Ramen: Ever versatile and oh-so-affordable

 

 

 

Still Love Ramen – I’ve never tired of ramen noodles, the college-budget staple – but I don’t keep it around. It’s too tempting, in fact. It’s easy to jazz it up with vegetables and make it more healthy as well. One serving could be made into more of a side dish for the rest of the family with addition of bell peppers, onion, zucchini, etc. Cook them in or add crunch on top. Then serve it up and take this opportunity to share some memories and teach the kids how to stretch a food dollar.

Who signed my jar? Raquel’s husband is a fisherman and she is pleased when her children are determined to finish their studies. Heard of copra slavery? Dignity Raw Coconut Oil is working to keep it out of Filipino communities. A simple centrifuge keeps this oil from being overprocessed and the wonderful taste is just one factor in why I’m loving it and respecting the company. Learn about the people who make it all come together at www.dignitycoconuts.com This oil is suggested for cooking, removing eye makeup, tending babies, making grilled cheese sandwiches and even pulling (not really a fan of this but I’ll try it again with Dignity). I put it on popcorn even before reading that is one of the tips.

Quinoa Vodka – Plenty of people haven’t gotten around to enjoying the ancient grain of quinoa in a salad. If you like, you can skip right to a delicious vodka. Just watch your skeptical guest’s faces when you tell them their round of quinoa is about to be served. The backstory includes a girl on a beach, and gets to Peru, where people of the Andes are taking great care to craft this golden beverage. Pour a shot and toast their story at www.qurivodka.com. They’re putting good missions out for the Andean women.

Volcanic Artesian Water – Colloidal gold and silver, chakras, filters… Splendor water by HEALTH20 seems to have it all. They had me at blue bottle, and the site, www.splendorwater.com shares an incredible journey from the active Cotopaxi Volcano… foothills of the Andes… absorbing the area’s vital energy… It’s a lot. When you hydrate with this water, it’s like you’re signing on to be just…. Better.

Spreadable Love – Aunt Stella Belle said she liked peanut butter on ice cream. I envisioned a tasty, but chunky mess. Read on for the kind of smooth and creamy lusciousness she would have loved. Choco Blanco and Cinnamon Honey is how you can rev up your oatmeal, toast and fruits at breakfast. Americano’s peanut gallery has dreamed up notions of white chocolate peanut butter minus the sugar and carbs. I’ve run out of groceries – but not ideas – for items to spread this love upon. So, yeah, I’ve still got spoons. Get creative with all this nuttiness at www.eatamericano.com

 

 

XXX – Here’s what I’ve learned about markings. While XXX may symbolized unseemly adult content in this era, in 1904 Mark T. Wendell was using it to rank high-quality smoky tea from China. To this day, you can pop open a tin with the Wendell label and get a whiff of the story of the can in your hand. Chocolate Mint Black Tea and China Keemun tea are among options in gold boxes that perfume your kitchen as they brew. Of course, the Wendell family served it hot. In Southeast Texas, we like to ice it down and I’m sure his relatives would enjoy cool sips from our Lone Star porches. www.marktwendell.com will guide you to your flavor profile.

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who still craves a bowl of ramen noodles from time to time. Share your food memories with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

A Manwich on Mom's Day

When I visit my daughter, plans often change so much I just aim to show up and be directed, or redirected, to an adventure. Besides being part of an Astro’s win  on Mother’s Day weekend, there was visiting with my son-in-law’s mom, who made dinner. It was a Manwich, which she used to make for her boys. I haven’t had one of those since the ‘70s. “A sandwich is a sandwich but a Manwich is a meal,” the slogan went. That Sloppy Joe flavor hasn’t changed a bit, but I just had to be different. Instead of a bun, I got loose with that meat and topped it with red onion and fresh jalapenos. It might have been a Mansalad, but it made a good memory.

 

Funny Nuts – Remember the riddles on little paper cups of old? Funny Nuts from www.alcoeats.com offers a little joke on some big nuts. Peri-Peri Cashews and Mirch Masala Cashews are two of many flavors in little cans you can keep in your desk drawer for flavorful refreshment. A little spice with your coffee break keeps you fired up. Of course you can cook with them, but these are designed for easy and fun snacking.

