Jackpot Wednesday

As it is really easy to think about the people and things I miss from the states, I have been trying lately to be more focused and aware of the good things that are happening in my life (even if it is as small as the train being on time or the sun being out). Some days this is easier to do than others.


Yesterday was an easy one!  Three highlights stand out.

Last Wednesday, a student of mine didn't show up for our weekly scheduled lesson (very uncharacteristic of him). He arrived at the lesson yesterday and gave me a gift to apologize. Totally not necessary yet totally kind! He gave me macaroons that are from one of the most famous stores in Paris, Ladurée.  I have walked by the store on more than one occasion but have never had the chance to try them. It was a kind gesture and great surprise!

The second awesome thing that happened was that I received mail from my Mom. Being in the digital era it is rare to receive mail and even more uncommon for it to be mail that we are excited about! I hit the jackpot yesterday. In the envelope she sent were some pictures of her time here in France, a Mother's Day card (because she is amazing and recognizes that I have a mom-like role as a step-parent), and a ITunes gift card!

I know that many people just download TV shows or watch them on different streaming sites but that is not possible (or very difficult) for me to do here in France. The sites that allow you to watch TV for free in the US(like Hulu) do not work outside of the states (some internationally media law). Therefore I am unable to watch Modern Family or Grey's Anatomy (or the other trash TV shows I like to indulge in). The only TV channels that are in English are BBC News and CNN International News. You know it's bad when I didn't even turn the TV on for 3 days over the last weekend, and rarely turn the TV on when I am home alone in the evenings. I would like to say that it's no big deal and that I am spending all of my free time doing worldly things (sometimes that's true) BUT I MISS TV!!! My commute today was awesome as I watch 3 Grey's Anatomy episodes. Happy girl right here!

The other bright star in my day yesterday was a voicemail. You may think that's a bit strange but hold on while I give you the details. Yesterday afternoon I listened to it 3 or 4 times to try and understand what it said. I knew that it wasn't a wrong number as the person stated that they were calling for Madame Léger but I had a hard time getting much information as in addition to it being in French they spoke pretty fast. I had James listen to it and it was a message to tell me the results of the French exam I took on April 3rd. Ladies and Gentleman...I passed!!! I scored 94/100!!! So I have met the minimum requirements to make immigration happy. James and I laughed that I passed this test but couldn't understand the voicemail in French to tell me that I had passed! But we are only talking positives right now and not gonna dwell on that!! Besides, it was just the elementary level test and we all know I have a long ways to go yet (and continue to take lessons twice a week)!

So my happy dance has continued into today and I am thankful to have been given many reasons to smile!!! 

Sunday happenings

Started the day off with a run and workout in the park. The weather was less hot today which was enjoyable! I finished off the book I started yesterday and now need to find something else to read. I have a few recommendations from friends so I will check them out.

The rest of the day consisted of the following...

One of my FAVORITE lunches (or dinner). Salad and crepes with egg, salmon and herb cheese. Amazing!!!

Next up was getting my toes ready for the sunshine. I love having polish brands from home but would kill for a real mani/pedi with my favorite people! It is on the agenda come July!

Not professional but not bad for a rookie!

The rest of the evening was spent making this and truly remembering someone I miss everyday! I hope to make some more of these for gifts and get a little better with my skills too!

Now just sitting and hoping I can stay awake until James arrives home. It is a 50/50 chance that I will be sleeping before his arrival.  I am excited to have one more day off before the work week and getting to spend it with my hubby!!!

Memorial Weekend on this side of the pond

Memorial weekend has always been the kick off to summer in my mind. There has always been somewhat of a tradition to spend this weekend with family at the lake. We always hope for good weather to allow us to be out on the water and more times than not, are stuck finding things to do inside because it is raining! So it is a bit strange to be on this side of the pond where it is also a holiday weekend (Lundi de Pentecôte) but is not being spent in the same way.

James is gone this weekend playing in a tournament with friends (like 5-6 hours from home). It was strange to sleep in the apartment without him last night. It may seem silly that he has only been gone one night but I still miss him! It was a beautiful day here today, sunny and hot!  I wanted to spend my day with a balance of being productive and relaxing. I think it was accomplished!

I woke up and went for a run before it got REALLY warm out. Then headed to the bank and walked around the city center for a bit.

The rest of the day was spent doing the following...

My peeps in the States, never take a dryer for granted. It would be a luxury for me at this point!

Watching one of my fav, on the computer because the DVD players here do not play DVDs from the States

Had to replenish the cookie supply for the freezer, sent all of them with the Hubs for the guys to eat! He thought it was strange that I suggested he take them. I told him that where I come from, it's a common practice for the guys to bring some goodies that their fabulous wives have made :)

French homework...trying hard to get this language. It is SO much more difficult than in the movies (like Eat Pray Love)

Kindle, sunshine, and balcony. I don't know how I would survive without my Kindle. Buying books in English in foreign countries is difficult and expensive!

I have big hopes that tomorrow will be as great! I hope you all are enjoying your Memorial Weekend! May it include sunshine, BBQ's, laughs, remembering those we have lost, and appreciation to all those who serve in the Armed Forces.

