Bistro Chic

We all remember the classic children’s tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears – Goldilocks gets lost, ends up at the cottage of the three bears, and proceeds to eat their hot, cold, and just-right porridge, etc. Well, if the tale’s author, British poet Robert Southey, were alive today, he may need to rethink his choice of breakfast foods.

Recent reports show that the British consume the most cereal out of any European country. In fact, 87% of Brits actually eat cold cereal every day – with at least 6% of those reporting they don’t just each cereal for breakfast!

Move Over, Porridge

Although porridge is still popular in all of the United Kingdom, new research reveals that the popularity of this warm breakfast staple is dwindling. Overall, people in the UK spend £134 million in hot cereals, like porridge and oatmeal, yet they spend £1.2 billion in ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals, and most of those are of the sugar-filled “kid” variety. 

Researchers suggest that sales of RTE cereal sales will continue to rise due to several factors including the ease of preparation – cold cereals take less time to prepare than hot cereals – as well as increased marketing surrounding cold cereals (particularly to children) combined with little to no marketing for hot cereals.

Favorite British Breakfast Cereals

So, if you want to eat a modern British breakfast, skip the porridge, kippers, and scones, and try one of these popular British cereals:

• Wheetabix
• Coco Pops
• Sugar Puffs
• Crunchy Nut Cornflakes

Be warned, many British breakfast cereals contain more sugar than a jelly doughnut – although, you won’t hear Goldilocks complain about that.

In France, when life hands you lemons, the French don’t just make lemonade – they throw a party! In late February, the sleepy French Riviera town of Menton hosts the Fête du Citron – or the Lemon Festival, a tribute to the city’s number one export – lemons.

As the largest producer of lemons in Europe, Menton, France, has hosted a celebration in honor of the yellow citrus fruit since the early 1930’s. The three-week celebration, which attracts more than 250,000 people annually, coincides with Carnival and Mardi Gras, and boasts similar party escapades, including:

The Parade of the Golden Fruit - A multicolored parade where elaborate floats are made from Menton lemons and oranges

A Moonlit Parade – The evening parade of citrus-inspired floats is complemented by music and fanfare from orchestras, folk groups, and dancers who entertain and party well into the wee hours of the morning.

Citrus Exhibition – The city offers educational tours about citrus that lead onlookers to the four corners of the world

Gardens of Light – Bizarre sounds and strange creatures basking in light await festival-goers who enter the fairytale-like garden.

If you are a lover of lemons – and partying for that matter, attending the Fête du Citron is an ideal way to get your fix of both. Can’t make it to Menton for the Fête du Citron? Celebrate by making a sweet lemon treat at home. Here are a few ideas to get you started…

• Lemon Yogurt Cake
• Iced Lemon Cookies
• Lemon Cream Scones
• Lemon Cupcakes
• Frothy Lemonade

Ciao!

In my very busy life, I wear many shoes – the shoes of a wife, a mother, a career woman, etc. But, I also fill the shoes of a runner – literally. Running is my vice, my love, my outlet for stress, a way to relax, and a way to manage my weight/fitness level. I also use running as a way to see new sites, whether right in my own city or in a different country. Over the years, I have run in 23 of the 50 United States plus Washington, DC, as well as 8 countries outside of the United States. And each time I run in a new place, especially abroad, I gain a new perspective about the city I am in as well as running.

While staying in London a few years back, I would get up each morning and go for a run. I ran through Kensington Park, Hyde Park, etc, admiring all of wonders of the neighborhoods. Although I saw many people out and about during my runs – walking their dogs, chatting with friends – I would rarely see another runner. I had similar experiences in major cities in Ireland, Scotland, and Spain, where my early morning runs were among crowds of people, but none of them running. I wondered, where were all the British and European runners?

Digging a little deeper into this issue, I found that Londoners, or the British in general do run, as well do many, many Europeans. In fact, more than 1/3 of Europeans lace up their running shoes and pound the pavement each year. And, according to a recent study by ASICS footwear, runners from each country have their own distinct running personalities, running styles, and reasons for running:

The European Runner:

1. The Ambitious Italian Runner – Italian runners are highly competitive, rarely skipping a routine, running through injuries. They are also very social runners, with 81% most likely to run with someone.
2. The Sunny French Runner – As is the joie de vivre manner in France, the French runner runs when the mood and the weather is right. For this reason, it is easy to see why they indicted running the least out of the surveyed countries. 
3. The Hard-working German Runner - The German runner is highly dedicated and will rarely skip a scheduled run. He/she uses running to lose or to main weight and rarely give much thought to injury prevention.
4. The Persistent British Runner – British runners run the most out of all other European runners. They are known to persevere through many rainy day runs by running indoors. Of the runners surveyed, British runners are the most likely to run inside (34% while France was lowest at 4%). Although they feel a sense of duty when it comes to running, they are quick to make excuses for skipping a run, including because it’s too dark outside (31% or because they’re favorite television show is on (16%)
5. The Passionate Spanish Runner - Spaniards are spirited runners who believe running is an important part of their lives. However, they are very emotional when it comes to taking to the road and are easily irritated by external factors, including other people.
6. The European Belgian Runner – Runners in Belgian could be considered the all-around European runner – with a musical a twist. They find running an important part of a healthy lifestyle but also feel that listening to music is an essential part of running.
7. The Down-to-earth Dutch Runner – Compared with other European runners surveyed, Dutch runners are the youngest of all – more than 1/3 of Dutch runners started running less than a year ago. Although they have an idealist attitude about running – not needing music or company while running – they are also the least likely to report that running is an important part of their lives.

So, where do I fit in? I would love to say that I am like a French runner, just because I love all things French. However, I definitely do not have a Holly Golightly attitude when it comes to running. If I had to choose, I think I am most like the German runner. I rarely skip my runs and have run through injury, illness, and very little sleep. But, I also like to think that I have a little Belgian influence in my running personality, for I see running as an important part of my healthy lifestyle.

When it’s all said and done – I think that runners – no matter what country they are from – are truly happiest when they are running. I know that this is true for me, although I’m pretty sure I would be happier running in Paris.