
Short Bits 2023
Updated on 2023-03-30
Short Bits is my method of sharing information that would be too short for a separate blog post. Following are my short posts for 2023.
Contents
- 01 – Discovered Two New Cereals (2023-03-08)
- 02 – Homemade Loose Meat Hamburger…I’m in Heaven (2023-03-23)

01 – Discovered Two New Cereals (2023-03-08)
In early February, I went shopping at Whole Foods Market and I decided to check out the cereal aisle to see if there were any new cereal offerings.
I began experiencing symptoms of my third kidney stone in January, so I had decided to start a low oxalate diet. Some of the cereals I had been eating have ingredients that are high in oxalates according to the Oxalate Counts Android app; e.g. amaranth, buckwheat flour, chocolate, cornmeal, peanut butter, and quinoa. Therefore, I desired to replace the cereals containing high oxalate ingredients with cereals that have lower or no oxalate ingredients.
The first cereal I discovered was Vitabella corn flakes. Vitabella corn flakes contain three simple ingredients: corn, sugar, and sea salt. The cereal is also low in sugar; 2 grams (less than a teaspoon) per 1 cup serving. Another benefit of Vitabella corn flakes is that it is organic and gluten free.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() |
A week or two later, I went shopping again at Whole Foods Market and once again I decided to check the cereal aisle to see if I could find more cereal alternatives. I discovered 365 (a Whole Foods Market house brand) Marshmallow Galaxy. 365 Marshmallow Galaxy is organic and gluten free and contains: oat flour, rice flour, marshmallows, cane sugar, sea salt, and rosemary extract (to maintain freshness). 365 Marshmallow Galaxy contains a bit more sugar than I would like (15 grams per 1.25 cup serving, or almost 4 teaspoons), but it’s still a great tasting cereal.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() |
However, there are two things that I don’t like about 365 Marshmallow Galaxy. The marshmallows are hard and the cereal creates a lot of dust.

Comments and questions are welcome; see the Comment box at the bottom of the page. Thank you for visiting.

02 – Homemade Loose Meat Hamburger…I’m in Heaven (2023-03-23)
In December 2022, I was reminiscing about sloppy joe sandwiches which were provided periodically by the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) of the elementary school I attended as a youngster. For a particular price which I no longer remember, you received one sloppy joe sandwich, carrot and celery sticks, and an ice cream sandwich. You could also purchase extra sloppy joe sandwiches if desired.
I decided to find a sloppy joe recipe. I found one and I added it to my Emacs recipe database. I then wondered if there was a recipe for making Maid-Rite loose meat hamburgers. My father introduced me to Maid-Rite hamburgers when I rode with him in his delivery truck as a youngster one day.
When I no longer lived where I grew up, I could only get Maid-Rite loose meat hamburgers when I went home to visit. Now I’m no longer able to visit home due to my spine issues. I remember my mother saying that the woman who cut many of my family members’ hair said that Maid-Rite loose meat hamburgers were easy to make. Therefore, I searched for homemade Maid-Rite loose meat hamburger recipes and I quickly came upon this one.
In February, I made my first batch of homemade Maid-Rite loose meat hamburger and I was in heaven. I can’t say for certain that the homemade version tastes exactly like the ones I’ve eaten at the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shoppe in Greenville, OH, but if not it’s pretty close in my opinion. Now I can have Maid-Rite loose meat hamburgers whenever I desire right at home.
I normally prefer cheeseburgers over hamburgers, but I prefer the Maid-Rite loose meat hamburger without cheese. I’ve had the Cheese-wich, as they call it at the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shoppe in Greenville, OH, but I don’t like it near as well as I like the Maid-Rite (loose meat hamburger with mustard and pickles).
Have you ever eaten a Maid-Rite loose meat hamburger? Let me know in the Comment box at the bottom of the page and thank you for visiting.
Post header image courtesy of 52Hertz on Pixabay.
2023-002
