Writing this post surrounded by boxes as the plan is to move to Chartres tomorrow (the city we plan to live in long term that is closer to Paris). This week we have spent a great deal of time packing and deciding what we are taking to Chartres now and what is going into storage for a short while as we will be staying with some family to start. This is the plan until I find a job and we can save our pennies to live in a castle, I heard those are pretty cheap in France.
For the most part this move is all positive, at least in my book. We will be in the city that we plan to live in which means I can try and put some roots down and invest in getting to know the city. I can unpack the suitcases I have been living out of for the past 3 weeks. There will be other people to interact with when James is working long days. And we will be closer to Paris with easy train access for all of the job interviews that will be presenting themselves.
Speaking of the job front, I have been submitting applications for positions teaching English or to nanny. While these are not my first choices (using all of that higher education), they will give me the opportunity to get my feet wet and hopefully start meeting people here. While applying for those positions I am still job hunting intensely to see what all of my options are and hope that something ends up being a good fit.
Feel free to send good vibes this way that the move is smooth sailing tomorrow (it should go great as there are friends enlisted to help, but let's be honest, this girl is sick of packing and moving)!!!
Cheesecake, the results are in...
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Thought I would give a quick update about the dinner on Saturday evening (more importantly the cheesecake) and weekend events here. We had a delicious dinner at our friends. It never fails that she pulls out all the stops and it is a multi-course meal. It is even more impressive to note that this was accomplished yet again in spite of the broken arm she is dealing with. So this only adds to the pressure of the cheesecake being at least edible.
I had made sure to ask James to give a disclaimer about the cheesecake upon our arrival at their home. He briefly explained the process of making it and being unsure if it is even close to what cheesecake should resemble. So after the incredible meal we take the cheesecake and strawberries out to serve. James finds the need to record the events on his iphone as I attempt to serve the dessert (remember this is a normal pie type pan, no springform pan to aid in easy serving).
Everyone has their piece of cheesecake and I plead with James to try it first so that if it is awful we can spare the others from eating it. He takes a bite and claims that it is great. His friends follow and report that they really like it. So with less anxiety I take a bite...to all my fellow cheesecake loving friends, this is NOT what cheesecake is suppose to taste like. In addition to the taste being different, the texture is way off. The part of cheesecake that is normally smooth, dense, and savory is a light and cottage type texture (maybe because the ingredient is not really cream cheese?). If you have never had cheesecake maybe you really can like it. However, to know what the real stuff tastes like it is suffice to say, this is not it. The best parts to me were the crust (made of biscuit type cookies) and the strawberries.
There was about a 1/3 of it left after everyone had a piece (of which they actually ate, no small pets to sneak it off to). At the conclusion of the evening, our friends report that they will finish it and get the pan back to us. We saw them the next day because we went to a outdoor city market (like a flea market) in the village near their home. They returned the clean pan to us and I am not convinced that they just didn't toss the rest out after we had left.
The lesson learned(in my point of view) is that we find real cream cheese before giving this a try again OR just buy some of the fabulous desserts available at any given bakery.
I had made sure to ask James to give a disclaimer about the cheesecake upon our arrival at their home. He briefly explained the process of making it and being unsure if it is even close to what cheesecake should resemble. So after the incredible meal we take the cheesecake and strawberries out to serve. James finds the need to record the events on his iphone as I attempt to serve the dessert (remember this is a normal pie type pan, no springform pan to aid in easy serving).
Everyone has their piece of cheesecake and I plead with James to try it first so that if it is awful we can spare the others from eating it. He takes a bite and claims that it is great. His friends follow and report that they really like it. So with less anxiety I take a bite...to all my fellow cheesecake loving friends, this is NOT what cheesecake is suppose to taste like. In addition to the taste being different, the texture is way off. The part of cheesecake that is normally smooth, dense, and savory is a light and cottage type texture (maybe because the ingredient is not really cream cheese?). If you have never had cheesecake maybe you really can like it. However, to know what the real stuff tastes like it is suffice to say, this is not it. The best parts to me were the crust (made of biscuit type cookies) and the strawberries.
There was about a 1/3 of it left after everyone had a piece (of which they actually ate, no small pets to sneak it off to). At the conclusion of the evening, our friends report that they will finish it and get the pan back to us. We saw them the next day because we went to a outdoor city market (like a flea market) in the village near their home. They returned the clean pan to us and I am not convinced that they just didn't toss the rest out after we had left.
The lesson learned(in my point of view) is that we find real cream cheese before giving this a try again OR just buy some of the fabulous desserts available at any given bakery.
