Which kind of Mom are you?

                             Don’t think you’re taking the easy way out by shopping for Mother’s Day baskets at GourmetGIftbaskets.com. It will take some shopping and clicking around to decide if she’s a Rose, Spa or gift tower kind of mom. (Pause here to say grads are covered at this site, too). I watched a mom open a slatted gift crate, unlocking rose, chocolate, cheese and crackers. The red Mother’s Day bow was an added perk. Wow, hope she shares!

                             So. Many. Ideas. For. Mom:

                             Some new, and usual, suspects are below:

                            

                             * Keto Mom: ChocZero is dark chocolate Keto bark that personal trainers and health professionals are getting behind. I’m hoarding my samples of dark and milk low carb blocks that are attractively and individually wrapped into 40 and 50 calorie servings. It tastes very rich to me, and ChocZero sugar free maple is labeled as the thickest sugar-free syrup on the market with ingredients you can trust. I’m glad industry is keeping up with this trend.

                             * Classic Mom: A waft of chocolate aroma puffed out of the bag of American Heritage Chocolate bag as I opened it to sift a small amount of finely grated dark chocolate with a hit of vanilla, orange and cinnamon onto green apples and yogurt. Just a tad elevated this simple breakfast into a gourmet treat. Oh, it’s good. Later KVLU’s classical music played as I dunked a bar of the same blend into coffee. How relaxing. The company’s other offering incude milk chocolate gourmet hot cocoa mix. It’s a Mars Wrigley Confectionery offering that connects you to their refresher course: “With its origins in the Americas over 3,500 years ago, chocolate has been woven throughout the fabric of culture for millennia. Inspiring creativity and a catalyst for making new family traditions, chocolate’s timeless story is one that spans cultures, peoples, rituals and experiences. If love makes the world go ‘round, chocolate makes it richer.” Agree with that? My yogurt breakfast was richer, as was the rest of the day.

                             * Lookin’ good Mom: ‘ME’ Lazy Daze Buttercream is a color from the upper crust Dermelect Spring Classics Collection of nail polishes inspired by Pantone’s seasonal palette. If you stroke some of this uplifting color on before you go about your motherly business, know that the peptide-infused color treatment strengthens weak, brittle nails, is water and detergent resistant and it otherwise “fancy” for mom. Wear it while you bake with the offerings from above! The “buttercream” name reminds me of some amazing homemade cakes I’ve enjoyed, though I was reminded by makers that this one is to wear, not eat. Demerlect has some products sold exclusively at Ulta.com. Iconic is a more nude/pink shade I’m enjoying form Demerlect Cosmeceuticals; 4-in-1 Snmooth Lip Solution, combining lumnouse properties of lipstick, lipstain, lip balm and lip gloss all in one. Colors are from sheer to red. Indulge mom, or yourself.

                            

                             Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who doesn’t mind getting spoiled around Mother’s Day. Reach her at www.darraghcastillo@icloud.com

                 

Runamok mocktails and a slow-motion melon rescue

                  Runamok

                             It’s not enough to have a beautiful bottle and uber-cool names for your concoctions. You’ve got to have quality backing your name. Let me pause to have you imagine a tequila/guava cocktail with ginger-infused maple syrup dubbed Wardrobe Malfunction.

                             Your name, here, is Runamok Maple, a Vermont-based organic syrup company.

                              These “sweet” people have pure-joy ideas for blending their many flavors into foodie-worthy meals. Yes, I’d love some broiled salmon with mustard and smoked maple syrup. Sure, I’ll pair hibiscus flower-infused maple syrup with blue cheese, smoked gouda and baked feta.

                             Have you ever uttered the phrase “They had me at cole slaw?”  Maybe not. This “side” often blends into the background. But with red cabbage, apple and corn, try aa Merquen infusion in a vinaigrette.