5 days with 50 Shades...

Here is what the last 5 days has consisted of (in between the mandatory work and household duties)...

Coffee.

Enjoying the rain (and sun when it peaks out).

And reading the 50 Shades of Grey Trilogy.


Nothing like indulging in some of my favorite things!!!

If you haven't read the 50 Shades of Grey, be warned that once you start it is like being sucked into a vortex and you feel the need to read them as quickly as possible(and if you know nothing about them also take this as a warning that they are not in the PG category of books).
 

My beloved Kindle and coffee

View from the balcony while reading

Has anyone else read them? Any recommendations on what to read next?

This weekend I will be flying solo with James out of town for a tournament, so I need to find some new reading material or way to fill my time. I am open to suggestions. 

Marie-Antoinette's estate for a Mother's Day gift?

With today being Mother's day, it seems appropriate to share what my Mom said was her favorite spot of sightseeing while she was in France. It shouldn't be any surprise to those that know her that it would be a country estate with lots and lots of gardens, ponds, and charming buildings.

One of the tour stops during her visit was to the Chateau Versailles (Castle of Versailles) and within this tour we were able to visit the Marie-Antoinette estate (The Queen's Hamlet). This was the getaway home of Marie-Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI. It is where she went to enjoy the simple pleasures of life and get away from all the pomp and circumstance of the royal Castle.

I have had the opportunity to visit the Castle of Versailles two previous times, but this was my first time getting to see this private estate. It really is an amazing place and I can see why it was preferred to the big fancy castle.

Here is a picture of the castle (that I took on a previous visit). Just to give you an idea of why the small estate may have been preferred :)

Here are some pictures of the estate. Even though it is very picturesque and idyllic, the hamlet was a real functioning farm. It contained vineyards, gardens, and livestock which were used to provide for the royal palace. 

Temple of Love

The Marlborough Tower

The Moulin (mill)

The Queen's house

Another angle of the Queen's house

A close up of the mill

So although I am unable to give the Marie-Antoinette estate to my Mom today, it was really great to share that experience with her a few weeks ago, walking around and taking in the sights.

She already has amazing gardens and a country home (and the farm). Now we will just have to figure out how to get her some charming buildings or a pond. I think she may even settle for a cute little gardening shed so I will have to see if I can get my brothers and Dad to help make that happen.

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and all of the other amazing women I know!!! I hope you are all showered with love today!!!

Talent, Paris is overflowing with it

I was talking to coworkers yesterday about people being talented. Some of the students I teach are fashion designers, artists and actors. It got me thinking that when someone is described as having talent, in my brain, it means that they are good at art, music, writing, acting, or something considered artistic. At times, I have also heard the word "talented" used to describe a really good athlete. So using those definitions of talent I have almost zero. I know people (friends and family members) who have LOTS of talent. So are we born with talent? Once we discover our ability in something does it flow into the other areas and those then become talents too? Is talent defined the same for others as it is for me?


Paris has no shortage of talented people. There are artists and musicians everywhere! Here are a few things I have seen in recent weeks that strongly illustrate this.

Spray paint artwork on a metro train, pretty amazing in my opinion

Someone singing and playing the piano on the street outside of a shopping area

This takes sidewalk chalk art to a WHOLE new level!

So to all of my talents friends, how do you think this works? Did you always know you had talent or was it something you discovered later in life? Maybe I have yet to discover what my talent is! Just in case though, if you have a little extra talent laying around to spare feel free to share some with me. It would make me feel a whole lot better walking around Paris with all of these talented people everywhere!!!

Giraffe sighting

So I have been teaching at a business for about 3-4 months and finished a class there this last week. Every week that I leave I walk past this building with a large opened door, and what appears to be a giraffe. I finally remembered to ask about it after the lesson last week.

Sure enough, it's a giraffe! The space is owned by the "Galeries Lafayette," an upscale shopping center. I guess they find the need to have a giraffe on hand in case they need to whip out a safari themed display.

Just a strange and interesting Paris sighting!

Angelina's hot chocolate

For two weeks I was lucky enough to have my Mom, aunt, and cousin here in France for a visit. It was truly amazing to get to spend time with them and do some of the sightseeing with them. One of the stops that we made (that was a 1st for me) was to Angelina's. I was told by a student that I teach that they are famous for their hot chocolate (on the menu it is "The hot chocolate l’Africain").

This location in Paris was established in 1903 and has a strong history of being a luxury tearoom. Coco Chanel  was one of the well known frequent guests and they must be doing something right to be around for over a 100+ years! It is located right next to the Tuileries Gardens and not far from the Louvre (after we had made our visit I also discovered that there is a location on the grounds of Chateau Versailles as well). 

So after spending the day dealing with rainy weather we made our way over to Angelina's to indulge and weigh in on the hot chocolate.

Hot Chocolate and whipped cream=whoa!

