Sorry for the year-long absence, I have been spending much time preparing to adopt a baby. We are all finished with preliminaries and are just waiting to find a birthmother. While we wait, we are focusing on time-consuming hobbies that will likely get pushed to the side when Baby arrives. This includes: French cooking! Check out a few of these traditional Provencal recipes...
Tomato and Basil Crostini
Ingredients
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
12 to 16 slices French bread (baguette type) 1 large clove garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
Recipe
Allow the tomatoes to drain in a colander for 30 minutes.
Toast the slices of bread and rub each with garlic.
Combine the tomatoes with the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and divide between the slices of toast.
Serve immediately.
Tourin(Dordogne garlic soup):
10-12 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon flour
water as required
salt to taste
egg, separated
pepper to taste
1 teaspoon vinegar
1. In a frying pan, brown the chopped garlic in the olive oil.
2. Add the flour.
3. Mix well, then cook for a moment.
4. Add some boiling salted water, and cook for 10 minutes.
5. In a separate dish, mix the egg yolk, pepper and vinegar
6. Add the egg white to the soup, while stirring with a whisk, so that no large pieces of egg white form.
7. Cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and add the egg yolk mixture, again stirring to avoid coagulation.
9. Place thin slices of bread in each soup bowl, and pour the soup on top. Serve hot.
10. Bon appétit.
I will be trying these next week, pictures and recommendations will follow!
Sphere: Related Content
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Carp can give some TLC
I have to say this is definitely beyond the realm of cucumbers and hot stones...
Tiny fish called garra rufa have a little talent--nibbling away at dead skin. These fish have adapted so well that they can eat nearly anything as long it doesn't require teeth. 5,000 people have already tried this new type of pedicure: You have a nail techician do the polish, and the fish do the rest.
These guys are meant to replace razors because of regulations and sanitary-ness issues with the razor deal.
Apparently they started this in Turkey and now some Asian countries are doing it, too!
After a standard 15 to 30 minute pedicure, clients dunk their feet into individual tanks of water and let the fish take over. According to the clients, it feels tingly, like when your foot is falling asleep, or if you are being tickled.
The cost is $35 for 15 minutes.
The fish leave live skin alone because they don't have teeth, but they can still eat the dead skin (guess it's softer?)
They are hoping to make this a franchise--right now there are just 2 locations--Alexandria, Va, and Woodbridge, Va.
It took a whole year plus $40,000 to get the treatment together.
State regulations have no rules about using fish, although there are communal pool rules which stated that the fish must be in individual tanks for each person and the water must be changed before each client (at first they used one big pool full of fish).
The communal pool had other problems, too--sometimes the fish would lounge at the feet of a person with tons of dead skin, leaving others with no fish (which was probably also embarrassing).
For more details try www.yvonnesalon.com
Referenced from yahoo.com Sphere: Related Content
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Ann Arbor, Bananas, and Tomatoes, oh my!
Thanks for bearing with me on my 3-day hiatus. I ran and picked hubby up at 1:30am from work and got to spend a whopping 24 hours spoiling him with homemade cooking before dropping him off at 5 this morning. He'll be gone another 2 weeks...
I have been given the task of watering my mother's potted tomato plants while she is on vacay in Ann Arbor. I use the hose with the spray nozzle on and I keep forgetting to turn the hose off when I am through! I've managed to flood our yard twice already. Although I must say tomato plants are beautiful even without the tomatoes on--they are getting those little yellow buds that almost look like flowers, you can tell it won't be long before the tomatoes are here!
M has been particularly cute lately...he went through an annoying phase around 18 months and now at 22 months he is adorable, goes around chattering to everyone and everything he sees!
I found a recipe for Baked Bananas Sultana and although it sounds unappetizing, it's actually really yummy!
Place ripe bananas (still in the peel) into the oven for 10 minutes at 350.
While the bananas are baking, put a little water and sugar into a saucepan on the burner at medium high. Add a pinch of cornstarch and bring to a boil. It should form a smooth sauce. I add a little flour to thicken it and give a creamy color.
Boil Sultana raisins (I use regular) in a pot on the stove for 10 minutes or until they are warm and squishy.
Take the bananas out of the oven and peel them. Drizzle the sugary sauce on top and add raisins as a garnish. I also like to add vanilla ice cream.
I really thought this recipe was going to be a bust but it's a new favorite. M, A, and TSU (The spousal unit) love it!
Well, I know this post is long enough because my dog is sleeping on her back and snoring. How come I love it when Cocoa does that and hate it when C (my TSU) does it? Sphere: Related Content
I have been given the task of watering my mother's potted tomato plants while she is on vacay in Ann Arbor. I use the hose with the spray nozzle on and I keep forgetting to turn the hose off when I am through! I've managed to flood our yard twice already. Although I must say tomato plants are beautiful even without the tomatoes on--they are getting those little yellow buds that almost look like flowers, you can tell it won't be long before the tomatoes are here!
M has been particularly cute lately...he went through an annoying phase around 18 months and now at 22 months he is adorable, goes around chattering to everyone and everything he sees!
I found a recipe for Baked Bananas Sultana and although it sounds unappetizing, it's actually really yummy!
Place ripe bananas (still in the peel) into the oven for 10 minutes at 350.
While the bananas are baking, put a little water and sugar into a saucepan on the burner at medium high. Add a pinch of cornstarch and bring to a boil. It should form a smooth sauce. I add a little flour to thicken it and give a creamy color.
