Céréales Fourrées au Lait

It's been over two months since I have posted anything and I am deeply apologetic. So far, this summer has been extremely busy; I not only helped and witnessed my own dear grandmother's near breakdown when moving her from North Yorkshire so she can be closer to our family down south, but my parents also decided to move house and I have therefore been living off microwave meals without access to a fridge, fully functioning kitchen and internet access. However, having jetted off to Mallorca, I have regained access to all of the aforementioned luxuries, and a whole host of foreign and exciting cereals to titillate my tastebuds for the next few weeks. 

Walking through the cereal aisle in the Spanish supermarket 'Mercardo' was more stressful than passing through security at Terminal 5. There was an array of completely different cereals to back home and some even had smarties and jelly babies thrown into the mix. Given that it was the start of the holiday, I decided to maybe tone down the extravagance a little and opted for the Céréales Fourrées au Lait (Milk Pillow Cereals) as they reminded me of when I would stay at our friend's french home every summer, although I was a little confused to see a french cereal being sold in a Spanish supermarket. Nonetheless, this cereal was as good as it was all those years ago. You bite into the crunchy exterior to reveal a delicious milky, gooey centre that tastes almost like white chocolate. Granted, these are not the healthiest of all cereals, nor do they look that appetising from the packaging to when they're in you're bowl. But holidays are a time for indulgence and extravagance in my opinion, and I feel that I indulged my inner child as memories of summers spent in France during my childhood came flooding back with every mouthful.   

Here are my ratings for Céréales Fourrées au Lait:

Crunch Factor: 4.5/5

Flavour: 4/5


Aesthetics: 3/5


Filling: 4/5


Overall Rating: 3.9/5

Coco Pops Croco Copters

When the possibility of a trip to Tescos becomes the highlight of your day, you know that the monotony of revision has kicked in. I therefore decided, like almost half of St. Andrews, to head home for a little bit of TLC and to fully prepare myself, mentally and emotionally, for the looming exam period. Having foolishly booked the 09:22 train home the Monday morning following Sunday's frivolities at the Kate Kennedy Club Charity May Ball, I was absolutely delighted when upon my arrival home I was greeted by an amply stocked cereal cupboard courtesy of my loving mother. 

Indulging my inner child for a few days, I was immediately drawn to the most novel of all the cereals: Coco Pops Croco Copters. Despite the fact that it's clearly advertised and marketed towards children, I fully enjoyed my first taste of this new cereal; it doesn't taste exactly like classic Coco Pops, but nonetheless has its own unique flavour. The cereal takes a long time to go soggy and, as with Coco Pops, you are left with chocolatey milk at the end. What's more is that the plethora of games and activities to be found on the side of the box, including a word search and maze, were a great stimulant each morning, meaning that I was mentally prepared for a day's worth of revision. The only confusing thing about this cereal is the fact that each individual piece is shaped like a clock cog whereas the packaging would suggest that theme was revolving around helicopters. However, if you can find it within your heart to overlook this minor issue, i'm sure that you too will thoroughly enjoy Coco Pops Croco Copters. 

Here are my ratings for Coco Pops Croco Copters:

Crunch Factor: 4/5

Flavour: 3.5/5


Aesthetics: 4/5


Filling: 3.5/5


Overall Rating: 3.75/5

Kellogg's Corn Flakes

Easter Sunday marked the end of Lent and instead of celebrating with an easter egg or Lindt Bunny, I couldn't wait to tuck into a huge bowl of cereal. In fact, I was so excited about being able to eat cereal again that I forgot to blog about it last Tuesday and I can only apologise for my own negligence to the cereal cause. But, what did I choose as my first bowl of cereal in 6 weeks, 42 days, 1008 hours, I hear you say. There was no competition, it had to be Kellogg's Corn Flakes.

Sometimes overshadowed by more 'exciting' or 'interesting' cereals, Corn Flakes remain a solid classic that give their contenders a run for their money. Yes, they don't have any particular flavour, but sometimes all you need is something simple. This also means that you have a base upon which you can add whatever you wish, be it fruit, honey or sugar. However, I personally always opt for my corn flakes plain, enjoying the simplicity of the cereal per se, for me, Corn Flakes are the equivalent to the detox option of the cereal world. My only qualm with Corn Flakes is the time that they take to go soggy. Within about one minute of pouring the milk on, you are guaranteed to find a soggy bottom to your cereal (something Mary Berry does not approve of). For those of you who are not fans of  soggy cereal, this means that you may have to consume your breakfast as fast as possible, potentially setting you up for mid-morning indigestion. However, after a few weeks away, I always seem to forget this fact and come crawling back to Corn Flakes, only to be reminded about the speed this transition takes. Nonetheless, apart from this minor glitch, Corn Flakes do remain, in my opinion, an underrated gem of the cereal world - a bowl full of golden sunshine...