The hot chocolate was like none other that I have had before. It is served with whipped cream and was so rich. It was very delicious but could be served in shot glasses as a little bit goes a LONG way. In addition to the hot chocolate we ordered pastries, since it was unknown to us at the time of ordering that it would be so sweet and could totally stand on it's own.

Can you see how thick this is?

Here are a few of the desserts we ordered...

Fraise (like a fancy version of strawberry shortcake)

Saint Honoré (Puff pastry with caramel and cream)

Mom and I, still looking semi cute after braving the rain!

Deb and Jess enjoying our time at Angelina's

Despite leaving on a sugar high it was a fun experience. It has a great ambiance and makes you feel a bit fancy! I would recommend a stop here for anyone wandering around Paris, just be warned that you could share 1 hot chocolate, not order any additional sweet things, or be ready for some serious sugar intake!

I will try to share more of my adventures of their time in France soon!

Presidential Election in France

So like the United States, this year is a presidential election year in France and today happens to be voting day (which is always a Sunday). It has been very interesting to be in a country different from home and see the similarities and differences(there are many and I am not about to cover them all).

I have learned quite a bit about the political process in France both from James and my students. It seems to be a bigger topic of discussion in France than the US, but this could just be my perception.

One of the major differences I have noticed are the way in which the candidates campaign. Unlike the States, France doesn't have all of the negative TV ads running at all hours of the day. This is refreshing since by the time the election day rolls around in the US most of us are just ready for it to be over so we don't have to see all of the ads anymore.

Another difference is that they hold 2 rounds of election. The first round consists of 10 presidential candidates on the ballot. To be one of those 10 candidates you have to have received at minimum of 500 mayor signatures to endorse you. The first round of voting happened two weeks ago. The two candidates with the most votes move on to be on the final ballot. The first round consisted of something like 81% participation of voters, that is impressive to me as I don't think we achieve that in the US.

The results are not announced until after 8pm when all polling locations have closed (unlike the States in which we are getting a blow by blow of the results as they happen). This builds quite a bit of anticipation and in our house the countdown was like the ball dropping on NYE.

The countdown to results being shared

The final two candidates are the current president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Francois Hollande.

The results given at 8pm for the 1st round

It is quite strange to be in a country where I am not a participating voter yet am affected by the government and any changes that occur (employment, immigration, insurances, etc). We will see what happens this evening after 8pm and the first of the results are shared. I have been told that it is common for the presidential elections to be very close and so the results are often not final until the following day.

James is very interested and engaged in the political process so I am hoping that it turns out the way he would like. Happy Husband=Happy Wife :)

On a side note, I also need to figure out how to absentee vote for the US. Anyone with experience or knowledge on this?

Chocolate and White Chocolate Mousse

So having guests in France has inspired me to get a lil fancy in the dessert department. In one of my classes a few weeks ago a student gave me a recipe for a Chocolate Mousse so I decided to make it for the girls on their first night in France.

It was a huge hit and pretty easy to make. So here is that recipe.

Chocolate Mousse-6 servings
6 eggs, separate the yolk and the whites
1 bar of chocolate, dark (180 grams, approx 6 1/2 ounces)
pinch of salt

1. Separate the eggs and place in separate bowls, the whites in a bigger bowl and the yellow will be fine in a smaller bowl.
2. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat to fluffy peaks with an electric mixer
3. Melt the chocolate with a double broiler on the stove.
4. Beat the egg yolks with a fork (or the mixer) and add to the chocolate once it is melted
5. Gently mix the chocolate and egg whites together.
6. Place in individual serving dishes or 1 dish and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving

After the success of making this mousse and dealing with rain too many days in a row, Jess and I decided to get really brave and make a white chocolate mousse recipe for a recipe book I got for Christmas (which was all in French). So after spending 20 minutes or so translating the recipe we got down to business.

The recipe in French

What it is suppose to look like according to the cookbook

The chocolate bar before melting it

Beating the whipping cream

Beating the egg yolks

The 2 mixtures prior to putting them together

The finished project ready for the fridge

Compared to the first mousse I made this one was a little less of the mousse texture and a bit more sweet. So in my opinion a very small amount goes a long ways. It would be fun to serve it with some fresh fruit and it could be used as the dip.

Here is the recipe to the best of our translating abilities. 

White Chocolate Mousse

¼ c. sugar

2 c. whipping cream

4 egg yolks

10.6 oz of white chocolate (330 gram solid bar)

1.     Whip the cream using an electric mixer until firm and light.

2.     Mix the sugar with 1 ½ TBSP of water in a saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring very frequently. (The sugar should not take color) Remove from heat once it starts to boil

3.     Whisk the egg yolks until light and smooth. Little by little add the sugar syrup while continuing to beat. Whisk the mixture until it is light and warm (this will occur since the sugar syrup is hot).

4.     Melt the white chocolate on the stove using a double broiler until smooth.

5.     Using the hand mixer mix the chocolate into the egg yolk mixture. Continue mixing until smooth.

6.     Add the whipped cream into the chocolate/egg mixture and whip until smooth.

7.     Pour into a serving dish (or dishes, cover, and let cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. 

If you end up making one of these let me know what you think.