Boil Sultana raisins (I use regular) in a pot on the stove for 10 minutes or until they are warm and squishy.
Take the bananas out of the oven and peel them. Drizzle the sugary sauce on top and add raisins as a garnish. I also like to add vanilla ice cream.
I really thought this recipe was going to be a bust but it's a new favorite. M, A, and TSU (The spousal unit) love it!
Well, I know this post is long enough because my dog is sleeping on her back and snoring. How come I love it when Cocoa does that and hate it when C (my TSU) does it? Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Throwing a Custom Fit
Sooooo, I had today off from work and naturally I used the spare time to make some serious alterations to my wardrobe. I took some (ok, so it was 6 pairs of pants, I can call that "some" instead of "several", right?) pants to the tailor to have the waists taken in. Let me tell you, if you don't have a tailor you need to get one quick. I paid less for 6 pairs than I would have to buy one new pair. Hubby is THRILLED of course.
Off topic, my friend (I'll call her CTL) has a new baby who is just learning to coo and make all those babbling baby noises. Isn't that cute? And my other friend J just found out she is having boy-girl twins. How exciting!
I saw this online and thought it was so cute (and so true!).
The Toddler’s Creed
If it is on, I must turn it off.
If it is off, I must turn it on.
If it is folded, I must unfold it.
If it is a liquid, it must be shaken, then spilled.
If it a solid, it must be crumbled, chewed or smeared.
If it is high, it must be reached.
If it is shelved, it must be unshelved.
If it is pointed, it must be run with at top speed.
If it has leaves, they must be picked.
If it is plugged, it must be unplugged.
If it is not trash, it must be thrown away.
If it is in the trash, it must be removed, inspected, and thrown on the floor.
If it is closed, it must be opened.
If it does not open, it must be screamed at.
If it has drawers, they must be rifled.
If it is a pencil, it must write on the refrigerator, monitor, or table.
If it is full, it will be more interesting emptied.
If it is empty, it will be more interesting full.
If it is a pile of dirt, it must be laid upon.
If it is stroller, it must under no circumstances be ridden in without protest. It must be pushed by me instead.
If it has a flat surface, it must be banged upon.
If Mommy's hands are full, I must be carried.
If Mommy is in a hurry and wants to carry me, I must walk alone.
If it is paper, it must be torn.
If it has buttons, they must be pressed.
If the volume is low, it must go high.
If it is toilet paper, it must be unrolled on the floor.
If it is a drawer, it must be pulled upon.
If it is a toothbrush, it must be inserted into my mouth.
If it has a faucet, it must be turned on at full force.
If it is a phone, I must talk to it.
If it is a bug, it must be swallowed.
If it doesn't stay on my spoon, it must be dropped on the floor.
If it is not food, it must be tasted.
If it is food, it must not be tasted.
If it is dry, it must be made wet with drool, milk, or toilet water.
If it is a carseat, it must be protested with an arched back.
If it is Mommy (or Daddy), it must be hugged.
I am toddler!
From www.momsview.com Sphere: Related Content
Off topic, my friend (I'll call her CTL) has a new baby who is just learning to coo and make all those babbling baby noises. Isn't that cute? And my other friend J just found out she is having boy-girl twins. How exciting!
I saw this online and thought it was so cute (and so true!).
The Toddler’s Creed
If it is on, I must turn it off.
If it is off, I must turn it on.
If it is folded, I must unfold it.
If it is a liquid, it must be shaken, then spilled.
If it a solid, it must be crumbled, chewed or smeared.
If it is high, it must be reached.
If it is shelved, it must be unshelved.
If it is pointed, it must be run with at top speed.
If it has leaves, they must be picked.
If it is plugged, it must be unplugged.
If it is not trash, it must be thrown away.
If it is in the trash, it must be removed, inspected, and thrown on the floor.
If it is closed, it must be opened.
If it does not open, it must be screamed at.
If it has drawers, they must be rifled.
If it is a pencil, it must write on the refrigerator, monitor, or table.
If it is full, it will be more interesting emptied.
If it is empty, it will be more interesting full.
If it is a pile of dirt, it must be laid upon.
If it is stroller, it must under no circumstances be ridden in without protest. It must be pushed by me instead.
If it has a flat surface, it must be banged upon.
If Mommy's hands are full, I must be carried.
If Mommy is in a hurry and wants to carry me, I must walk alone.
If it is paper, it must be torn.
If it has buttons, they must be pressed.
If the volume is low, it must go high.
If it is toilet paper, it must be unrolled on the floor.
If it is a drawer, it must be pulled upon.
If it is a toothbrush, it must be inserted into my mouth.
If it has a faucet, it must be turned on at full force.
If it is a phone, I must talk to it.
If it is a bug, it must be swallowed.
If it doesn't stay on my spoon, it must be dropped on the floor.
If it is not food, it must be tasted.
If it is food, it must not be tasted.
If it is dry, it must be made wet with drool, milk, or toilet water.
If it is a carseat, it must be protested with an arched back.
If it is Mommy (or Daddy), it must be hugged.
I am toddler!
From www.momsview.com Sphere: Related Content
Sunday, July 13, 2008
The Today Show says...
J. Crew's jeweled jellies and madras weekender bag were featured on The Today Show this morning. The madras weekender was featured as a "man-bag" for beach packing. I think I'll buy one for a lady-bag anyway. ;-) Sphere: Related Content
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