Memorial Day Weekend Plans

Fruit Pie Williams Sonoma

Good Morning! Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of Summer for many and is filled is barbeque's. trips to the beach, picnics, scrumptious food and more.

Williams Sonoma

I LOVE summer food. Burgers, potato salad, coleslaw, corn salad, you name it. Although I have many favorite recipes I enjoy trying new ones and I have discovered  great recipes on  Pinterest, Williams Sonoma Blog, and Southern Living Magazine this week. The recipes are unlimited.

Bacon Wrapped Burger Southern Living

Pan Roasted Corn Salad Williams Sonoma

Veggie Potato Salad Southern Living

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade Williams Sonoma

Of course I cannot celebrate a holiday without dessert. Barbeque's and picnics are all about sweets to me, brownies, cereal treats, and cup cakes to name just a few. All of the desserts below were made by me and can be found on Pinterest at Once Upon a Chocolate Life Board or Pine Cones and Acorns Board.

What are your plans for Memorial Day weekend? A parade, a picnic, a day at the beach? I hope that whatever you do you have fun and are surrounded by family and friends. Be safe in your travels!

Friday French Favorites

Good morning! 

As I have mentioned several times this week, Anita at Castles Crowns and Cottages hosted a spectacular party this week, Irresistible France. There were 40 or so bloggers that participated over the course of the week, some just once and others more often. Each and every post was not only a feast for the eyes but also for the imagination as we were wined, dined and whisked from one corner of France to the other. 

These are a few of my favorite links. 

"What if Jay Gatsby had lived in Paris? by Veronique at French Girl in Seattle.

Waddesdon Manor, built in the style of a French chateau by Baron de Rotheschild,  in the heart of the English countryside introduced by Paul from The Magical Christmas Wreath Company. Paul spent a Spring day at the French market and exploring the beautiful gardens of Waddesdon. I cannot wait for more posts on this magnificent home.

Fountainbleu, Chantilly, Vaux le Vicomte, Giverney and Chartres each and everyone a fabulous place to visit.  I have been to all of them a few times with friends and family and if you are going to Paris and would like to learn about these day trips from Paris  visit the amazing travel blog written by Sandy at You May Be Wandering

A delicious Gateau Fondant aux Poires from Barbara at Moveable Feasts and from Deana at Lost Past Remembered a scrumptious Tarte Tatin and the history of this iconic French dessert. By the way if you love food and it's history than you will want to visit and explore more of Deana's blog. The blog is an education in food, architecture, history, art and more not to mention a feast for the eyes. 

 Stephanie from Millefeuilles shared a story of the Belle Epoque and memories of her grandmother. Stephanie is working on a PhD in Baroque Garden design, in addition to her beautifully written blog, and fabulous photos she crafts the most magical little mice. 

ALL PHOTOS BY PINE CONES AND ACORNS

This last one was not a participant of the party but is from a favorite blog friend and is simply a wonderful post, written by Jeanne at Collage of Life entitled "When Life Gives You Lemons."

If you have not had the opportunity to visit these blogs you can follow the link HERE to these and many other adventures. 

Enjoy your weekend and be safe!

Adventures in France

Good morning!

 I have been thinking this week about many of my  adventures in France over the years. In the Loire Valley where I visited many chateaux and fell head over heals in love with Chenonceaux and the romance of Henry  II and Diane de Poitiers and then stood in awe at the Chartres Cathedral.

 Bordeaux where I spent a wonderful summer with friends who were purchasing a small vineyard and chateau. Oh the adventures we had, driving the region, tasting wine and exploring the houses and grounds.

The many weeks I spent with other friends in St. Jean de Luz at their summer home. 

The fun we had walking in the Pyrenees searching for the wild horses, eating Basque recipes, and whiling away days on the beach. 

Then their was the summer in Limoges for advanced French classes. Between sailing the days away, classes,  meeting new friends and weekend adventures to Paris and so many other wonderful cities I have written and mailed a catalog of post cards.

Trips to Congnac and La Rochelle, Sarlat and Rocamadour.

Road trips to Arles, Niemes, Orange and an extended stay at a spectacular house in Hyeres.  The Cote d'Azur and Provence, Cannes, gambling in Monte Carlo. Visiting the great champagne houses and the beaches of Normandy. The list goes on.

I have been blessed and lucky to have made so many lifelong friends in France and in turn to have them show me their glorious country. 

Although Paris will always hold a special place in my heart the other places that I have visited and the people I have met have fed a love of history, food, adventure and more. 

What are your favorite places to visit  in France? What brought you there? Did you discover them by accident?

ALL Photos taken by me.

I love to hear about your travel adventures and favorite places so please share them. If not in France wherever they are.

Enjoy your day!

P.S: If you feel like a little chocolate come over to Once Upon a Chocolate Life to try my Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

Time

"Time is what we want most, but what we use the worst."

