slathered with some honey (posted by "anonymous"

What is this you say?  This is a Calabaza - to you a Pumpkin.  This is half, bought by me from our local Panaderia (Bakery) which is around the corner from where we live.  It is delicious.  I had seen it many times on the shelf but never thought to buy one.  Of course, after tasting it for the first time I have been back on several occasions!  The baker, when you think of it, has the perfect opportunity to put some Pumpkins into his ovens.  The ovens are fired up early morning and he bakes all his bread and then he can put the pumpkins in  - slathered with some honey - and they slowly cook away to their heart's content.

The ladies in the bakery think of it as a sweet or dessert and the lovely soft pulp can be utilized in pastries of various types.  However I have wonderful memories of a pasta called Mezza Luna which we had in San Francisco once and which I have never forgotten. The calabaza was in a home-made ravioli with sage in the shape of a half-moon (mezza luna)... delicious. 
I, on the other hand, have only used it as a side vegetable dish so far and am grateful that it is just around the corner!


What is this you say?  This is a Calabaza - to you a Pumpkin.  This is half, bought by me from our local Panaderia (Bakery) which is around the corner from where we live.  It is delicious.  I had seen it many times on the shelf but never thought to buy one.  Of course, after tasting it for the first time I have been back on several occasions!  The baker, when you think of it, has the perfect opportunity to put some Pumpkins into his ovens.  The ovens are fired up early morning and he bakes all his bread and then he can put the pumpkins in  - slathered with some honey - and they slowly cook away to their heart's content.

The ladies in the bakery think of it as a sweet or dessert and the lovely soft pulp can be utilized in pastries of various types.  However I have wonderful memories of a pasta called Mezza Luna which we had in San Francisco once and which I have never forgotten. The calabaza was in a home-made ravioli with sage in the shape of a half-moon (mezza luna)... delicious. 
I, on the other hand, have only used it as a side vegetable dish so far and am grateful that it is just around the corner!

 

Hold your head up high …

(photo courtesy of internet research)

The lady in the dressing room couldn’t figure out why her bras didn’t fit anymore.    She complained they were too tight, gaps and bulges appeared where there shouldn’t and “I feel dowdy and uncomfortable”.

     

 This simple change will really improve your image.

I showed her how to put her head straight, chin up– shoulders back with blades almost touching and keeping her feet apart but parallel with  tummy in – breathing deeply her profile changed  immediately.  The bra fit properly and the difference was spectacular.  

 In my experience, as many as 85 percent of women wear incorrect bras in some way.  Cup size and shape must conform to the woman’s natural figure type, never squashing or distorting the breasts.. The body changes over a four to five-year cycle and bra sizing must be revisited and changed where necessary. 
A perfect fitting bra ensures a slimmer shape and improved posture.

 Wow !   We talked about the various advantages of good posture.

The first way in which good posture is going to help is by increasing your confidence levels. Confidence is one of the things that will dramatically impact how other people view you, so by straightening up your body attitude, you can instantly come across as more attractive to others.

Not only that, but typically when you have good posture you will also feel better about yourself  in general, so it carries through impacting more than just how other people see you. Feeling good about yourself will increase your mood levels.

  Clothes will hang on your body correctly - creases, pleats and unsightly bulges disappear as you hold yourself upright.  Trousers or jeans will fit better while sweaters won't sag and bag.

The next benefit to using good posture is increased airflow throughout the body. When we are not standing up straight, our lungs are not going to be able to take in as much air as they potentially could, as the chest does not open up.  As much as 30% less oxygen will be getting to our brain and other cells.

Having good posture will decrease the risk of experiencing an injury since all the body parts will be in proper alignment.   Let’s put this into practice.   The oldest trick in the world  is to place a book on your head while you walk. If the book slides, it means that your upper body is not steady.

This exercise is a great help in distributing the force of gravity over the body and it lowers the stress on your head and neck.   Try to walk with a medium sized book on your head for ten minutes every day – it is harder than most people think and contributes a great deal to keeping one’s back straight and making the neck muscles stronger.

Stand tall. Shoulders back. Stomach in.

Its over for the rainbow at 6:31 am

When you live with a nature enthusiast extraordinaire you can expect certain inconveniences. 