Here are my ratings for Kellogg's Corn Flakes:

Crunch Factor: 2.5/5

Flavour: 4/5


Aesthetics: 4/5


Filling: 3.5/5


Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Hot Crossed Buns

I always find myself feeling extremely enthused about seasonal foods such as easter eggs, pigs in blankets and Pimm's. I, therefore, could hardly contain my excitement when I realised that Easter is just around the corner by the sheer quantity of hot crossed buns filling the shelves of Tescos. In a way, hot crossed buns hold a very nostalgic and very dear place in my heart. Every sunday morning of lent my brother and I would clamber into my mother and father's bed, teddy in hand, and devour hot crossed bun after hot crossed bun, only after I had insisted that my dear mother remove every single raisin and currant. I have since grown up and learnt to deal with the raisins, but still enjoy eating hot crossed buns in bed with my teddy, which is exactly what I did this very fine morning. 

The smell of orange, cinnamon and various spices coupled with slightly singed bread fills your house with the unbeatable feeling that spring has finally arrived. However, how you choose to eat your hot crossed bun is a question that can divide a nation. I would personally always eat my hot crossed buns warm (after all, the word 'hot' is in the title), choosing to toast it, but I could understand some people perhaps choosing to heat them in the oven or under the grill. However, I once heard someone say that they heat them in the microwave, needless to say I ended that friendship quickly... But whether you enjoy your buns hot or cold, the next big question is what condiment, if any, to top with? Taking pleasure from the simple things in life, I tend to stick to butter, but I suppose marmalade or maybe even honey would also make good options. It is this versatility that makes hot crossed buns a perfect treat for anytime of the day, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. This also means that around this time of year I end up devouring them, packet after packet. Perhaps, in the words of Helen Mirren in Calendar Girls, "we're going to need considerably bigger buns".

Overall I would give hot crossed buns a rating of 4/5

Porridge

We are in the midst of lent and cravings for what we have given up are starting to set in. Some dive into the challenge of 6 weeks without chocolate, others perhaps try and better themselves as a person by going gossip free for 40 days. I, however, have decided to undertake a real personal challenge, giving up cereal for the whole duration of lent. Initially I thought I would make a swift transition from cereal to toast for breakfast, but then I remembered that I don't particularly enjoy eating toast every single morning. This has therefore led to the diversification of my breakfast choices, trying many vast and exciting breakfast foods. So, once a week, I intend to blog about a different breakfast option other than cereal for the whole 6 weeks of lent. After all, variety is the spice of life...

To ease me into this transition I have initially tried and tasted the pseudo-cereal, porridge. This is a hearty breakfast with slow release energy to keep you going until lunch time. It's versatility knows no limits as it can be made exactly to personal preference; it can be made with water, milk, as thick or runny as you like it. And once you have chosen your base you can start on the toppings. Some opt for a classic honey or maple syrup swirl, others like to add fruit and/or jam, and for those of you who believe less is more, porridge can be enjoyed simply as it comes. This morning I chose to have banana and honey upon my porridge and it was delicious. This combination adds a subtle sweetness to the simple base and you feel good because it counts towards one of your five a day. In my opinion, porridge is so great that it can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No matter how you choose to have your porridge, I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed; how could you when it's texture and flavour depends upon your own personal preference? I will certainly be eating a lot more porridge  in the coming weeks... 

I would give porridge an overall rating of 4.5/5

Pancake Day

Today is Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday, Le Mardi Gras. Whatever you like to call it, it's one of the few days that many of us actually decide to eat pancakes for breakfast, lunch and even dinner. However, this one day can divide a nation - what sort of pancake to have, what to top it with, sweet or savoury, American style or French crêpe? Unfortunately this year I am unable to participate in my local Olney Pancake Race that has been running since 1445, however, in celebration of this time old tradition, I have decided to scrap cereal for a week in favour of a traditional French crêpe.

Given that I had my crêpes for breakfast, I opted for the classic lemon and sugar to kick start my day, swiftly moving onto a filling of Nutella topped with the finest Spanish raspberries to be found in Aldi. However, there are many more toppings to be had: maple syrup and bacon, banana and toffee or even ham and cheese, to name just a few, the limit is your imagination... No matter what you choose to top you pancake with, the crucial, age old question still remains: to flip or not to flip? Fortunately for me, my flatmate has many talents in the kitchen, saving me from having to scrape my breakfast from up off the floor. But for those of you whose 'tossing' needs a little more practice, I would suggest heading out to some sort of eating establishment to get your pancake fix for the day. 

Obviously pancakes are not a cereal, therefore I won't be able to use my standard ratings today. In my opinion, pancakes are a very versatile food that can be changed according to personal preferences, taste and the time of day. 

Overall I would give pancakes a 4.4/5 stars.