Things I Love About France - The Sky

Fifteen Shades of Blue

The Bucket List

Over the holidays in Ireland, I hooked up with my college buddies - Every year us 5 girls try to meet up somewhere in Europe. It's funny, it's been 20 years since we were in college ( yikes!) but sitting in a bar, looking around at the same faces, we might as well be back there, in our favourite pub, The Rogue,  giggling girls with our whole lives in front of us.
We've gone down different paths, some of us have got married, some have had children ( 2 out of the 5 have had sets of twins, what are the chances of that?), some have high flying careers and some of us are living in France wondering what they will do next ( ahem)
As one of us was turning 40 and having a mini mid life crisis, we all decided to put together our bucket list, you know, things to do before you kick the bucket, but in our case, we put an age deadline of 45 for us as none of us are planning on bucket kicking any day soon..
My Bucket List ( you had to think of 3 things) is:

1. Buy a sailboat ( even a teeny weeny one) and learn how to sail with the kids
2. Write and publish a book
3. Get off the proverbial fence

What would be on your bucket list for the next 4 to 5 years??

Things I Love About France - La Cantine

The canteen at school in France is something else, it has to be said. From the age of 2, the little scholars enjoy a 2 hour break to eat their 4 course lunch. The food is fresh, inventive and different every day of the year.
Today's menu, which is posted on the classroom door every day and published in the newspaper, so you don't cook the same thing in the evening for the little chéries I suppose, caught my eye, as it is bio (organic).

Starter : Salad of Tomatoes and Surimi
Main : Chicken Tajine with seasonal vegetables
Cheese plate
Fruit of the season

Bon Appetit les enfants!

Things I Love About France Part 1

Sunny Sundays in September

François Hollande, what is he up to?

In most jobs, a new employee would have to partake in a trial period; usually three to six months, to prove that they are capable for the task they have been employed for and that their CV wasn't a complete work of fiction. For someone who has never ever worked in the field ( i.e. the new President Hollande), I am sure their employers would be watching very closely to ascertain whether the candidate was the right fit
What a pity , this does not apply to the President of France, as no matter how low he plummets in the polls, "Mr Normal" still has another 4 and 3/4 years to do effectively whatever he wants, what he, as a champagne socialist, believes is right for the Republic of France. His employers, i.e.  the voting public ( those of us who can vote!) can only look on as their new boy runs amuck.
Mr Hollande addressed the nation on TF1 tonight and explained to them what his 'concrete' plans are, because for the most part, people are wondering, what the hell is Flamby up to, with no direction, no leadership or no communication being forthcoming from the head of state so far...
SO what's he going to do to dig the country out of the merde? A quick summary of his droning speech:

• Firstly, it's going to take 2 years at least before we will see any changes..."Je ne vais pas faire en quatre mois ce que les autres n'ont pas fait en cinq ou dix ans."
• Unemployment will go down in 1 year ( although he didn't say how).
• Taxes will go up by 20 billion in 2012. Half of this will come from enterprise.  
• The famous 75% tax on high earners will be implemented , the one that is seeing the wealthy flocking from France as I type...
• He stated "J'ai demandé une présidence qui soit exemplaire, simple, proche mais en même temps, je suis pour une présidence d'action et de mouvement." Not exactly "light your fire" stuff?? Would you get in front of your employers at the end of your trial period with such an unconvincing resumé?

The poll in Le Parisien " Were you convinced by Hollande's speech" is currently running at a resounding 78% NO.
The people of France are not happy, and amazingly, no-one seems to have voted for him now either .. what a pity they can't just fire him. 

Hey Baby, I think I want to PACs you?!

After being hounded by our notaire who is also a good friend to get our "sheet" together and get PACsed in France, we have set a date and shall soon become legally bound to each other in a civil partnership. The whole "ceremony" will take  about 15 minutes in front of a judge in the tribunal d'instance in Perpignan ( providing I can get all the paperwork together before then, that is!) and afterwards we shall have the same status as any other Mr and Mrs en France.
If we don't get PACsed and one of us pops our clogs, the survivor will have to pay loads and loadsa money to the government in taxes and as we have already paid loads and loadsa money into the French coffers, this is kinda something we want to avoid, like..
So now, I have a list , two pages long of all the paperwork required ; attestations, birth certs ( less than 3 months old AND translated, FFS!!!), certificats de coutumes ( whatever that is?), a medical, 2 pints of blood and a cert saying we're not bonkers ( may be difficult to attain for Mr Getrealfrance, in fairness). Phew, I'm flippin exhausted just looking at it.
Of course, Mr Getrealfrance will just turn up on the day and sign on the dotted line and wonder what all the fuss was about!!
The PACs status was introduced in 1999 in France, mainly to help same sex unions legimitise their partnerships ( Gay marriage is still illegal in France, see here). However, interestingly, only 6% of PACs since then have been same sex unions with two out of every three "marriages" now opting for the PACs route. Also, only 15% of PACs relationships are annulled whilst the divorce rate for traditional marriage in France is over 50%.
Anyway, on to more important matters, a gals gotta have a nice dress for her Pacsy Party, so here's what I've picked out, what do you think, any suggestions, les filles?

