Concert at Cantigny Park

We visited Cantigny Park on their French Connection weekend, and were treated to a lovely concert of music with a French flair, including greats like Edith Piaf "La vie en rose" and "Non, je ne regrette rien."  There was some Charles Aznavour songs, too, another favorite of mine.  Perfect music to enjoy with friends on a pique-nique under the stars.

And here we are.  We, too, non regrettons rien.

Coconut lovers beware . . .

I spotted these at the checkout counter of my local grocery store.  I love, love, love coconut, so despite my son's warning that coconut M&Ms were just wrong, I bought them and eagerly opened up the bag on the way home.  I couldn't even wait to get home to try them . . .  And, well . . . they were not very good . . . I could hardly taste the coconut! 

I turned over the bag to read the ingredients and this is the list (capitalization theirs): 

MILK CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SKIM MILK, COCOA BUTTER, LACTOSE, MILKFAT, SOY LETHICIN, SALT, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS), SUGAR CORNSTARCH, LESS THAN 1% - CORN SYRUP, DEXTRIN, COLORING (INCLUDES YELLOW 5 LAKE, RED 40 LAKE, BLUE 2 LAKE, YELLOW 6 LAKE, YELLOW 5, BLUE 1, RED 40, YELLOW 6, BLUE 1 LAKE, BLUE 2), ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, GUM ACACIA.

No coconut?  How can you have Coconut M&Ms without coconut????  I turned over the bag again and looked at it a little closer . . .

Remember the old Wendy's Commercial "Where's the Beef?"  Well, where's the coconut?

Tea Bread Tuesday: Piña Colada Bread

I like piña coladas, but this bread was just O.K. . . .

It was sweet and moist, but I thought the texture was too coarse (perhaps because of the coconut flakes), and this bread just didn't know what it wanted to be. I couldn't discern any specific flavor. Not bad with a cup of oolong, but, eh . . . I think this one was forgettable . . .

The recipe yielded four mini-loaves, which made them easy to transport to work . . . where my co-workers devoured them!

Here's the link for the recipe: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,194,135189-240192,00.html

Oatmeal weather

Actually, it's always oatmeal weather for me. Here's how I prepare it:

Basic Ingredients:

½ C. steel cut oats
2 C. water
2 tsps. extra virgin coconut oil
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
¼ C. raisins
1 T. raw honey

Optional:
1 T. wheat germ
1 T. ground flax seeds

Bring water to a boil in a non-stick saucepan. Add all ingredients except for the honey and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook on very low heat, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30 minutes. The oats should be creamy but still chewy. Add optional ingredients after removing from heat. I'm told this preserves the nutrients from being destroyed by the heat. Drizzle honey on top just before serving. Yields 2 bowls and a contented tummy.

This is one of three methods I use for cooking oats. During the week, I make it in a slow cooker and wake up pretending that my own personal chef got an early start and made this treat just for me. It's not so hard to pretend, really, what with steam rising from the pot and the kitchen smelling of cinnamon and freshly brewed coffee. I also make it with rolled oats when I'm in a hurry, but the recipe above yields the creamiest porridge, so I make it on Sundays, and then I have enough left over to start Mondays right. The older I get, the more I appreciate the simple goodness of oatmeal. Goldilocks and the Three Bears had the right idea.