• Mussels at the seaside - a restaurant review

    I haven’t as yet done a restaurant review, so today is a first. A couple of weeks ago, Joerg and I took a drive to Hossegor, a town on the Atlantic coast. I really miss the ocean, so my darling husband drove the 3 hours (one way!) just to make me happy. He’s a keeper! They have international surfing events in Hossegor, so there are lots of nice looking chaps about – a definite plus in my book. We have a VW kombi/van and sometimes we sleep in the car right on the beachfront. On one such occasion, I opened my eyes and 4 of these lovely young men were standing near by. I smiled and one came over and placed a kiss on the window. Be still my beating heart!! Then Joerg lifted his head and said kisser was Gone with the Wind….

  • Paella and the Celebration of a life

    The Paella

    Today's recipe is: Paella
    One would think that living on a farm with your nearest neigbour almost a kilometer away would be “oh so boring”, but this is so not the case in the south west of France. We have to fight for a night in, in front of the telly. And this last week has been no exception - in fact the last 3 months have been no exception. We’ve had visitors or been out 9 times in the last 2 weeks!! I need some time to lie on the sofa, I mean, write this blog, for goodness sake. Well, that’s it. This week I’m here to stay and finally post some (hopefully) interesting stories and recipes. Just have to answer the phone quickly and I’ll be right back………….

  • Husbands and other Smoothies

    Today's recipes are: Joerg's Breakfast Smoothie; and a Mango Smoothie
    My husband has just asked me for a bowl and a pair of scissors. To some of you this may seem like a perfectly normal request, but I am married to The World’s Biggest 5 Year Old. So this question sets off the same alarm bells that sound when a 5year old asks his Mother, “Mommy, can I have a keg of dynamite and a flint.” I cautiously ask what he needs these for and he excitedly informs me that he is going to use the flint to light the keg….I mean, he is going to cut some stinging nettles, lime leaf tree shoots and other weeds to make me a smoothie for lunch. My heart sinks. My 5year old is glowing with pride. I open the windows to stop the explosion breaking the glass.

  • Breakfast at the market

    Today's recipe is: Spicy Sausage on French Bread
    Everybody loves French markets and we are no exception to this rule. In fact, I am no longer merely an enjoyer, I am a believer of this tradition. This belief may involve ruining my liver and lead to early alcoholism and an early death, but if this is the price to be paid to preserve the French traditional way of life, then I shall have to sacrifice myself.

  • Raw food, dieting and other tortures

    Today's recipe is: Thai Coleslaw
    Before we left America, we had lunch with friends and she had just come from a yoga class. During lunch she mentioned that she had managed to get 2 of her fat rolls into a knot during one of the yoga exercises. Well, I thought that was hilarious - improbable, but hilarious. But then……

  • d'Artagnan - the 4th of the 3 Musketeers

    Today's recipes are: Fruity Moroccan Lamb Tagine; and Couscous 101
    Sally, my bosom buddy, and I went for lunch in Auch last week. Auch is our department/state/province’s biggest city and is the birthplace of d’Artagnan, the 4th of the 3 musketeers. I don’t get it either. I thought that there were only 3 but it seems I was wrong. Maybe he was like a reserve one or something, incase one of the others got hurt and couldn’t do whatever it was they did. Hey, it’s been a while since I read the story.