In grandma's day there weren't the boxed crunchy dry cereal choices we have today. She and grandpa ate hot cooked cereals: like oatmeal and cream of wheat. In the south the favorite is still hominy grits. Even these are now made in an 'instant' version. But what about the real kind, the ones with flavor from the grain and not from added sugar, salt and artificial additives? I took a field trip to 'Good Earth Natural Foods' in Broad Ripple to find out what is still available.

When was the last time you visited 'The Good Earth'? What an adventure! So many things to try. Good-for-you stuff, like old fashioned rolled oats. Rye and wheat as well. I talked with Deb who was very helpful with my questions. I learned there really is a difference in what we call rolled oats and quick oats. The oat seeds are steamed before they go into the rollers to make the old fashioned, and the quick are cut into smaller pieces before being steamed and rolled. I had no idea they were 'pre-cooked'. For a cereal with even more texture try the steel cut oats. The groats (as the whole oats are called) pass through a cutting machine where rotating steel discs cut each groat into about four tiny pieces also called pinhead oats. The steel cut oats take more time to cook, but it might be something you will want to try.

The cream of wheat I asked about is actually called farina. 'Cream of Wheat' is a brand name. The farina familiar to most of us is a refined product and is mostly the starchy part of the wheat seed. Whole grain is more flavorful and has more texture. The difference is like refined white bread and whole wheat bread. In my trial run I left out the raisins that many think are important. My mistake - it will be with raisins from now on.

The Good Earth has prices that are really nice, too; from about fifty five cents per pound up to ninety cents a pound depending on your grain of choice and the amount of processing it was given. One is able to purchase only what you need of these fresher healthier products.

The older cookbooks I have are interesting in how they direct a cook to prepare cereal grains for breakfast. Soaking is the main difference. Mrs. Harland recommends soaking overnight, so I tried this method and was pleased with the result. She also recommended cooking for many hours - the longer the better. I didn't think it would be necessary, so I didn't try it.

Once cooked, the steel cut oats have a very pronounced texture. I liked the feel of the distinct pieces of grain, but the flavor was not much different from the rolled oats I have been enjoying for years.

Stir the oats into the water in a saucepan. Add the salt, cover and let soak overnight. In the morning bring oats to a boil. Reduce heat to keep a simmer going. Stir occasionally to keep everything cooking nicely. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes. Try some after the 10 minutes and see what you think. I cooked mine the full 20 minutes and thought it about right. Remove from the heat and let stand for a few minutes.

This amount serves about four.

Bring salted water to a boil. Stir in the salt and the oats. Reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Cover and let stand for a few minutes.

Serves four.

Bring salted water to a boil. Stir in the salt and the farina. Farina lumps easily so stir well while adding to the water. Reduce the heat to just bubbling and cook for 2 to 5 minutes. Cover and let stand for a few minutes. Serves four.