Breakfast at Dad's - Cream of Wheat Style

I grew up in the  South, but I did not grow up eating Southern food. Biscuits and gravy, cornbread and blackeyed peas, grits, etc. were all foreign to me unless I went to camp that served such craziness. 

I did however, grow up on a healthy, weekly dose of Cream of Wheat with a little milk, butter and sugar. So, you can imagine my shock when I learned that people ate cheese grits. How odd I thought, until I tasted them and realized what I'd been missing.

But, back to breakfast . . .

No breakfast is complete without  my Dad's mashed toast. I am 28 years old, and I don't think I've ever buttered my own toast when I've eaten at my parents' house. 

Somehow it just doesn't turn out the same: