Orange marmalade is a pantry staple at our house in the summer. Mon mari likes it on toast. I like it in marinades. When you are marinating any sort of meat it helps to poke it with a fork a few times, then turn to soak up the marinade. I think that is especially important with chicken breasts…. They can be a bit bland otherwise. These have to be watched … Continue reading →
We were in Paris last week. It rained. We foolishly thought that because the streets were empty the stores might not be crowded. We were wrong. It rained – so the entire world went to the big department stores to shop. We tried to go into Galleries Lafayette. Really…. we tried. Actually, we made it through security with no problems. Mon mari looked around, briefly, and said he’d wait … Continue reading →
Winter has arrived which means it’s time to start using the slow cooker regularly. For me, the main appeal of the slow cooker, aside from tender meat, is tossing all the food in with no prep. I would probably love a Thermomix (but not for 1200.00 euro)….. For now I am very happy with the results from my little slow cooker even without the suggested browning and pre-cooking. Chicken with … Continue reading →
My potager is closed for the winter. I managed to keep it productive for much longer than usual this year. Strangely, I’ve been picking enough green beans every day for the last month to feed the village – more than I picked at the height of summer. They had been doing so poorly I was going to pull them out in September. I got sidetracked for whatever reason and was … Continue reading →
I didn’t grow any little pumpkins this year but I saw a few at the local market and couldn’t resist. I really do like the flavor. They are moister than an acorn squash and are really the perfect size for a first course. Plus they seem to produce more reliably than the Sweet Dumpling squash that I planted this year….. And they are so cute….. Baby Pumpkins Filled with Bacon, … Continue reading →
When I toss a few branches of bay leaves on the fire to scent the house I realize how lucky we are to live in this climate. Well, that and the lack of snow. After growing up in Minnesota I can be content if I never shovel snow again. We have a laurel / bay tree that is taller than our house. It sends shoots up from the base which … Continue reading →
We got back from Italy on Tuesday – but more about that later….. First: Le Tour de France One of the reasons we came home on Tuesday is that all of the roads would be closed on Wednesday because the Tour de France was passing by. It wasn’t going by our house as we live on a small, dead-end lane. It was going by the entrance to our small, dead-end … Continue reading →
