Books, Tea and Friends

bonjour!

boy the weekends

sure do fly.

friday steve came home

from work early to take

me to pick up my carte de sejour...

i had to replace mine when my wallet

was stolen last spring.

you just wouldn't believe the process

to get a new one.

wtf.

(welcome to france)

later we went out to dinner as a family

to our favorite chinese food restaurant.

saturday hannah volunteered at the school

with the romania club that she belongs to.

steve took will to baseball out in the suburbs..

he helps coach.

 sunday was lazy day

and a visit to a college fair with stephen.

knee deep in college applications over here.

i was in the kitchen making soups

and ratatouille..

and here it is monday again.

i've added to my persephone book

collection recently and can't wait to 

start it!

They Were Sisters

by Dorothy Whipple.

oh how i love these persephone books!

i just finished this book.

thank you jeanne at collage of life

for recommending it! 

this is a book i will re-read.

 jeanne is a fellow ex-pat 

currently living in vietnam.

please go read her blog if you don't already.

and link up to her new

bowerbirds creative network of friends!

i did!

griffy's favorite book right now.

like griffin,

grendel loves his chocolate.

books and tea.

two of my favorite things.

is kusmi tea available in the states?

i can't recall.

it's my go to tea now.

i'll try anything that comes in a 

tin that pretty.

and if you don't read 

vicki archer's blog

french essence

do yourself a favor and go..

i found vicki last year

when we first moved to paris.

i immediately bought both of

her books that now grace my

coffee table.

today vicki is hosting the most 

amazing giveaway on her blog.

a weeks stay in her beautiful

le petit bijou

in st. remy de provence.

i die!!!

happy monday friends!

Marche' President Wilson

market day.

i love this market

and i am lucky enough to

live within walking distance to it.

it's open on wednesdays and saturdays.

not only do i come home with the freshest produce,

meats, cheeses, fish and so much more..

but it's also an amazing parisian experience to shop

this market.

here is what i brought home yesterday..

a rosemary plant

kale

basil

beets

thyme

carrots

hydrangeas

zuchinni

tomatoes

roses

baguette

eggplant

tomatoes butter

pears

and we tried

the fish fritters (acras)

with the lemon ginger rice.

and here are some photos 

love her market basket

that is one big hydrangea!

last night i roasted those beautiful carrots

with thyme.

today i'm making 

ratatouille

and kale soup.

love the paris markets!

Fontainbleau

on sunday we decided to get

out of the city for the day.

we drove out to fontainebleau

to visit the chateau.

before we even got to the chateau,

we (ok me) got distracted by

the brocante that was being held

right in the village center.

the kids rode the carousel

twice while i shopped.

oh i wanted those HEAVY urns.

but a few of the kids would

have had to walk home.

the wooden box with the leather

handles..

that came home with me. :)

and maybe one of those

wire egg baskets.

the village streets were lined

with these fabulously decorated

street lamps.

after a delicious lunch

of croque monsieur's,

cote's de provence 

and hot dogs and frites for 

the kids..

we finally made it over to the chateau.

it was a lovely way to spend

our sunday.

i love my new egg basket..

and my wine crate..

(although i just might take

a bit of sandpaper to the 

lettering.)

dinner last night.

chicken tarragon.

i will post the recipe

on my other blog

SO GOOD!

and easy.

neighbors across the street..

paris rooftops at dusk.

a year later and i'm still

in awe.

Le Marais

friday

 griffy and i walked 

around le marais.

we usually go for 

falafel on sundays

in the marais but 

i wanted to see more.

here is what i wore 

because hey..

this is paris and fashion

is important.

black oxfords..clarks in london!

black skirt...gap body

black sweater..j.crew

scarf/jean jacket...h&m

camera bag...jeanne oliver

griff and i took the metro to bastille.