~William Penn~

Clock in Musee D'Orsay 

Good afternoon, 

I hope you are having a great day. Time has gotten away from me this week and alas my post for today did not get finished. I will post more tomorrow for Anita's (at Castles Crowns and Cottages) Irresistible France party.

Have a great day!

Irresistible France: The Sweet Life

Photo Pine Cones and Acorns

Good morning! I am jumping back into Anita's Irresistible France Party today, I was unaware that the party lasted all week. In my visits to various posts I have been to Versailles, Provence, Cannes, Mont St. Michele and more and I have enjoyed each persons photos and visits to France. It is a joy to see so many of my favorite places through new eyes.  

Laduree Desserts Image HERE

As I was thinking of France and all of my memories from my travels there, my earliest recollections is food. No escargot or oysters for this girl, it is chocolat chaud, crepe au sucre, eclair chocolat, almond croissant, macarons and more. 

Image Pine Cones and Acorns

If you have followed me for any length of time than you know that I LOVE sweets, next to cheese and bread they are my favorite things to eat in Paris. Not just any sweets will do I have a particular few that I enjoy.

Jamie Schler Via Life's A Feast Blog

I like to enjoy a hot chocolate in the morning at the local cafe and then it is off to the patisserie where I purchase an eclair. Some days I will visit several patisserie and buy an eclair at each place so that we I mean, I can have a taste test later. 

Image Pine Cones and Acorns

Other days, or maybe just later that afternoon I might try a raspberry tart or perhaps have some Punitions from Poilane.

Poilane Punitions Recipe and Photo Dorie Greenspan

Another favorite is sugar and butter crepes. Simple, delicious and easy to find as there are stands all over the city. I am sure that there is probably a favorite of many but I do not know if it.

Madeleine's Made by Pine Cones and Acorns

Crepes Martha Stewart

Or perhaps a few Madeleine's for the room? Ernest Hemingway said " Paris is a moveable feast" and he is right, I move food all over Paris and bring it back to my hotel or apartment and even back to the USA.

What do you like to eat while in Paris? Do you have a favorite cafe or brasserie? Or more importantly, where is your favorite place for hot chocolate?

Enjoy your day!

 If you are in the Plains States I hope that you are safe from all of the storms. My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost their family, friends, homes and more. 

Trader Joe Joe's Chocolate Vanilla Bean Cream Ice Cream

Good Morning! Did you enjoy your weekend? I did, but then I rarely do not. 

 Just curious did you have time to visit all of the links from Anita at Castles Crowns and Cottages French party? If not the party is all week and all of the posts are beautiful, insightful and offer a glimpse of many wonderful parts of France, not just Paris. I am still working my way through them all but have discovered so many "new to me" blogs that I find myself getting distracted by not just one post but by them all. 

 In between reading blogs and dodging rain drops I tried a few new recipes this weekend. As you can see from the photos I made ice cream,  I am experimenting so I can offer my summer guests something besides the things I like. 

I made Trader Joe Joe's Chocolate Vanilla Bean Cookie Ice Cream, otherwise known as "Cookies and Cream" ice cream and I must admit that it was delicious. 

The recipe is very simple and can be made with or without an ice cream machine. 

Trader Joe Joe's Chocolate Vanilla Bean Cookie Ice Cream
Recipe adapted from Lou Seibert Pappas Ice Creams & Sorbets

Ingredients: 

* 2 cups half and half or whole milk 
*4 lg egg yolks
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream 
*2 tsp. Vanilla Bean Extract
*6-10 Trader Joe Joe's Chocolate Vanilla Bean Cookies crushed

Directions:

NOTE: 1 day ahead, place ice cream maker bowl into freezer, mine must be frozen for 24 hours

* Prepare a bowl of ice water, set aside. 
* In the top of a double boiler, or a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water, heat the half and half until just steaming
* In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then add the sugar and mix. 
* Add 1/2 of the half and half to the egg yolk, sugar mixture, mix. Add to the steaming half and half. * Stir and cook over simmering water for about 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. 
* Immediately place bowl into ice bath, stir occasionally until mixture is at room temperature.
* Transfer to a Tupperware container, add cream and extract, refrigerate about 3 hours.
* place mixture into ice cream maker bowl, turn on machine and let the magic begin! 
* My Cuisinart takes about 20 minutes for soft serve. ALL machines work differently, please follow the directions of your machine.
** NOTE: If you are not using a machine pour the mixture into a Tupperware container and freeze until desired consistency. 

Are you an ice cream fan? Do you make your own? What is your favorite flavor and do you have a recipe if you make your own?

I hope that you have a wonderful week. I think the week is going to go very quickly for some as it is a holiday weekend coming up. 

Enjoy!

Linking to:
I Should be Mopping the Floors
Stone Gable
Savvy Southern Style
Rattlebridge Farm
Stone Gable Tips and Tutorials

Silent Sunday 5-19-2013

Have a wonderful day!