Lemon Meringue Cup Cakes

Here's the recipe for the lemon meringue cup cakes I posted yesterday. If I can make them, anyone can, and they looked very pretty, if I may say so myself.
My cupcake recipe is handed down from MamaBrougham, my Granny who was a dab hand in the kitchen. Simple, she used to say, wiping down her flour dusted apron : 4, 4 , 6 and 2.
4 ounces of sugar
4 ounces of butter
6 ounces of self raising flour
2 eggs
And For this recipe add the juice of a lemon
Make your cupcakes as usual and then your meringue mixture:
2 egg whites
100 grams of sugar
Whip up the egg whites until stiff, then gradually add the sugar
Place the meringue mixture on the cupcake and stipple with a fork

Ready for a grilling

Put under a hot grill for about a minute and sprinkle with the zest of the lemon.
We brought them along to a dinner party last night and the French were suitably impressed. In fact , the French are always impressed with a spot of baking, they rarely bake themselves, then why would you , with a patisserie on every corner?
Photos please if you attempt la recette!
Bon Aps from a wannabee domestic goddess xx

Kids gave them the thumbs up!

Releasing my Inner (Domestic) Goddess

Inspired by Louise Sayers who writes a lovely food blog here and Tanya from Pommedejour, who took over my kitchen chez moi yesterday and whipped up some delicious creations, I let my inner Goddess loose today and made some lemon meringue cup cakes.

I'm bringing them to a French dinner party tonight, let's hope they pass muster!!
Bonne Soirée tout le monde! 

The Green Green Grass of Home

The Green Green Grass 

A grande merci to all those who emailed and messaged me wondering where I had disappeared to from blogland - I was on holidays in the land of saints and scholars, the ole sod, the island of welcomes, home to  leprechauns and fairies, aye, that's right , that's right, we were in Ireland to be sure to be sure...

Although Ireland can be a victimised cliché and everyone likes to pigeon-hole a nationality ; the English are leery, the French are arrogant, the Germans, serious and straight and the Irish, well, they're all just friendly alcoholics, aren't they?

Whatever about the alcoholic label, it really did strike me just how friendly and lovely and helpful and open and chatty and , well, how un French the Irish people are. The recession may be the best thing that has ever happened to the Irish, with everyone making the most of it and helping each other out at every turn.

Preparing for Irish picnic

We had a fabulous fun filled time, despite the weather ( it rained every day) and  for food lovers like ourselves, we were in heaven. We dined out on fresh fish caught by ourselves nearly every day, leaves and floury spuds from the local markets, artisnal cheeses, home made chutneys and jams and breads washed down with some divine Domaine Treloar wine that we brought from France ... and then there was the craic..

Another grande merci to the Mammy , the Mammy in law and all the friendly alcoholics that made it so special. What a country!
At the end of the day : Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin!

Slainte!

Dear God

                                                                                                 Getrealfrance
                                                                                                 13 rue paul valery
                                                                                                 Cabestany 66330
                                                                                                 France
                                                                                                 August 29 2012
God
Everywhere


A few weeks ago I was expecting French friends for afternoon tea at my house here in Cabestany at 14h30. I was scooting around the house trying to make it look half way presentable when at 14h15 there was a ring on the doorbell
"The feckers" I said to myself drenched in sweat, hoover in hand and flung open the door exclaiming "BONJOUR! Bienvenue! Entrez, entrez! Ca me fait plaisir..."
Ooops, it wasn't over punctual friends, but two latter day Christians timidly standing just outside my porch - the two were delighted and had never ever had such an enthusiastic warm welcome on their cold calling route. After a minute of shock on either side the two gorgeous young girls announced that they were all the way from America and had come to France to spread the word.
As my two kids hung possessively out of me like swinging monkeys ( Who are they Mammy?)  the two lovely girls talked about having faith and queried my call on the subject. Normally I would pipe up "I don't speak French" in these situations and get rid of them fairly lively but as I had already rolled out the red carpet and they were English speakers, I had no choice but to engage...
I told them I didn't like organised religion and totally admired and envied people who had strong faith, a wonderful thing to have, no matter where you are in life. They enthused about believing in a God that loved them, was there for them and believed that all our families would be together afterwards..
"You need to ask Him for a sign" they said and then you will know that He is there. If you ask, He will show you.
Chatting to some Irish girlfriends that evening, we all agreed that we fell back on our "faith" but usually only when caught in the headlights of an oncoming articulated truck situation which we thought might be a tad hypocritical and You wouldn't be too impressed.
So, if You're not too busy up there, a sign anyone of these days would be great.

Thanks a mill
All the Best
Karen.