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.

Whether you celebrate Carnaval, Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday, tomorrow will mean the last day of indulgence for the next 40 days, at least if you follow the Christian religion. Coming from a family with a strong Catholic-Polish background – and from Detroit no less! – we never really celebrated, Mardi Gras or Carnaval – to us, it was known as Paczki Day. A Polish specialty, the paczki is a round, deep-fried donut, usually filled with cream, jelly, or custard, and then sprinkled with powdered sugar.

This calorie-laden treat has been made for hundreds of years and originated as a way to use all of the forbidden food items in the house before lent – such as eggs and sugar. I remember going to Catholic school and having paczkis the day before Ash Wednesday – the day before Lenten fasting. All of my friends were so excited to see what donut flavors our teachers had brought in for this special day. We eyed all of the round puffs of dough with great anticipation, hoping to choose just the right flavor. For me, it was the custard-filled paczki.

And, it didn’t stop at school. We would all rush home to find more paczkis waiting for us as an afternoon snack or our after-dinner dessert. My brothers and I would eat so many of them that our stomachs would ache. I would then swear off paczkis, vowing never to have one again. But each year, I would forget these temporary paczki side-effects and come back for more.

After many years of eating these indulgent donuts, I gave up eating paczkis around the time I started college. With at least 300-400 calories in each paczki, I realized that even indulging in these pastries once a year was not a good idea for my waistline. I’ve only recently started to eat them again. It’s rather hard to avoid them when my work has more than 5 dozen delivered to the office around this time each year. Oh well, it’s Fat Tuesday after all - the day where calories don’t matter. Besides, after one day of indulgence, I will have 40 days of fasting to burn off all of those calories.

Valentine’s Day is just a few days away! If you’re looking for a more unique way of expressing your love, take a look at how the Europeans celebrate this special day…

Denmark: In Denmark, Valentine’s Day is celebrated as Fjortende Februar. On this day, lovers send snowdrops, white flowers, to each other. They are also accustomed to sending love poems called gaekkebrev, or a joking card, to their sweethearts. In this tradition, the sender writes an amusing poem to his/her love and signs the letter with dots instead of a name. If the one receiving the poem can guess who has sent it, then this person will get a chocolate egg on Easter day. Jeg Elsker Dig means I Love You in Danish.

England: In Victorian England, lovers, family members, and friends, expressed their affections with elaborate paper valentines which often included a poem penned by the sender.

Germany: For Germans, Valentine’s Day is all about flowers. A man will often send his sweetie a bouquet of his lover’s favorite flowers to show that he is paying attention to her specific affections. Ich liebe dich means I Love You in German.

Romania: The Romanian version of Valentine’s Day, known as the Dragobete festival, takes place on February 24th. On this day, sweethearts pick flowers (snowdrops) for each other. Some may even keep with the tradition of stepping over their partner’s feet, which is said to give the stepper the upper hand in the relationship. Te ubesc means I Love You in Romanian. 

Scotland: For the Scots, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with a festival for young singles. An equal amount of young single men and single women writes his/her name (or a made up name) on a piece of paper, then it is rolled up. The names are placed in two hats, one for the men and one for the women. Each single then draws a name out of the opposite gender’s hat, which, in turn, becomes their valentine. Although some men and women may end up with two valentines, the men are suppose to stick with the valentine who has chosen him. Gifts are then given to the young ladies, who wear the name of their valentine over their heart or on their sleeve. Ta gra agam ort means I Love You in Gaelic.

Wales: In Wales, Dydd Santes Dwynwen is celebrated on January 25th. On this version of Valentine’s day, Welsh men carve elaborate wooden spoons as tokens of affection. ‘Rwy’n dy garu means I Love You in Welsh.

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

Since 2000, Samantha Brown, aka the Travel Channel’s Travel Goddess Extraordinaire, has taken us all over the world in search of exotic, historic, and just plain fun places to visit. 

In just 10 years, Brown has done what most of us can’t do in a lifetime – traveled around the globe and back again. From Great Hotels to Great Weekends, and Girl Meets Hawaii to Passport to Europe, Brown has visited dozens of countries and hundreds of cities and has shared her experiences and opinions with the rest of the world, all with a perky pixie and a smile. And, with her quirky personality, girl-next-door charm, and top-notch travel journalism skills, it’s easy to see why Brown is America’s travel sweetheart. 

