Aujourd'hui

Everyday life in Paris will probably be the thing I miss the most when we leave.  And we will leave.  The Mr. finished school in December and in a few months we will start saying our goodbyes. We are so excited about getting home to our family and friends and starting the next chapter of our life but it is going to be very hard to let her go.  So for now, we are enjoying today and spending every moment we have soaking her in.

Today I've decided to go back to the beginning and chronologically blog about our daily life in Paris.  Every little detail of Parisian life fully captured my attention in the beginning, became a bit lost on me in the middle and has re-captivated me completely as we look toward the end. 

Place des Vosges, Le Marais

So, aujourd'hui.  This morning we set out to take advantage of the very last bit of the soldes before they end next week.  (Shopping is a great way to get out and explore the city, and of course, who doesn't love a great sale?)  We walked down to the Bir-Hakeim bridge (a beautiful bridge just to the right of the Eiffel Tower) and hopped on a bus taking us straight to Hotel de Ville.  I absolutely love boutique shopping in the Marais and highly recommend (although it is a little more enjoyable when it is not 30 degrees out). 

Our first stop was L'as du Fallafel (the Mr.'s favorite lunch spot... I made an egg white omelet before we left knowing that I will be indulging in Italy for the next two weeks).  L'as du Fallafel is the most popular kebab place in Paris and a fun place to grab a quick bite and walk.  (The line is much shorter on week days). 

I popped into a few of my favorite stores and found a new favorite on Rue Rivoli. (On the walk between the Hotel de Ville metro stop and St. Paul metro stop, there are great little stores with inexpensive trendy-wear). While walking down rue Vieille du Temple, we found a great art gallery with an interesting concept.  Carré D'Artistes has galleries in 8 different cities in France, Spain and the UK spotlighting 350 artists a year.  Each week, the art rotates between the 8 different cities.  I think it's such a fun way to see lots of artists and can't wait to keep checking back in. 

Next, we argued about the fastest way to get to the left bank.  Unable to come to an agreed upon conclusion, we chose our own separate routes.  After I speedily arrived at the Sevres-Babylon metro stop, I took the escalator right up to the front door of Le Bon Marche.  There, I browsed the Yves Salomon furs (my favorite), contemplated on whether a very marked down fur vest was a sound purchase (seeing that we are moving back to the South of the US) and checked the price tags on all of my favorite  Céline bags (as I always do, hoping one day they are going to miraculously change). 

Important note:  this picture is not an accurate representation of the writer of this blog.  I would never walk around Paris in pumps and I do not own Louboutins (yet).

The Mr. shows up (30 minutes later) and we head to the mens' department.  (Vicomte is his favorite French brand).  There is great Vicomte store on rue du dragon, just a few blocks from Bon Marche (next to Eggs & Co.).  And of course we can't leave Le Bon Marche without a trip to the Grande Epicerie. 

Our last stop is one of my favorite home decor spots (thanks Aunt Cathy!) Mis En Demeure.  I found some little coffee cups here that I adore and keep checking to see if they have gotten more in and am sadly dissappointed every time.  Neverthless, it's fun to roam around in this beautiful store of French reproductions.  We spotted this blue-gray marble top comode and loved. If only we could get it home!

On the way home, we stopped at the boulangerie to pick up a baguette for dinner.  We usually go with the baguette traditional but today the baguette viennoise caught my eye so we decided to try it.  And Oh. My. Gosh.  Is it delicious.  It is basically a brioche in baguette form.  It's soft and buttery and has a hint of sweetness to it.  I compared it to a Sister Shubert dinner roll kind of taste/texture... the Mr. had never heard of these, so maybe you haven't either....but anyway, just trust me, it is amazing.  Spread with a little Bonne Maman figues violettes and a slice of crottin de chavignol and I was in seventh heaven.  (Did I try to say I was dieting before? Right....).

And so here we are.  Winding down and getting ready to cook dinner.  (We picked up some home made quatre fromage ravioli from the Italian grocery next door and are going to mix them with the boeuf bourguignon ravioli that we bought at Bon Marche for an easy dinner).  And I guess we are back where we started.  Talking about things I am going to miss desperately when we're gone.  The Italian grocery store (next door!!) The fromagerie (that has my favorite crottin de chavignol)  The boulangerie (with choices of baguette styles)  The Eiffel Tower (at the end of the street, staring at me every time I catch the bus) The everyday fabulous life that Paris lays out on a silver platter. 