(had the zoom lens and was too 

lazy to switch)

being the new england girl that i am,

i'm loving paris in the fall.

cool temps and the foliage

make me feel right at home.

like so many..

i have a thing for paris rooftops.

she's fixing her lipstick

we walked through 

the 17th century place des Vosges..

one of the city's loveliest squares.

galleries, cafe's, high end shops 

and the home of victor hugo.

quick ice cream break...

bookstore at hotel sully.

we bought this one..

similar to "where's waldo"

but instead..

where's theo in paris!

a pretty little hidden square,

place du marche' st. catherine.

outdoor cafe's galore..

old sign

new shop

love this about paris..

i'll end with 

a perfect paris door.

color and texture..

love.

and love le marais.

Tartiflette with Cod

dinner last night.

tartiflette with cod.

traditional tartiflette is made

with potatoes, bacon, onion and

reblochon..a cheese from savoie france..

will just came back from an outward bound

week there and the kids were able 

to try it!

i got the recipe from 

Home Made Winter.

the author,

yvette van boven..born in ireland,

now spends her time between paris 

and amsterdam. i'm thinking i need 

her first book, Home Made as well

as Home Made Summer to add 

to my cookbook collection.

tartiflette with cod...

try it.

it's simply delicious.

here is the recipe...

8 firm potatoes..peeled.

3 white onions..peeled.

butter for greasing

salt and pepper

2 tbs fresh thyme leaves

9 oz (250 grams) Comte' grated

9 oz (250 grams) cod fillets, cut in squares

about 1 3/4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream

(i used creme fraiche)

pinch of paprika

( i didn't)

preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).

slice the potatoes as thinly as possible

preferably with a mandoline. (i need!)

do the same with the onions.

butter an oven dish.

make layers: start with the potatoes,

then onions, salt and pepper, thyme, some cheese

some fish;

continue until you've used all

(trying to end with potato and reserving some cheese

and thyme for the top.

cover the dish with aluminum foil and place

on baking sheet (in case of dripping)

bake the tartiflette for 20 min.

remove the foil and bake for another

15 min. unti golden brown and bubbly.

(i also put mine under the broiler

for a few minutes)

seriously try this.

you'll sound all french

when your family asks what's for 

dinner

:)

bon appetite! 

Corners of my home

bonjour!

well,

we've had stomach bugs

and colds

and water leaks

and no hot water.

we are back to our

school routines

and steve's hectic work

schedule.

griffin and i spend our days

at cafe's

playing games

practicing our 

123's

and our

abc's.

i'm making soups

and breaking out the scarves.

summer is a total blur.

i know i've talked about

jeanne  before.

i've taken some of her online courses..

bought one of her awesome camera bags..

and now she's doing a fall house tour.

i'm in love with her decorating.

she's inspired me to get going 

on my flat here in paris.

i've mentioned that we didn't bring our

furniture with us here.

i miss my things..

but i'm also leaning towards

french country decorating.

in our old homes i used lots of color..

reds, black, teal..

and lots of pattern.

here in paris

i'm drawn to 

whites, french blues and greys

and of course anything linen.

i'm trying to incorporate

my new love of french linens

with my existing decor.

i love my new french linen pillows!

and so glad you're feeling better buddy. 

:)

i've always had lots of color 

in my kitchens.

and now i have an obsession

with vintage french ironstone.

maybe i need two kitchens?

i love my vintage french mustard jars.

here is a little peek into my flat..

i love a stocked bar.

and i'm loving my new linen napkins too!

my bedside table.

hannah's 

"the dancer"

hanging in my bedroom.

some of my favorite shoes

and books in the fireplace.

hannah's room..

"cape cod girls they have no combs,

they brush their hair with codfish bones"

love that.

more of hannah's art work

and cutout designs.

griff's growing eiffel tower collection

lovely hole in our ceiling.

fading flowers in vintage mustard jars

on my desk.

paris books and more 

mustard jars on my desk.

have a great day!

p.s..

BETH..who won the yogurt cups!

can you email me your address again??

it was deleted by accident!

merci!