FrenchZEN

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2011-11-09T21:47:00.001-07:00

My budget software is telling me I'm over for groceries. I blame the cheese! Not the wine. The wine has his own budget. Which I was told by the budget software was also over. So I just increased the wine budget. Fixed!!!

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Gratefulness and Luck

2011-11-07T21:10:00.001-07:00

As a general rule, I am a rather grateful person. But I can't be hypocritical, here's what I must say... It's a WHOLE lot easier to be grateful when things are going well. It's easy to think then that we 'created' that. In everything, there's a component of hard work, a component of timing, and if we are truly honest, even a component of plain old luck. Not law of attraction. Not 'willing' it... Luck! Coincidence. Whatever we call it. And it requires true humility to admit that, after we have become its fortunate recipients.

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Gluten Free Pumpkin Ricotta Garam Masala Coconut Mini Muffins

2010-12-07T21:20:00.001-07:00

Alright, for those of you who have been asking, I have managed to replicate the first batch of those made-on-the-spot-very-yummy-mini-muffins... And this time, I wrote it all down!

Makes 24 mini muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree (unsweetened)
3 eggs
1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp rum
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Mix all the wet ingredients together and add the following dry ingredients, but do not over mix.

1 1/4 cup quinoa flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp baking powder

Pour in mini muffin mold, previously oiled with some coconut oil. Fill up to the top.

Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes.

Enjoy!

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This weekend's paintings.

2010-09-05T21:43:00.001-06:00

Albatross I

September 04, 2010

40cm X 50cm

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What I Made for Last Night's Divas Dinner

2010-08-15T08:58:00.003-06:00

[[posterous-content:pid___0]][[posterous-content:pid___1]]"Verrines"
(appies in a shotglass)

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What I Made for Last Night's Divas Dinner

2010-08-15T08:58:00.001-06:00

[[posterous-content:pid___0]][[posterous-content:pid___1]]"Verrines"
(appies in a shotglass)

Posted via email from FrenchZEN

What I Made for Last Night's Divas Dinner

2010-08-15T08:57:00.001-06:00

"Verrines"
(appies in a shotglass)

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Morning Thought

2010-08-07T09:49:00.002-06:00

Living in the present.

Forgetting the past, and borrowing nothing from the future.

Neither pain nor joy.

Astrid

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These polished shoe lasts were salvaged from a 200 year old cobbler's shop in Devon, UK. And now they are mine! Found at Uniquities in Calgary.

2010-07-07T22:33:00.003-06:00

Art is everywhere...

2010-06-18T20:00:00.001-06:00

Thank you Punam for introducing us to Chantey Dayal, this lovely artist.
Her work can be found here: http://www.chanteydayal.com/

Morning Thought

2010-06-18T07:43:00.005-06:00

"I wasted so many years
trying to be 'proper'
...
Aging disgracefully...
SO much more fun!!!"

My brain this morning, and anytime really.

2010-06-14T06:15:00.003-06:00

This morning, the corner of my coffee table looks like my brain I'm afraid... A painting in progress, a fountain pen, a hot coffee, a list (of monkeys on my back), a pair of scissors, a moisturizing cream sample, my daytimer...

A Big Shoutout to Plum

2010-06-10T20:03:00.005-06:00

Plum is a Canadian company located in Vancouver British Columbia.

Online, they have just switched from featuring their clothes on mannequins to having women wear them. What I love about this, is that the woman in the pictures is a regular size gal. I can now see what these clothes would look like on me and decide accordingly.

Great move Plum!!!

I like the long toe on this one.

2010-06-08T17:31:00.003-06:00

And the colour is fabulous too.

Thank you Mr. Bialetti.

2010-06-07T09:51:00.005-06:00

Mmmm.... dark, flavourful, syrupy-thick morning goodness.

2010-06-06T21:38:00.006-06:00

Every time I think I have figured out one of life's little secrets, it throws something my way to prove to me
that I haven't.

Chaque fois que je pense avoir finalement compris un des petits secrets de la vie, elle m'envoie quelquechose pour me demontrer le contraire.

Astrid

2010-06-06T20:44:00.003-06:00

"Si on la laisse faire,
et on ne lui resiste pas…
la vie sait quoi faire de nous.
~
If we let her do her thing,
and don’t resist her…
life knows what to do with us."

Astrid

This summer’s addition to the shoe closet.

2010-06-06T20:39:00.003-06:00

No, that’s not a picture of asphalt.

2010-06-06T20:25:00.003-06:00

It’s a picture of MILLIONS of tiny dead fish thanks to BP.
Get. Angry.

LOVE my LAMY Safari fountain pen.

2010-06-06T20:20:00.003-06:00

It came with me to Europe last summer, and wrote tons in my moleskin.

Late Sunday morning... Dali is not a morning dog.

2010-06-06T20:18:00.003-06:00

My first gluten-free Tarte aux Pommes.

2010-06-06T20:13:00.002-06:00

I made it for my girlfriend’s birthday. She’s not celiac, I am.
I’m just hoping she will share. I’m also hoping it’ll taste alright. Just in case… I’ll be bringing wine too and serving it to her first!

