galette des rois

Yesterday we celebrated epiphany with a King's Cake party (les galettes des rois).
Friends and neighbors came for for a relaxed and simple gathering.
We shared savory treats, sparkling apple cider, strong coffee, Mexican wedding cakes and anise biscotti.
Minou made a marvelous creation out of homemade puff pastry and frangipane, an almond cream. He hid a token (or febvre) inside to designate the finder King or Queen for the Day. Initially he put an almond, since he couldn't find the tokens (and suspected me unjustly of decluttering them, but later recovered them in a drawer).

There was even a second Galette that I didn't get a picture of. P'tit Minou Deux and his friend C. each found half of the almond that was hidden in Minou's galette--sliced in two during the cake cutting. Then C. also found the token from the second cake, a ceramic baguette. Since C. was then doubly king (or prince), he was crowned with the purple glitter crown. This caused S., almost aged three and dressed already in a beautiful princess gown, to break into tears since she wanted to be crowned!

Luckily, her maman (who had made the delicious second galette) had had the foresight to bring a second crown for S., but it was the beginning of the end of the gathering, as they departed for naptime.

Sapin de Noel

We got our Christmas tree!
On a dark and rainy, gusting night, the four of us walked down the street to a lot on a nearby corner.
We were drenched by the time we arrived, 10 minutes before closing, to find...nobody there.
The family running the lot had gone home early, with most customers staying out of the storm.
Sadly, we made our way home, treeless.

But it was worth the wait. The next day, Minou, Mamie and P'tit Minou Deux returned after school.
Minou asked for a "Tree from the Island of Misfits" and explained we only had $20 to spend.

From back behind a dumpster, the lady dragged a magnificent 6-foot noble fir. Look how lovely it is.

 It was a misfit only because it had two "tops". Would you even notice the second?
We certainly don't mind. I have always loved noble firs, the space between the branches, but we have never chosen one before since they are more expensive. Usually we get the bushier douglas firs.

It's the most beautiful tree we've ever had, and from the Island of Misfits.
Maybe because of it?
Maybe we are beautiful misfits, too...
The cats love the coziness of home.

And one more note: Minou just came up to tell me that he found his wedding ring, which he noticed Wednesday he had lost. Our neighbor's son-in-law just found it at the back of a closet where our friend keeps bedding and said "whose ring is this?!". Minou had borrowed some foam mattresses for P'tit Minou Deux to sleep on, since he gave his bed to Mamie. Now we have each lost and found our rings once! I lost mine on the streets of Montpellier in winter. Minou found it 3 days later lying on the curb at our busy corner. I wasn't worried, I was sure he would find it...

kitchen odds & ends

If you home is anything like my home, certain foods fly off the shelves while others tend to linger.
Snack foods usually go first. I was amazed at the quick disappearance of large boxes of granola bars, energy bars, etc. (usually after a Costco trip) until I saw p'tit minou un grabbing five or six for an afternoon snack. Cereal is another item that doesn't stay around long, with the exception of rolled oats, a pantry staple. I tried hard to instill the practice of adding other cereal to oatmeal (think muesli) for texture and flavor, and to make it last longer, but it didn't stick. The boys quickly devour the Kashi Crunch, Grapenuts and what-have-you and then eat plain oatmeal with a sprinkle of brown sugar when it's gone.

Anything that involves cooking and multiple ingredients usually takes a little longer to go. However, this doesn't mean that we have no food in the house, as p'tit minou un once told me--just that we need to prepare it. With mixing, and chopping, and time, and heat. Hmm.

Which brings me to the question of how much food we really do have tucked away in all our kitchen corners. How many meals could I make from ingredients on hand, including fresh, frozen, dry, and canned? Quite a few, I'm guessing. I see the ingredients for both black bean enchiladas and Yumm bowls (if you are unfamiliar with these, it's a bowl of layered brown rice, whole beans, salsa, cheese, olives, veggies, and a delicious, locally made sauce called "Yumm sauce").
I know that there are several containers of soup I made this fall in the freezer, and lots and lots of whole wheat spaghetti and marinara sauce (another Costco trip). We have plenty of flour, rice, sugar, raisins, oats. We are runing low on milk, carrots, bell peppers, apples, and bananas (constantly).

I want to see how I do with using up odds and ends that might otherwise languish in the fridge. For example, after my run yesterday I came home and made lunch. I chopped and sauteed the last few vegetarian sausages with some tofu in olive oil, then added a little soy sauce and brown rice to make fried rice (well received by the minous). Some ingredients we have on hand are not enjoyed by everyone (like greek olives and artichoke hearts), so they lend themselves well to mini-pizzas. P'tit minou deux has cheese and black olives, p'tit minou un the same with the addition of sauce, garlic, and roasted peppers, and Minou and I whatever we feel like.

We are heading into the week of Thanksgiving. This is the first year in many, many years that we haven't celebrated it with my mother--since 1999, when we were living in France. We usually also share the day with Auntie R., a close family friend, who is travelling to be with her daughter and grandson this year. So it will be just our little family, which actually sounds really nice. It will give us a chance, I rashly suggested, to build our own traditions. Just because we always bring the mashed potatoes and tofurkey, doesn't mean we have to have it this year...does it? I was envisioning something like enchiladas, popcorn, and playing a game. Maybe a new tradition of eating odds and ends, and being thankful for having them.

Alas, I was voted down for the non-traditional dinner.  Game playing was well received, hopefully a long match of Settlers of Catan followed by several good movies, but it looks like we (not I! we) will be making pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes. If we want to eat them. In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, however, I want to try and fix as many good meals as possible with the kitchen odds and ends.

Easter Rising

It seemed fitting to climb something last Sunday--the perspective gained from rising above daily views and worries. So we set out to climb the Butte, a small mountain nearby, from a trailhead we don't use as often. The hike was a little longer than I had remembered, but it started in an old apple orchard and meandered through some lowland forest full of beautiful wildflowers before ascending the hill. We ended up covered in mud (the dogs also found some lovely green poop to roll in) and a little late for Easter Dinner at our good friend's next door, but it all worked out well. A good hike was had by all, the dogs were hosed down, people showered, quick Mac-and-Cheese with garlic bechamel whipped together, and we arrived in time for Bunny Cake (decorated by Grammy and G2) and good company. The evening finished off with an intense game of Life. Hope your Easter was lovely too!