With the closing of the chasse hunting season September to Februrary I was ready to relish Sundays à deux - perhaps a conversation or even a lunch.    So it was with surprise on Saturday at 5a.m. Jean Marie is off and out - I have an appointment at 6:31am. he whispers up the stairs.  Ok I get it - the opening of the fishing season at 6:31 a.m. exactly on the 12^th of March  - a time set by the French official angling authorities.  What is intriguing is the 1 minute after 30.   This is calculated by the time of sunrise minus 30 minutes.   The rules are strict and there is an angling bag limit of 6 trout per day.  (*see article in the Bien Public)
Why this precise time - if Jean Marie caught a fish at 6:25 a.m. he would have a fine to pay but 6 minutes later would be all right.    Fishing rules which I won't even begin to understand and less explain here.

Malheur de malheur - there we go again – ooooh la la ! early rising – wet clothes– gone all day long - but there is a good omen in all of this.  
 
Well that was lucky he caught just six beautiful rainbow trout.  Poor little things happily swimming in the river and along came a nice juicy worm...

   
Look what I got in my kitchen sink Saturday evening.

They must be scraped, cut open with scissors, cleaned, then dried with kitchen paper.

Now where do I start?

A good wash is essential.



Then in the frying pan with butter and oil – the fish are floured and salted and peppered.  




A table!  Truly delicious trout served with carrots and beetroot for colour.

*

(Le Bien Public Dijon vendredi 11 2011)

Les premiers lancers d’un pêcheur débutant

 

Giovani en guide expert et professionnel nous propose la tenue type du pêcheur débutant pour demain matin. Photo Roxanne Gauthier

C’est l’ouverture de la truite demain en Côte-d’Or. L’occasion de faire le point sur cette pratique et pourquoi pas, de s’initier aussi.

Truites. L’ouverture de la pêche à la truite samedi, marque le début de la saison, car les brochets suivront un peu plus tard, à la mi-mai. No-kill. Cette expression est chère à de plus en plus de
pêcheurs qui mettent un point d’honneur à relâcher leur prise. Sportive. La pêche est devenue une pratique sportive, renouvelant ainsi son image ainsi qu’une partie de son public composé de femmes.

tired, run down, listless … how about a little lambs tongue ?



We were walking the dogs on top of our world - Jean Marie forever fearful of an empty fridge suggested a salad for dinner - I gently reminded him that at 6pm - 11 kilometers from the nearest shop  it wasn't likely.  His best friend the pocket knife came to the rescue and low and behold he started to pick out little tufts of green leaves from the field.       

Mache is the French name. Shaped like a lambs tongue it is also called "doucette" or cornsalad in English.  Mache is one of the most delicate salad greens, and one of the most cold hardy and it would need to be to survive the bitter winters here in Burgundy. The greens grow from a mass of fibrous roots. 

 

It's no coincidence that our energy is low in winter we are more vulnerable, and our immune defences tend to weaken. Come February/ March we are all tired, run down, listless … 

The best remedy is vitamin C, a true guardian of our immune system. Did you know that 150 g of lamb's tongue lettuce (one basket, or about 5 oz.) contains 95% of our recommended daily intake of vitamin C? Lamb's tongue lettuce brings along all the vitamins and minerals we need to recharge our batteries. What more could you want?

Specialists say that in winter we tend to suffer from a lack of B group vitamins, particularly vitamin B9, which has anti-enemic properties and combats fatigue - even more so than vitamin C which is the defender of our immune system. Found on the market from October until March, Lamb's Lettuce is one of the rare green winter vegetables. Beneath its chlorophyll, these little leaves contain large amounts of an orange pigment called beta-carotene, a natural anti-oxidant that combats cell aging. It's even better when combined with vitamin C, as is the case with lamb tongue lettuce. Together these two vitamins help us stay in top form throughout the winter.

^[8]

The simplest way to prepare mache is to use it as a salad ingredient without cooking. Use delicate young leaves as the taste is very mild and sweet, when older, it develops a certain bitterness.