Blog Recommendation

2010-06-06T20:12:00.002-06:00

http://www.lezardes-et-murmures.com/

Blog Recommendation

2010-06-06T20:07:00.002-06:00

Bloggrenier

“Nous ne sommes que des grains de sable mais nous sommes ensemble. Nous sommes comme les grains de sable sur la plage, mais sans les grains de sable la plage n’existerait pas.” ~ Bernard Werber

http://bloggrenier.com/2010/05/17/blogotherapie/

May 28th… Mais ça va pas, non!

2010-06-06T20:05:00.005-06:00

Ma pauvre rhubarbe!

2010-06-06T20:00:00.002-06:00

It’s snowing like crazy!
But I’m refusing to wear snow boots. Instead, it will be these fabulous rubber boots. With socks. Very thick socks.
This French gal likes her toes toasty!

2010-06-06T19:48:00.002-06:00

"Nos désirs font désordre"

(Seen on a wall in Lyon, France)

Things I Brought Back From France

2010-06-06T19:18:00.002-06:00

Two long dresses for Noelle (my daughter)
A Provencal mug that says “Nathan” (for Nathan)
A Provencal mug that says “Marine” (for Noelle)
Some Savon de Marseille
Some cologne from a perfume factory that only uses real plants and flowers (for Nathan)
Some perfume from the Bambouseraie (for Noelle)
An OM (Olympique de Marseille) baseball cap (for Nathan)
A really cool ring made from vintage buttons (a gift - Thank you!)
Foie gras
Some limited edition wines
A live Mimosa plant (I knooowwww…)
French team jersey from 2010 World Cup (for Nathan)
Two pairs of babouches (thank you for the gift!)
Gifts for the girlfriends
French hair straightener (fried mine, even with a converter) that works only on 220V
Many postcards
Even many more great souvenirs
Lots of footage of people and places
Sand from “Les Landes”
Sea shells from “Les Landes”
Lavender
Verbena
Antesite
Chicory
Books!!!!
Music (Thanks Michel)
A really cute Chantal Thomass set ;-)
And other things I probably can’t think of right now…

THINGS I LEFT IN FRANCE…..

My brown towel set (I’ll grab it next time Mom!)
My friends
My family
Five pounds
My cowboy hat
A chunk of my heart

2010-06-06T19:14:00.003-06:00

"My grandma in heaven must think
we’re all a bunch of morons if she can see the 11-steps-to-washing-your-hands posters in our public bathrooms."
Astrid

Lessons on Airplanes

2010-06-06T19:13:00.003-06:00

I was on my way back from France, flying Air Canada, flight AC845. I had originally booked Lufthansa, but they did a switcheroo, as they often do, since they have a deal in place I gather.

Lunch time arrived and I was told that the gluten free meal I had ordered (it’s a long flight…. 9 hours) was not on board, I must admit I was feeling a tad annoyed, and hungry. The gluten free madeleines from France I had in my carry-on bag were only going to satisfy me for a very short while. They only have so many meals on the flight, and they did not have mine. Ordering in can be a tad tricky at 40,000 km up in the air.

When the flight attendant told me that they could give me rice, my budding frustration did not abate. I imagined one sad, white, little scoop of rice in the middle of a slightly larger plastic plate. So when she asked what I wanted, I thought “What do I really want?” So I decided to tell her exactly that. If I could have whatever I wanted, here’s what I would like: I would like fish, with vegetables, and not covered in creamy, floury sauce of course. That’s it.

What happened next thing just blew my mind away. A plate arrived, a REAL plate, with REAL cutlery, with beautiful food, Carpacio, smoked fish, slowly roasted julienned vegetables… A plate of cheeses as well and a wonderful fresh fruit salad. I SO dislike canned fruit salad…It is just SO wrong! It was wonderful and so tasty and I was more than satisfied, when the flight attendant arrived with another plate with fish in butter sauce, small potatoes and roasted artichoke hearts! I could not finish all the food. There was wine too…

The other passengers around me could not help but stretch their neck to find out where the wonderful smells were coming from. I was thoroughly enjoying my food. And those who know me, know I love food… Plus I had just spend four weeks in France being spoiled on foie gras, magret de Canard, and lovely little rose wines from small wineries, in places like Cucuron.

I was extremely grateful and told the flight attendants as much. I gather they had gone into the “First Class Food Cupboard”. So I thanked them for a most gracious recovery and a wonderful meal.

For the Lesson part…

Sometimes some negative things happen, and it is often our first instinct to feel victimized, “why do these things always happen to me” kind of reaction. I started to do that on Flight AC 845. But then I voiced my wish, and kept an open mind that everything would be alright, and that I would be taken care of. After all, I still had some madeleines and there was wine to be had. How bad could the situation really be…

But then life surprised me. People surprised me. Even one initially rather cranky flight attendant surprised me. And I do love surprises! Most especially good ones of course.

So I believe that it is in life as it was on this flight. I lost my job two days before leaving for France, and it will be more than alright. My car gave up the ghost while I was gone, and it will also be more than alright. I just had a little heartbreak and what will come next will be just wonderful as well. I just need to keep remembering to voice my wishes, keep an open mind and heart, and life and people are bound to beautifully surprise me again, with much more than I could even ask for.

So looking forward to it all!

2010-06-06T19:12:00.003-06:00

"How bold would you dare to be
if you knew this was all a dream?"

Astrid