Nature is the best bleacher

A client in tears yesterday at the shop.    After months of embroidery labour, every stitch carefully and painstakingly finished,  loving thoughts into each push of the needle -  visions of a beautifully set table for a special occasion - a tablecloth for her grandchildren - first time in use a green candle was spilt over her hard work.    My dear friend Michelle in the shop at the time saved the day by giving her this tip:

When you have a stain on your tablecloth whether it be red wine, oil from salad dressing or pot grease.
Before washing in a machine - pour ordinary washing-up liquid over the stain - rub in with hot water and small brush to massage it in thoroughly.   Let it soak in for 15 minutes and then machine-wash as normal.
If, as in this case, it is candle wax.   Harden the wax by rubbing with ice. Remove the surface wax by carefully scraping with the dull edge of a butter knife, if that doesn't work, you can try the next suggestion. Sandwich the wax stain between folded paper towels and press down lightly on top of the towel with a warm (not hot) iron. Replace the paper towels frequently to absorb more wax and to prevent transferring the stain to new areas. Continue as long as wax is being removed.
 If you have a old yellow stain on your tablecloth,  I have found that nature is the best bleacher. Hanging tablecloths from a clothesline or laying it outside on a sheet in the grass after washing will do a beautiful job of lightening these stains. Make sure that if you hang your tablecloth on the clothesline, you are not stretching the ends. Use several clothespins to hang it straight across the line.
Sunshine a natural cleaner.

Embroidery kits from Rico at l'Aiguillée-boutique.

“le gourmet médecine” or health à la Française

Jean Marie’s next door  neighbour  has gone into a nursing home but her house has never been so full in fact it is buzzing with activity.   In her absence the première étage has become  a thriving factory – a noisy throbbing place where ouvrières work non-stop all day tending a royal bed, visiting, gathering nectar, searching for pollen and defending their group.   Yes, there is a beehive established  between window and shutter in the bedroom.   This room faces South so it must be reaching boiling point in the hive.  A very unusual place for bees to build their "home".  Most often they are attached to a tree or in a chimney.. 
These “busy bees”  enlist a highly specialized caste system as they are incapable of living and working alone  - the survival of  the colony is vital.   Each member of this community fulfills a need that serves the group. Tens of thousands of workers, all underdeveloped females, assume responsibility for feeding, cleaning, nursing, and defending the network.   Male drones don’t have a great life – as their anatomical structure proves a limited role  - they do get to mate with the queen, but the pleasure is short lived as they die immediately afterwards.
Amazing and thrilling to be able to get close to the window and see “into” a hive.   My photos with full sun on the outside don’t give justice but good enough to imagine though.   Here is what we found :

Is honey good for you?   It is not only good for you; it is amazingly wonderful for you, for all of us.

Honey or as the French call it “le gourmet medicine” has extraordinary powers. Offering incredible antiseptic, antioxidant and cleansing properties for our body and health,  amazing healing properties from eye conjunctivitis, indigestion, and  psoriasis to athletes foot.   Honey contains almost every vitamin, mineral and essential ingredient including water we need to sustain life and keep us healthy.

Monsieur Durand sells me his honey every market Sunday. http//:rucherdefontenay.free.fr

  He has been instructing me on les “bienfaits de son miel” with 200 ruches or beehives he owns.
Try taking honey with your tea or that all time favorite a warm glass of lemon and honey to treat that irritating cough and cold or eat it straight from the jar, delicious!
Honey also lubricates the throat, calms everything down and helps to induce our all important sleep. Many famous singers know the benefits of honey for the throat and generally gargle regularly with this to help save their voices.

Healing honey used in conjunction with cinnamon is fantastic for relieving the sometimes insufferable problems brought on by the woman’s menopause, buckwheat honey can also be very helpful for this natural but annoying process.
Please don’t reach for the cheapest jar on the shelf or the one that looks the prettiest as this type of honey is NOT honey, it’s a fake and one that bee keepers refer to as “crankcase oil”.

You wouldn’t dream of buying rotten eggs, fruit, meat or vegetables or any kind of rotten food produce so don’t be fooled into buying those kinds of honey.  

If you take the time to read the labels on honey jars you will easily be able to discover if it is a good honey or not.

If there is nothing added to the ingredients in the jar, it is just pure honey and this is the best you can buy.

Along with your jar of honey I advise very strongly for you to keep a supply of some kind of cinnamon supplement in your store cupboard which will help to form the basis of your newly discovered and completely natural medicine supply.

Honey and cinnamon In Chinese medicine cinnamon means “warm herb” warming our energetic channels which help to warm our bodies and greatly improve our circulation.)

For Dry Skin: Avocado & Honey Face Mask

You will need:

2 tablespoons of avocado flesh

2 tablespoons honey

1 egg yolk

To form this anti aging skin care face mask, put all the ingredients in a blender, or mash by hand in a bowl. Use your fingers to spread the mask over your face and neck and leave it on for at least 30 minutes.  Rince carefully and apply your usual moisturizer  - wow!  you look beautiful.

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 ...