Getting Hooked on Samantha Brown

Samantha Brown and her shows hold a particularly special place in my heart. On maternity leave a few years back, I was confined to the house with a preemie. The doctors advised that I avoid going to the mall, church, or anywhere where I would come in contact with people, other than my family – which was, of course, everywhere but my house. It was a happy but rather difficult time for me…caring for a new baby on a very little sleep and having very little contact with the outside world.

It was then that I became hooked on the Travel Channel, and more specifically, the travels of Samantha Brown. Prior to my pregnancy, I rarely watched television – we didn’t even have cable. But after having my son, my husband decided getting cable might be a good thing for me – not to mention he could watch the College Basketball’s final four.

For three months, I was glued to the television twice a day – both times that Samantha Brown’s shows were on. Babe in arms, I watched and listened to Brown’s tales, engrossed by the scenery and, admittedly, a little jealous of her jet-setting life and awesome wardrobe. When I returned to work, my husband and I contemplated getting rid of cable. Hmm…that would mean saying goodbye to the Travel Channel and Samantha – not a chance. Over the years, I learned so many fun things about US cities, European destinations, and the do’s and don’ts of cruising. I still love to watch reruns of Brown’s travels and am looking forward to many more years of following her global escapes.

Samantha Brown Anniversary Specials

If you are not familiar with Samantha Brown, check out her four 1- hour anniversary specials (all times are Eastern):

1. Samantha Brown’s Vancouver (February 8 at 8PM) where Samantha discovers the natural beauty, winter activities, food and culture of the 2010 Winter Olympics host city.
2. Samantha Brown: Inside the Suitcase (February 9 at 8PM) Samantha shares her travel secrets, packing tips and her favorite moments from the road.
3. Samantha Brown Fan-a-thon (February 10 at 8PM) Samantha celebrates ten years of travel at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida with some VIPs — her fans.  Fans share some of their favorite show moments. 
4. Samantha Brown’s World of Sports (February 11 at 8PM) Samantha takes viewers through a personal compendium of her best and worst sports-related moments throughout her time on the Travel Channel.

During Paris Fashion Week in late January, British supermodel Kate Moss had everyone talking. Not because of her overly slender figure or her catwalking abilities. But rather, it was her grey hair that left reporters and onlookers in a tizzy.

That’s right, the 36 year old, former waif turned TopShop diva seemed to go from new mom to silver fox overnight. (Sorry ladies, could not find an uncopyrighted photo of her recent style change, but you can see it here). But her grey locks were not the result of stress brought on by motherhood (although that would be very believable!), but rather an unintended, yet sassy new look brought about from not washing your hair – eeww!

According to the Times online: 

Moss hadn’t taken the unpretentious route — she’d just forgotten to wash her hair. Grey is a dry-shampoo addict’s curse, so essentially, the supermodel had got out of bed too late — and started a new trend.

The thought of turning grey makes most young women cringe. But seeing Kate embrace this new color – even making it sexy – gives hope to many women who are heading down the grey path. Kate’s temporary ‘do, however, was short-lived, for I hear she is now back to her old blonde self. It’s too bad really, because unlike most women her age, Kate’s doe-eyed, dewey-faced look was only enhanced by the new grey strands.

But then again, whether it’s grey hair or a paper bag, what doesn’t look good on a supermodel?

Cheese - in the food world, it goes with just about everything. There’s wine and cheese, cheese and chocolate, cheese and crackers – you get the picture. But cheese and facials? Hmm…that’s a new one.

Actually, cheese has become increasingly popular as an ingredient in do-it-yourself beauty treatments, like scrubs and facials. It really makes sense because cheese is milk based and milk is fantastic for your skin. In fact, the British cheese known as Cheshire cheese is being touted as a naturally moisturizing, anti-wrinkle product.

Cheshire Cheesy Facts

• According to the British Cheese Board, Cheshire cheese is a semi-firm cheese that crumbles easily.
• Cheshire cheese hails from the county of Cheshire in England. Ironically, I’ve been there but I don’t remember the cheese.
• Some say Cheshire is one of England’s oldest known cheeses and, at one point, was the only cheese stocked on the ships of the British Royal Navy.
• Cheshire cheese is the UK’s best-selling cheese

A Cheshire Cheese Facial

When mixed with double cream, Cheshire cheese makes a great paste for the dry skin. Just smear it on, wait for it to dry (about 15 minutes), then gently rinse your face with warm water.

Ahh…so refreshing and slightly appetizing. Can someone pass the crackers?