Our Juicy Life

Citizen of the Month Interview

I participated in The Great Interview Experiment which came from the  Citizen of the Month blog.

I interviewed Lesley who is originally from Scotland but now lives in France.  How lucky for me!

               

Her blog is called "PEREGRINATIONS " 
    Noun: peregrination  `perugru'neyshun

1. Travelling or wandering around

1.    How did you come up with the name for your blog?

If I remember rightly I chose the title more for the sound of the word "peregrinations" than for its meaning although as it turned out that the blog has been a meandering journey from point to point with no real focus. I added the subtitle "or maybe just havering" a couple of months ago, if I remember rightly, as an attempt to nip n the bud any expectations random readers might have of an exotic travel blog.

2.    How would you say your blog has changed from 2005 - 2008

I probably post less often and less regularly than in 2005 and I tend not to blog about anything work-related any more.

3.     You have been blogging since 2005.  Do you still enjoy it?

I go through periods of enthusiasm and others of de-motivation but I never force myself to blog just because I feel I should. The aspect I enjoy most is the discussion that is sometimes sparked off in the comments box.

4.    why did you start your blog.  How would you describe it?

I started the blog as part of an online EVO (Electronic Village Online) course for educators. I learned a lot about the tools of blogging in a relatively short time and  quickly put it into practice with a group of students later that year.

5.    What's up with this Wordless Wednesday...I see it everywhere.

I've posted a Wordless Wednesday photo twice now - I can't remember where i first came across the idea. The first time I linked back to the original project page and garnered dozens of pointless comments from people I don't know saying things like "great photo", "love the tree". However, I do like the idea of lazy blogging just a photo with no commentary, but I won't be linking back any more, I don't really see the point.

6.    When did you move to france and what made you move there?

I moved to France permanently in 1984. I studied French at Edinburgh University and came to Périgueux in the Dordogne to do my year abroad. The classic girl meets French boy story ensued and we're still together all these years later. Aaaaaw.

7.    What is the best thing about living in france and what is the worst thing?

The best thing about living in France is the generally relaxed  ambiance I think, or at least that's the best thing about living in the South-West of France, i don't know if it would be the same in paris, or the North of the country. I like the way people take time over meals, over shopping at the market. I honestly don't have any major gripes about living in France but there are plenty of bloggers out there who do. Bureaucracy can be a pain, and so can dog shit on the pavements, and it would be convenient if shops were open on Sundays. Actually the worst thing at the moment is probably the bling-bling Sarkozy presidency.

8.    Give me an idea of a typical day in your life.

On a typical weekday I get up at around 7H30, wake the children up and then get increasingly annoyed as they dilly dally around the breakfast table. I walk them to school and then hop on the tram to the university. My working day is spent teaching, doing the usual administrative tasks, preparing classes etc. I try to set aside at least one day every week for research. I pick the children up after school and then it's home for a goûter and their generally evasive answers about their day at school. We usually eat at around 8 p.m. and he children go straight to bed after that. Evenings are sometimes spent working, sometimes watching American series, sometimes surfing ... actually how do I spend my evenings, where does all that time go? I have no idea, suddenly I look at the clock and it's midnight and time to go to bed.

9.    Disney World?  Why Disney World?   Every time we are in france we find someone who asks about Florida or wants to go to Florida.

In the past our visits to the USA have always been to places like Arizona, Colorado and new Mexico. But my Mum said a few months ago that it wasn't fair that we didn't want to go to Disney because all of her friends got to take their grandchildren there, so we said gave in and are graciously allowing her to  take us to Florida. The children are 7 and 5 so probably the ideal age for this sort of extravaganza.

It was a pleasure to meet Lesley via this interview.  Keep checking her blog to hear how the trip to Disney world was, I'm sure the kids will have a great time.  Lesley and her husband will probably need a vacation from this vacation!

Tour of California

                

We are leaving after class today for Palo Alto...just south of San Francisco.  Tomorrow starts the first day of the Tour of California a 9 day ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles...not the 21 day Tour de France, but all the pro's will be there and it's a big deal here in California.  Our good friend Rebecca is the women's 24 hour mountain bike WORLD champion  and she's being flown up there to follow the tour from beginning to end and she'll do many photo shoots and signings...so she'll have VIP passes for us, etc...we'll be back on Tuesday.   We'll do 2 long rides - one tomorrow in Palo Alto and the other on Monday in Santa Rosa.  We are so excited to get away for a long weekend.

For my Valentine

                   

Thursday is our French lesson day.  We have been taking French for almost 3 years.  It's still so hard!  This morning I didn't feel like going, I felt like cooking.  So, Bruce went without me.  Thursday night at our studio is a late night for us.  We have a class from 3:30 - 5:00 and then a teen class from 5:30 - 7:00 pm, don't get home until around 7:30, too late to cook.  So I decided to make the meal in the morning and then we'd have it ready when we got home. 

Instead of being adventurous and trying something new I decided to go with a proven winner, my roast chicken and tri-colored orzo pasta salad (I'll give you the recipe for these next time).  The one thing I have never made is this chocolate torte.  I wanted to make individual chocolate souffle's, but you had to cook them right before you ate them and I didn't want to do that. 

First, you need a springform pan.  Butter or spray bottom and then cut out circle to fit in bottom, press in and butter or spray on top of it.  Set aside.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Great ingredients:  butter, eggs, unsweetened chocolate, sugar and vanilla.

Separate the eggs while still cold, placing the egg whites in one bowl and the egg yolks in another bowl.  Cover both eggs whites and yolks with plastic wrap and bring to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes)

 Cut butter into pieces - 1 cup of butter!!!!