Thoroughly washed - with slices of beetroot and a few walnuts is the best way appreciate this dish.  
To my mind the perfect vinaigrette is made with moutarde de Dijon, a filet of honey vinegar (one part vinegar to three parts oil) - add a dash of salt and pepper that is all that is needed  to enhance this dish.

Anti-stress, anti-fatigue and chock full of vitamins, lamb's lettuce doesn't lack spirit!

goosey goosey gander



Goosey, goosey, gander,
Whither shall I wander?
Upstairs, and downstairs,
And in my lady's chamber.

There I met an old man
Who wouldn't say his prayers!
I took him by the left leg
And threw him down the stairs

Jean Marie's son Bruno offered us two oeufs d'oie - (goose eggs) and this nursery rhyme immediately came into my head.    - unfortunatley one was broken so I made scrambled eggs with it but the other is perfect and here it is below.

Scrambled Goose Eggs

I found this recipe in my Mrs Beetons "Household Management" dated from 1947 -  hence the quantities mentionned.
Ingredients

• 8 goose eggs
• 8 Slices of toast
• 400g fresh girolle mushrooms
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 4 ripe plum tomatoes
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Dash of double cream
• Salt & fresh black pepper, for taste
• Olive oil

Procedure

In a pot of boiling water, blanch the tomatoes and shock them in cold water. Remove the skin and seeds, and dice them into small pieces. Take a pan, heat olive oil in it, and add the chopped shallots and garlic in it. Mix couple of times and add the girolle mushrooms to cook. When the mushrooms turn soft, add the diced tomatoes and parsley. Stir a few more times and remove the pan from heat. Place the pan on the side and season the mixture with salt and pepper. In a heat-proof bowl, break the goose eggs but don't whisk them. Place the bowl on a non-stick pan with simmering water. Cook the eggs as you keep mixing them so they can cook properly. As the eggs start to set, remove the pan from the heat and stop cooking the scrambled eggs by adding a bit of double cream. Add some salt and pepper to season it. Warm the bread and place them in the center of a plate. Place the scrambled eggs on the bread followed by the mushroom mixture. Serve hot.


Very nutrional the goose eggs taste is stronger in a nuttier way than an ordinary chicken egg - the yolk more compact in texture.   Ummm delicious.


If you would like to taste goose eggs - I can of course check with Bruno to see if he has anymore eggs to spare but the best thing is to find a private farm where you can be sure of the freshness and make sure they have been reared in a proper way — by Traditional methods.

I am going to empty the remaining egg and decorate it for Easter.    Anybody have any ideas on this ?

A suivre ...

The common crane predicts a hot summer

We were sitting by the fire all cozied up - watching the disasters in the world on the TV news when all of a sudden Jean Marie said listen - can you hear the grues?   I thought a grue was a big metal Eiffel Tower like truck that lifted up heavy things to buildings - -but  sure enough  there in the sky were hundreds of  beautiful birds (cranes)  flapping away singing "grou grou grou" - with their large wing span the air is swished and swashed about and sounds quite loud to a practiced ear like Jean Marie's.    The incredible time instinct have them migrate from the south to south/east of France end of February to beginning of March - well here we are the 27th of Feb. wow they are right on time! The best thing about seeing these birds is that if they are coming back to settle near here then the warmer weather is on its way.    

 Now where did I put the deckchairs and the BBQ?


http://champagne-ardenne.lpo.fr/grues/grue_cendree.htm

A week off

Don't know if this is due to the after effects of deciding to sell the shop but got the flu and had to shut for a week - first time in twelve years.  Every year before the Spring season starts, I secretly plan a holiday - going to Les Maldives, New York, Les Grenadines Islands - walking in the surf soaking up the sun ..... these kind of holidays remain a dream most of the time - and true to tradition the flu bout stopped me taking off once again.
 This week being at home has been good to experience time without clients or visitors.    Coming together with oneself after so many years of listening, serving and being à l'ecoute des autres is a change.   It will take a while to get used to this  but as the shop transition is planned for mid August - I have some months in front of me to organize my next life.  The prospect is exciting.   40 years in France and not speaking regular English plays a toll - writing is frankly hard work.  My words and phrasing date back 39 years to 1972 the year I left the UK.   So bear with me it will get better I promise.