 

Smoke + Honey – Rainier Foods is a family business in the shadow of Mt. Rainier and they’ve surprised me. I’d never have guessed they like the heat as much as we do here in the south. When I heard of combos such as Smokey Honey, Blackberry Smoky Honey, Gochu with roasted garlic and chilis and The Essentials, with sea salt, garlic and pepper…. I thought these would match my husband’s passion for Sunday afternoon ribs. While I learned cook new stuff on Korean Gochugaru chilies, my instinct was right on: the blackberry heat is my fave of faves. Here’s to the heat!  www.rainierfoods.com

 

 

Tip your farmer – Karibu, says Mukurima Muriuki. It’s a welcome from the African Coffee Club co-founder. He has lived the coffee farming life and created a way to empower Africans through a living wage and for you to enjoy aromatic coffees. Kirinyaga of Kenya, Kayanza of Burundi and Twende of the Democratic Republic of Congo are some flavors I’ve been grinding for leisurely weekend mornings. A good cup of morning coffee is a luxury. With modern technology, you can scan a code to tip the very farmers who are making it possible for you to enjoy their labors.  https://www.africancoffeeclub.com/ 

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie happy to share a Manwich with Dena or anyone else. Share your vintage food memories with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

When my ducks where in a row

 

Someone at random remarked that it is good to have one’s ducks all in a row. By the end of the day someone had given me duck eggs. She said they looked like stones. They were pretty as a picture, very large and rich. I did some research to learn the white is extra clear and people love them to bake. Mine were all used – and enjoyed – as breakfast eggs.

 

It’s a grape “must” have – Italian Cheese Dressing is marked as sweet, with white vinegar and Parmigiano Reggiano. It sure was sweet, and I looked to see the main ingredient is concentrated grape must. I just don’t think we’re used to that around here. But we should be. Cardini salad dressing, “Modena Italia 1641” is a light Italian cheese dressing suited to arranged salads as well as sauces. Let’s talk pasta salad. And tacos, potatoes, etc. All. Summer. Long.

 

 

Festive  -“ Love the flavor, love the crunch,” says Darragh and lots of other fans at www.feelfestive.com. They’re chickpeas, or “garbanzo halves” in little packets for people with nut or gluten allergies and people wanting a more healthy snack option that’s just short of addictive. Kids will crave them for lunch boxes and they make truly fun salad and rice and noodle bowl toppers. Flavors include sea salt, ranch, honey bbq, and the like. Love ‘em all.

 

Cask & Kettle Hard Coffee & Cider Cocktails could have fooled me. Lots of coffees are “infused” with the flavor of liquor. Theyse guys say it like this: “Yep – the booze is in there.” These very potent k-pods cnbrew a hot cocktail in your coffee machine or just pour out the contents over ice if you don’t have a machine. Either way, flavor combos such as Irish, Hot Blonde, Spiked Dry Cider and Mint Patty Coffee are going to wow you and your friends. www.kaskandkettleusa.com

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who would love to hear from readers. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Sips to slay and refresh

 

A toast to things served in glasses. Aqua martini glasses I scored at a garage sale often hold my yogurt parfait desserts. It’s so elegant to serve a glass of health with a little spoon. Toppings can anything. A recent round called for slivers of orange peel and a crushed granola bar. Anything goes… in a glass. Here are some other ideas for your cups and mugs:

 

Chariteas – Because Port Arthur was originally named Aurora, we can imagine the colors and spectacle of the Northern Lights. Imagine them in a pot of tea. If you have a clear brewing system, you can get a show with color-changing tea that goes from deep midnight blue tones to dusky purple. Mango, coconut, rosehips, butterfly pea flower help give you this aromatic “magic.” We wowed a tea lover who I hope will come back for Summer in Provence, featuring lavender and lemon balm. Indonesian Rainstorm is a mix of black and white tea with a fragrance I’d travel for. But the barley and sweet honeysuckle is right here in my cup. Chariteas is about fair trade and the upcycler in me also loves labels peel right off black tins for repurposing. Oh, what secrets you may unleash from them. www.chariteaspot.com

 

Good Earth – A recent Galveston excursion put me in a tropical mood. Tropical Mango & Moringa herbal tea kept music in my head and mouth all the way through my ferry ride. Since 1972 Good Earth has been about positivity, color and making things better. The flavor is nearly visible through biodegradable tea bags and the aroma is heavenly. Choose from ginger, turmeric & lemon, sweet & spicy original and limited edition 50^th anniversary decaffeinated lemongrass flavor when you go to www.goodearth.com

How you slay – Do you want broken up tea dust in little bags? Maybe your focused life calls for blends you can see, smell and control in little reusable silicone bags. If a blend such as Raspberry Limeade with organic black tea, dried raspberry and kaffir lime leaves appeals to you, go to www.sipnslaytea.com to meet tea fans like you. They’re a total package of calm lifestyle. You may know it when you come across the Lady Business blend for….that time. Hey, a tea break is healing in so many ways….

 

Calming Tonic – Sounds good already, right? Plant-powered tonics from U relax balance noble kava, lemon balm, that ashwagandha everyone is talking about and… 1-theanine. There’s always something new to learn, but the concept of winding down is ageless. These are clinically proven to keep you calm, makers say. They taste natural and numb up my tongue a little and that is what they call kicking stress to the curb. These are NOTHING like those energy drinks with crazy labels you may find at the gas station. Investigate on your own at www.drinku.com

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie raising her glass. Do you have a foodie note to share with her? Reach out at darraghcastillo@icloud.com