Adventures of cheesecake
Saturday, September 17, 2011
The first week in France has gone well. I am adjusting to the time difference, enjoy being with James and starting to take in my new surroundings in a different way. In many ways France feels similar to home but in so many little ways, things are very different too. An example to help illustrate this is trying to make a cheesecake.
James really enjoyed cheesecake when he was in the States and during that time made a point to say that he hopes I can make cheesecake for him in France. So I got a recipe from a friend, which is suppose to be "to die for cheesecake." While visiting a friend the other day they invited us to dinner for Saturday evening and James declared, "we will bring cheesecake for dessert."
So I scrambled to make sure I have the recipe and yesterday we set out to get things we will need to make it. As we may or may not have pointed out in the past, James doesn't have a lot of kitchen supplies! A spring form pan is definitely not something that he had. We went to 3 different stores and could not find a springform pan to buy! James asked "do we really NEED this type of pan or can we make it in a pan that is similar but the sides don't come off?" I guess he really wants some cheesecake. Now I know how to bake but in no way is cheesecake something I have made more than once; I mean who needs to go to such trouble with the Cheesecake Factory not far away. With some hesitation I agree that we will try to make it with the other pan.
The next item on the shopping list is to find a handmixer. Stores 1 and 2 did not have them but we scored at the 3rd store. So now onto finding the ingredients. I had talked to James the other day about cream cheese (prior to the cheesecake making came about) and he and his brother insist that there is cream cheese in France; they know what Philadelphia cream cheese is and claim that it exists here.
During yesterday's shopping extravaganza Philadelphia cream cheese was not to be found. Some other items on the list proved to be pretty basic: eggs, sugar, and vanilla. However in addition to the cream cheese 2 other items were causing me some concern, graham crackers and sour cream. James was confident about what sour cream was and we purchased a container of it. The cream cheese that we bought was the brand he saw a picture online this morning while researching what a spring form pan was. Now for all of you cream cheese loving fans, this is where it gets REAL questionable. The cream cheese that we purchased came in a container like cottage cheese or yogurt would, not our standard 8 oz block format that all of us Americans are used to. Graham crackers were not found so we purchased something that looked close and is probably some sort of biscuit cookie. I figured that this could turn out ok since there are cheesecakes that have oreo crusts and such.
We left the store with all of our supplies and started in on the process of making this cheesecake. The crust process went fine, just labor intensive with the crushing of the biscuits. The cream cheese filling...let's just say that if this is in fact cream cheese, it does not have the same consistency as the cream cheese we are used to and sits in a little liquid with a built in strainer. Throwing a little caution to the wind, I proceeded to mix things and dump them into the pan. I baked it in the oven and after cooling it on the counter it has been in the fridge since last night.
It should be quite an experience this evening when we bring this cheesecake to his friend's house. Not only do I have no idea if the ingredients are comparable, but the conversions of measurements and the oven temperature also play a role. Thankfully the company we will be with this evening are good sports and if this is a total flop they will be able to have a good laugh with us. James is confident and said that if this is the best cheesecake I have ever had then he is going to tell them that he made it :)
Stay tuned to find out the results, fingers crossed that it is at least edible!!
James really enjoyed cheesecake when he was in the States and during that time made a point to say that he hopes I can make cheesecake for him in France. So I got a recipe from a friend, which is suppose to be "to die for cheesecake." While visiting a friend the other day they invited us to dinner for Saturday evening and James declared, "we will bring cheesecake for dessert."
So I scrambled to make sure I have the recipe and yesterday we set out to get things we will need to make it. As we may or may not have pointed out in the past, James doesn't have a lot of kitchen supplies! A spring form pan is definitely not something that he had. We went to 3 different stores and could not find a springform pan to buy! James asked "do we really NEED this type of pan or can we make it in a pan that is similar but the sides don't come off?" I guess he really wants some cheesecake. Now I know how to bake but in no way is cheesecake something I have made more than once; I mean who needs to go to such trouble with the Cheesecake Factory not far away. With some hesitation I agree that we will try to make it with the other pan.
The next item on the shopping list is to find a handmixer. Stores 1 and 2 did not have them but we scored at the 3rd store. So now onto finding the ingredients. I had talked to James the other day about cream cheese (prior to the cheesecake making came about) and he and his brother insist that there is cream cheese in France; they know what Philadelphia cream cheese is and claim that it exists here.