                        Today I want to talk to you about Romamok’s elderberry, which is simply superb on warm tortilla and French toast.  Runamok Maple’s Elderberry Infused Maple Syrup features what makers call a mix of wild berries and figs with a hint of woodsy-ness. Visit www.runamokmaple.com and try this:

Kafka’s Mocktail

·  30 grapes

·  1 oz Runamok Elderberry Infused Maple Syrup

·  ½ oz fresh lime juice

·  Seltzer

·  Ice

·  fresh tarragon (optional)

Place the grapes in a tumbler and crush them (citrus reamer).  Add the Elderberry Infused Maple Syrup and lime juice and continue to mash the grapes until you have rendered all of the juice you can from them.  Alternatively, you can put all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse.  Strain the liquid into a glass filled with ice, pressing out as much from the solids as possible.  Top with seltzer and a sprig of tarragon (optional) and serve.

                             Watermelon resue

                             An audience of bystanders gasped allowed at a slow-motion watermelon rescue.

                             Eyes turned as a  rounded, basketball-sized melon jumped a cart at the grocer’s parking lot, hesitated, then negotiated a path toward oncoming traffic. We gasped as it paused beneath wheels of an upcoming SUV which caught it, skidded it a few feet, then bumped it under the vehicle and out toward the truck coming the opposite direction.

                             Cheers emerged as an employee stopped traffic and retrieved the errant melon. It was a tiny real-life drama for shoppers.

                             Micro mask is macro luxuriant           

                             Avocado, sweet orange oils , coconut oil and bergamot selections sound like you peeked into a health food nut’s pantry. Dermelect researchers weren’t playing with their food when they created a new Microfacial Exfoliating Masque. They were perfecting a natural blend with the trending kaolin clay and THD ascorbate, which they call the gold standard form of Vitamin C to fight the look of dark spots. The delicious-sounding ingredients in the first paragraph are blended to make skin appear supple, smooth, glowing, healthy and hydrated.

                             So there, keep kitchen ingredients in this handy red tube of Dermelect in your bath area. In the summer especially, an exfoliation is a treat to refresh the face at the end of an adventurous day. In fact, after one of these scrubs, I’m refreshed enough for another round of excitement.

                             Darragh Doiron is up for foodie adventures in the Port Arthur area. Let her know if you’ve tasted something she needs to try by contacting her at: darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Fall flavors and looks from pecans to popcorn, hot syrup to high brow

If D or     If D is for Dr Pepper and A is for Alamo, “This is Texas, Y’all!” is the book for all of us. Misha Mayerick Blaise offers the Lone Star State from A to Z in a fun book that’s fun for all ages. She’s got our flavors, cultures and holidays down. This week, let’s flip to P for Pecan in honor of the Groves Pecan Festival.

                             We learn that there are more than 1,000 varieties of pecans, which is Algonquian for ‘hard-shelled nut.” Many are named for Native American tribes such as the Apache, Chayenne, Shawnee and Mohawk. Hardly like a true Texan, a pecan tree canlive to be more than 1,000 years old and grow more than 100 feet tall. Of  course, y’all knew the pecan tree is the state tree of Texas.

 

                            Hot news in syrup

What do you know about Merquén chili peppers? Perhaps not much if  you’re in Texas, the land of jalapenos. Here’s a quick lesson about  Runamok Maple’s experiment, which I say is a success.  These folks in Vermpont barrel age syrups with exotic flavors and this, as predicted, has been my favorite of those I tried. Smoked Merquén Chili Pepper Infused maple syrup is available from runamokmaple.com.

  The syrup, in a beautiful bottle, uses a spice blend centered on chili peppers from the Mapuche region of Chile, which are first ripened to a dark red color in order to develop a rich flavor, then slowly smoked over a fire., is what makers say.

“We trialed many different chili peppers to find one that would result in a unique, superior product,” said Eric Sorkin, Co-Founder of Runamok Maple. “When we infuse the Merquén into our maple syrup it adds a balanced amount of richness, heat and smokiness that is enhanced by the natural caramel tones of the maple. I recommend using this new variety over cheddar cheese, on BBQ, roasted vegetables and meats, and even eggs. It also lends an exotic and sweet element to cocktails.”