Combine butter and chips melt.  You can either microwave this (keep a close eye on it and stir often), or you can use a glass bowl on top of boiling water.  Either way works fine.  Just make sure you watch it so it doesn't burn.

This is what the mix should look like once everything is melted...very shiny.

Place egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat on medium high speed until thick and lemon-colored, about five minutes.  The eggs should have tripled in volume, look thick and soft, and when you lift the beater the mixture falls back into the bowl in a slow ribbon.  Add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined.

 

In a clean bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy.  Add the cream of tarter and continue beating until soft peaks form.  Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  Using a large rubber spatula, fold in a small amount of whites to the egg yolk mixture to lighten the batter.

Add the remaining egg whites, folding just until incorporated.  Do NOT over mix.

Fold the mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.  Bake cake for about 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  During baking the surface of the cake will form a crust which will collapse when the cake is removed from the oven - don't panic.  Remove from over and place on wire rack to cool.  The top of the cake will be cracked with crumbs.

This turned out great.  Moist, dense, intense chocolate flavor.  I topped it with whipping cream (no sugar) but you can also do it with the ganache that is included in the recipe.  Feed this to your love (any day...doesn't have to be Valentines day) and this is what you'll end up with!  Guaranteed.

 

LouLou's Onion Roquefort Tart

                  

I'm not a fan of blue cheese...really never liked it.  When we were in France in September we ate at a restaurant in the beautiful village of Najac called Le Belle Rive .  We had an amazing dinner.  For dessert we had a cheese plate with many different cheeses.  One of them was Roquefort.  We learned that this cheese is made in the village of Roquefort.  Roquefort is at least one of the oldest and best known in the world. This blue cheese has been enjoyed since Roman times and was a favorite of Charlemagne. It is made from sheep's milk that is exposed to a mold known as Penicillium roqueforti and aged for 3 months or more in the limestone caverns of Mount Combalou near the village of Roquefort in southwestern France. This is the only place true Roquefort can be aged. Roquefort has a creamy-rich texture and pungent, piquant, somewhat salty flavor. It has a creamy white interior with blue veins and a snowy white rind. It's sold in squat foil-wrapped cylinders. True Roquefort can be authenticated by a red sheep on the wrapper's emblem. The name "Roquefort" is protected by law from imitators of this remarkable cheese.

When they put this cheese in front of us we were truly amazed to see how furry it was.  Being from America, we are not used to eating furry molded cheese.  Most people would throw away cheese that has mold on it.  I just cut it off (but don't tell Bruce).  Bruce took the smallest morsel of this cheese and put it in his mouth - he said it was like a rush to his head, it cleared his sinuses and he felt it all the way to the top of his head.  He has never experienced that before with any cheese.  It tried a small taste but it was too strong for me.

I read this lovely blog called Cuisine Quotidienne.  Betty writes this blog as well as  La France Profonde She is a native of Olympia, Washington, and has been living, working, cooking and raising a family in France for 17 years.  I was reading her blog a couple weeks ago and she had just made this tart.  She got the recipe from Chez Loulou .  I decided to make it for Bruce and I.

I'm not going to give the whole recipe here...click on the Chez Loulou link for it, I will give you some pictures of it though.  I tried to make the crust, since we don't have the "good" pastry crust you can buy in France.  The crust didn't work out well for me, not sure if it was the measurements.  I would use puff pastry or make a traditional crust, either would work really well.  You can see how to make the puff pastry from my post for Goat cheese tart.

Simple ingredients:  heavy cream, eggs, onion, butter, Parmesan cheese, and creme fraiche (sorry to those in france, I don't have the ' in creme and the circumflex for the i in fraiche).  If you want really good blue cheese, try Bristol Farms here in Los Angeles.  The selection is great.

That's some good blue cheese!!!!

Cooked onion and then the cheese on top.   The pour custard mix over, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake.  This what comes out...

So I said above that I don't like blue cheese....but I loved this tart.  The custard and onions take away the sharpness of the blue and they all go together.  It's creamy, a bit tangy and smooth.  I loved it.  Can't wait to make it for some friends.  Now the bad news.  We left it up on the counter - big mistake....Dashell, the counter surfing golden retriever got up and ate the rest of the tart - we had 2 pieces for dinner, he had the rest.  He liked it too. 

Thanks Betty for a great new recipe.

The Daily Love Session

                      

                  

Every day it's the same thing.  A love session with Dashell & Stella.  They truly love each other and they are so funny to watch.  Stella is 10 lbs and Dashell 75 lbs but you'd never guess it by watching them play.  Stella is tough as nails, she jumps on Dashell, bites him, growls at him and charges him.  Dashell puts Stella's head in his mouth, he could crush her skull if he wanted to, but he's very gentle with her.

                  

I interrupted them....

                

Back to business...just giving a little love.

                

Stella's going a bit crazy in her "bumper"...she's digging at it, burying her head in it and growing.

                

She just popped up and looked right at the camera.  Can you see Dashell's paw on her back?  They do love each other.  She is such a crazy little ratty dog, but so sweet.  And like I said before, Dashell is big and strong, but he's so gentle with her, even when her head is in his mouth.  This love session happens every day, usually around 7:30 pm (the witching hour).

                  

I had to add this picture.  Here is Mr. Augie (15 years young) and Bruce.  My niece Gigi has show and tell once a week with letters of the alphabet.  Last week was the letter "U"...my sister called and said that Gigi wanted to bring a picture of "Uncle Bruce" and "Augie"...which she thinks Augie is spelled with a "U" (she's 5 - so it was "Ugie").  So I took this picture for her, my sister laminated it and it was part of show and tell for my beautiful niece.  She loves Augie (and Uncle Bruce).