During yesterday's shopping extravaganza Philadelphia cream cheese was not to be found. Some other items on the list proved to be pretty basic: eggs, sugar, and vanilla. However in addition to the cream cheese 2 other items were causing me some concern, graham crackers and sour cream. James was confident about what sour cream was and we purchased a container of it. The cream cheese that we bought was the brand he saw a picture online this morning while researching what a spring form pan was. Now for all of you cream cheese loving fans, this is where it gets REAL questionable. The cream cheese that we purchased came in a container like cottage cheese or yogurt would, not our standard 8 oz block format that all of us Americans are used to. Graham crackers were not found so we purchased something that looked close and is probably some sort of biscuit cookie. I figured that this could turn out ok since there are cheesecakes that have oreo crusts and such.
We left the store with all of our supplies and started in on the process of making this cheesecake. The crust process went fine, just labor intensive with the crushing of the biscuits. The cream cheese filling...let's just say that if this is in fact cream cheese, it does not have the same consistency as the cream cheese we are used to and sits in a little liquid with a built in strainer. Throwing a little caution to the wind, I proceeded to mix things and dump them into the pan. I baked it in the oven and after cooling it on the counter it has been in the fridge since last night.
It should be quite an experience this evening when we bring this cheesecake to his friend's house. Not only do I have no idea if the ingredients are comparable, but the conversions of measurements and the oven temperature also play a role. Thankfully the company we will be with this evening are good sports and if this is a total flop they will be able to have a good laugh with us. James is confident and said that if this is the best cheesecake I have ever had then he is going to tell them that he made it :)
Stay tuned to find out the results, fingers crossed that it is at least edible!!
The day has arrived
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Again it seems that so much has happened since I last sat down to write a blog entry.
Here is a quick summary as to what has transpired in the last month or so.
-I went to Chicago and applied for my visa
-Less than 2 weeks later my passport arrived back in the mail with the visa in it!!
-I turned in my notice at work and had my last day 1 month later
-I said many, many goodbyes to family and friends
-I took a flight from Minneapolis to Iceland to...PARIS and arrived here yesterday!
Yes, can you believe it? James and I are in some disbelief too!! I told him last night to pinch me to make sure I was really sitting next to him in France instead of talking with him over skype, sure enough, it was real. The day has finally arrived that we are together without a countdown in place of having to say goodbye again anytime in the near future.
It has been an emotional rollercoaster for me the last 2 weeks or so as this day was approaching. I was so excited to be next to James and start the next chapter of our life TOGETHER but also had a difficult time leaving all of my family and friends in the States. I know that there are going to be days that I miss them all terribly and wonder what I am doing on this side of the pond but today I am excited and going to enjoy it. I am looking forward to so many new adventures. Some of the things that are coming up on our path are:
-We will be moving to a different city (Chartres) than the one James has been living in
-I am job hunting and will hopefully find a job in the near future
-I am immersed in the language and culture and hope to be speaking enough French to survive soon
-I have visitors that have plans to be in France in October and more people in November
I also plan to use the blog to update friends and family in the States so that they can get a glimpse of my new life here in France with James. I hope that everyone knows how much their love and support has meant to get us to this point. I had an amazing send off from MN the last 2 weeks and definitely could feel the love! So for all of you in the States...Merci beaucoup et a bientôt!!!!!
Here is a quick summary as to what has transpired in the last month or so.
-I went to Chicago and applied for my visa
-Less than 2 weeks later my passport arrived back in the mail with the visa in it!!
-I turned in my notice at work and had my last day 1 month later
-I said many, many goodbyes to family and friends
-I took a flight from Minneapolis to Iceland to...PARIS and arrived here yesterday!
Yes, can you believe it? James and I are in some disbelief too!! I told him last night to pinch me to make sure I was really sitting next to him in France instead of talking with him over skype, sure enough, it was real. The day has finally arrived that we are together without a countdown in place of having to say goodbye again anytime in the near future.
It has been an emotional rollercoaster for me the last 2 weeks or so as this day was approaching. I was so excited to be next to James and start the next chapter of our life TOGETHER but also had a difficult time leaving all of my family and friends in the States. I know that there are going to be days that I miss them all terribly and wonder what I am doing on this side of the pond but today I am excited and going to enjoy it. I am looking forward to so many new adventures. Some of the things that are coming up on our path are:
-We will be moving to a different city (Chartres) than the one James has been living in
-I am job hunting and will hopefully find a job in the near future
-I am immersed in the language and culture and hope to be speaking enough French to survive soon
-I have visitors that have plans to be in France in October and more people in November
I also plan to use the blog to update friends and family in the States so that they can get a glimpse of my new life here in France with James. I hope that everyone knows how much their love and support has meant to get us to this point. I had an amazing send off from MN the last 2 weeks and definitely could feel the love! So for all of you in the States...Merci beaucoup et a bientôt!!!!!
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