Now, here’s how I first tired it. I toasted oatmeal bread, fried an egg and heated a banana. I dipped banana and toast into this lovely colored syrup and the experience was something that people would pay big money for in a restaurant. I was relaxed in my own house, making yummy sounds.

Popcornopolis!       There comes a time in October where I’m ready to eat popcorn for dinner a couple of times a week. It could be with butter, or olive oil and curry, or white chocolate bark or something akin to Chex mix. I’m all about it.

                             Popcornopolis is a place, on the web at least, where someone else will pop for you, and you will thank them.        

                             The Red Snowflake gift basket is something that will get you in the door of parties, or create a party right where you are. Look for this 5-cone gift basket with Caramel Corn, Kettle Corn, Cheddar Cheese, Cinnamon Toast and Zebra. Thee are listed in no particular order of yumminess, but come on, the Zebra is black and white drizzles of chocolate.

                             I was actually able to share a sample with two taste testers and one proclaimed joy through the fluffiness. The other one just kept his mouth full of popcorn. It’s five kinds of good for $41.99 in an eye-popping package.

                             Visit this magical pop place at www.Popcornopolis.com

                            Sounds Good: High Brow

                              It’s amusing to see Halloween makeup featured when cobalt mascara and neon purple lips are the fashion year-round.

                              I grew up in an era where thick eyebrows were downplayed and now “bold” brows are the thing. Remember “The Good Wife” TV series? Everyone wanted the look those actresses carried and Dermelect Cosmeceuticals has the tools to make it easy. You may be surprised that there are multiple steps, but they’re all easy.

                             Brow Transformer & Revitalite Brow Lift are attractively-packaged double-ended tools to enhance sparse or thinning brows. The lift is a defining and highlighting crayon. One side gets swept, dabbed and blended above the brow arch and the other tip goes below. I love the feel of the Transformer with an angled tip to fill in Oak Brown or Ashe Blonde colors, you order your preference. The brush of the “spooley” to sculpture your work feels soft and feathery. Now you’re good to go for the office, dinner, the Groves Pecan Festival or even Halloween. Be “The Good Wife!”

            Darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Habanero hits the spot

 

Habanero hits the spot

         I'm told Habanero Bar & Grill serves a more Mexican style of Mexican food. That is to say, less Tex-Mex. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

         My mom has been bragging about the restaurant at 6685 Eastex Freeway in Beaumont and now I can vouch for it myself. I enjoyed my grilled chicken and sides and scooped up every bite with chips and salsa. And more chips and salsa. I even eyeballed dishes arriving at other tables and got jealous of their orders. So, we'll have to head back.

         Habanero is in the sit of the old J&J Steakhouse. Remember that? Apparently a lot of people do, because this info is printed right on the the business card of Neno Chavez. 

  Com     Community  Coffee and the Big Game

                      Does Community Coffee put you in the mind of football, brisket sliders with spicy slaw, sweet and spicy chicken wings and cream cheese swirled mocha brownies?

                      Want to win a trip to Minneapolis for the Big Game? Get  a specially-marked bag of Community Coffee from our friends in Baton Rouge and enter Tailgate Traditions. Also look for Community® Porch Breeze™ tea at participating locations where Community, while supplies last. Specially-marked bags or boxes contain Code on the package. More information here: www.tailgatetraditions.com

                            My mornings have been starting off smooth with Private Reserve Brazil Santos Bourbon, that smells very, very exotic. Study up on the contest rules with Signature Blend Dark Roast and  Extra Bold French Roast, the stuff that fuels offices from Louisiana to Southeast Texas. We love those red labels. Now look for the ones with Tailgate Traditions markings. The link features game day recipes, like Smokey Maple-Glazed Nut Mix, with coffee, rosemary and pepper. What a wake up!

