Done? Good. The aim of the previous post was to see whether Froot Loops really are as good as I remembered when I was a kid. Truth be told, I’ve already been here a little bit; I had Lucky Charms when I was about 12 or so; looking back now I realise I was still a young whippersnapper, but at the time I was convinced I was a real-proper-grown-up-adult, fondly taking a trip down memory lane to when I was a kid. If I’m truthful, it was a disappointing experience. A bit like going to bed with Owen Wilson and waking up next to Wayne Rooney. Better than nothing, but not satisfying on a surface level. You still get that happy after feeling though; just knowing you had Lucky Charms for breakfast is a good way to put a bounce in your step. There weren’t as many charms as I remember, which was sad. For the uninitiated, I realise I should explain; Charms are the marshmallow bits (think marshmallows, but on a really good day), shaped like rainbows, stars etc., the rest of the cereal is just whole grain pieces, which taste a bit like Cheerios, but old school Cheerios, before they took most of the sugar and good stuff out.

These are the infamous charms. Not sure where the lucky part comes in. You may need some help identifying them:
Top left- Bottom right                                                                    
Shamrock sack                                                                                
Shooting stars (they come in more colours too)                        
Moon                                                                                            
Heart (disappointingly, the only one in the pot)
Not entirely sure; a pot of gold, perhaps?
Horseshoe

The picture on the right is a rainbow. It is pictured separately because I only found it halfway through.

Whoever cuts and colours the charms has certainly got more slapdash in recent years (or perhaps my ageing imagination has a lot to answer for).

I will also be addressing another question today; do Lucky Charms make a good breakfast after a heavy night out?* I already think I know the answer to this one (no), but we’ll see.

The result? They were gooood. I was pleasantly surprised by how many charms there were. A bit of trial and error eventually led me to believe that one charm to ten wheaty pieces (which probably are still charm shaped but it’s hard to tell) is the optimum ratio. That way, the marshmallow lasts right to the bottom, and the cereal doesn’t get boring.**

So yes, they were good, but I have to confess, I preferred the Froot Loops. Even writing that feels like I’m turning my back on my entire childhood (every time we went to America, we ended up smuggling Lucky Charms back in a suitcase, just so that my holiday could last that little bit longer). That said, I'm still feeling pretty good after eating them. Not the best morning-after breakfast I've had, but nothing a fried egg brunch won't cure.

PS. I feel the need to reiterate again just how good the marshmallows are. They’re no ordinary marshmallows. They’re kind of crunchy, but in a good way, and when the milk hits them, they begin to go soft and dissolve. As with all cereals, there is a science as to when is the optimum time to eat them; you have to wait for the milk to do its’ work on softening them, but leave it too long and it’ll dissolve to nothing.

Also, apologies for the way the photos get shakier as the experience goes on. It’s definitely because of the sugar rush, and is nothing to do with the after effects of last night.

*Note: this question wasn’t planned, but I woke up with a dirty great Willow stamp on my hand this morning. Any York people reading this will know what I mean.

**   Disclaimer: This applies to the little snack pots only. I would be willing to wager that the ratio would be much less satisfactory in a real cereal box packet.