                             Krups

                            

                             The Savoy Turbo sounds like an English race car. But Krups, the trusted name in coffee appliances, is behind this sleek, programmable coffee maker that brews up to 35 percent faster. Need 12 cups of your favorite? You’re ready for the day. It’s easy to work and looks good in the kitchen. This model will rev you up. There are so many choices out there these days. If you want a dependable product, get a trusted name that will last a good, long while. I expect to work with this Krups for the long stretch.

                             Just a little schmear

                        Did you ever hear a friend say she didn’t want to hit the grocery store because she didn’t want to put on makeup? A little Dermelect is all she needs to brighten her look. It’s my favorite pick-me-up. America just celebrated National Lipstick Day (you did, right?) and Dermelect Cosmeceuticals’ 4-in-1 Smooth Lip Solution and Smooth + Plump Lipstick was on the scene. The 4-in-1 combines the luminous properties of lipstick, lip stain, lip balm, and lip gloss, all in one, so just one step for a great look. I tried Smooth + Plump Lipstick with peptide-infused pigments and a plumping technology for smoothing. You get what you pay for in lipstick, so I’m taking good care of a tube of Adorned, pinkish coral full of keartin peptide, vitamins A, C  & E, hyaluronic acid and shea butter. www.dermelect.com.

              darraghcastillo@icloud.com

 

 

Co

                     

Bettie Jean's is home style; It's time for pumpkins

Bettie       Bettie Jean’s

                      It pays to have connections. Bettina Evans invited French High Class of ’83 classmates to a get together at her new restaurant Bettie Jean’s Homestyle Cooking. She served us chicken spaghetti for dinner, even though she’s usually just open at lunch. A few of us got shrimp and grits and one stuck to her diet and got shrimp over salad greens. Several of us got tiny pies to take home. My sweet potato pie made a great breakfast the next day, though some of the coconut pies were devoured on site, at 2604 Dowlen Road in Beaumont.

                      I’m seeing on Facebook that Bettie Jean’s is getting well known and getting good reviews for a variety of soul foods that I’m looking forward to check out for lunch. French folks are wishing you well, Bettina!

              Sounds Good: Pumpkin

                      The pumpkin has begun. Before the white went away for Labor Day, I stepped into a supermarket and pumpkin snack cakes, pumpkin soup, pumpkin coffee and the like popped from every aisle.  I drove home to find pumpkin décor dotting several yards. For two or three years, this column has recorded pumpkin alerts. Readers, share your favorite pumpkin discoveries.

              Sounds Good: Seasonal color

                      Want to look as good and rich as Fall tastes? Keratin protein peptide is for strengthening nails, and Dermelect has crafted the “ME’ Unearthed Collection with hues such as Verdure, a lush hunter green; Diggin’ You, a crème burnt umber that puts me in the mind of coffee beans; Nobody’s Fool, a chrome marigold; and To the Core, a russet copper. Check into www.dermelect.com and you’ll look fabulous this season and help Trees for the Future plant something like 10,000 trees.

             

A world of adventure

                      I’d love to blend my culinary global tour with cultures of the world. A new atlas designed for children fuels my desires. The great sardine run of South Africa? Never heard of it before this book. The fact that peahens choose mates on the size and quality of the peacock’s tail feathers, entertaining and not surprising. November and December in Zambia’s Kasanka National Park is the time when mangos and waterberries are at their best, so that’s when 8 million straw-colored fruit bats head gather for the largest mammal migration anywhere on earth. Did not know that before. You don’t need a kid to enjoy “Atlas of Animal Adventures: A Collection of Nature’s Most Unmissable Events, Epic Migrations and Extraordinary Behaviors,” but it sure would make a great afternoon to enjoy learning with one. Lucy Letherland illustrated this oversized book and Rachel Williams and Emily Hawkins wrote it. I’ve always loved a good Atlas. This one will hold interest for years.

              darraghcastillo@icloud.com