It's the little everyday moments in life the tend to pass us by. Let's all agree to do our best to enjoy them.  No matter where you are in the world or in your life, we all have so much beauty around us to soak in and enjoy.  So here's to trying to appreciate every last aujourd'hui to the fullest.

Salut!  

Images:  1) via 2) via 3) via 4)  via 5) via  6) iphone 7) iphone

Back in the land of Paris

Unpacking. Laundry. Repacking. Dry cleaning. House cleaning. Email responding.  Exciting stuff going on here.  (As soon as I catch my breath, we'll chat about Austria).

As I reorganize, I have to take a minute to tell you about my new absolute favorite indulgence of all time.  I call it European peanut butter.  But it is better than peanut butter.  Better than nutella.  It tastes like a crisp caramelized cookie that has been turned into a spread (literally, a cookie that has been turned into a spread; more precisely, the delicious little lotus cookie that Delta gives out).  It is crack addictive.  I'm talking hot chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, can't stop popping them, addictive.

My favorite way to Speculoos is on pretzels.  But as the label suggests, it is also good on bread, as a dip for fruit or served warm on ice cream.  Anything you peanut butter, you can speculoos. 

Thank you, Belgium.  As if peanut butter wasn't already addictive enough.

P.S. - The French have the most bizarre commercials...

Quite possibly

The most beautiful place I've ever seen.

 

Lech am Arlberg, Austria.

Naturally, we forgot the camera.   Thank you (random) hotel website. 

The hills are alive

The home of the Von Trapp family and some of the most beautiful hills and music I've seen. How about this view? So thankful for this fabulous sunny day in charming Salzburg.

See you back in Paris soon!

Weekend Favorites

Some say that Frenchie is the hardest reservation to score in Paris right now.  It is a tiny restaurant tucked away in the 2nd that gets major press in the foodie world.  It has been on our list for a while, but since reservations are not easy to come by, we thought we would start with the wine bar across the street.  And in Paris, the smaller the wine bar, the better the rep.  So you can only imagine how small this establishment is.  (I guess the tiny square footage gives these wine bars a certain exclusivity that increases their street cred.... who knows, but I can say one thing for certain,  client comfort is not their goal).  Nonetheless, if you are in the area, I would highly recommend stopping in for a drink and a small plate or two.  Just make sure you go early.  First come, first serve, great quality food and a cozy exposed brick type atmosphere.  And now you can say you have been to Frenchie. 

Le Grand Colbert is on the opposite end of the spectrum.  It is a big bustling brasserie that prides itself on the fact that it was in the movie Something's Gotta Give (and when I say they pride themselves on this, I mean they have the movie running on a flat screen near the bathrooms at all times).  Nonetheless, the food was really great and I would even say rivals some of the more upscale places in town.  Not to mention, the wine list was very reasonable.  This is a place I would highly recommend to people looking for great French food without all of the stuffiness that tends to go along with some of the more acclaimed places.  In fact, we enjoyed ourselves so much in this laid back brasserie that we had no idea that it was 1:30 AM when we got around to asking for the check.  (Although, it may have had something to do with the company, as well.  Loved seeing the Reeds!). 


I hope everyone has a fabulous week.  We are off to CDG in the morning, so hopefully some fun Austrian stories in our near futures.   À bientôt!  

Speaking of King Cakes and Soldes....

I  have included a new workout below.  (See other workouts, here).

The only downside to shopping in Paris is that the sales women are absolutely relentless at trying to guess your size.  And not like the J.Crew sales girl, "0, 00?" (which, by the way....has anyone else noticed that J.Crew has thrown all general sizing rules out the window? I hope I'm wrong here, but I'm pretty sure that if you are a 6 at a J.Crew, you are actually a 10).  In Paris, it is quite the opposite.  Here, the sales assistant never fails to guess at least two sizes larger than one actually is.  I have come up with a few explanations for this:  1) To genetically thin French women, any sign of curvature = chubby; 2) they dislike Americans and are passively trying to offend us out of their stores; or 3) someone has shown them a picture of me from high school pre weight-watchers.  Whatever the explanation, I always leave the store feeling a strong need to up my weekly workouts.  (Unfortunately, this never, under any circumstances, effects my appetite).

And then there is the even more uncomfortable part of shopping in Paris.  After the sales woman adjusts to your response that you are actually a much smaller size than she has suggested (you have blown her mind at this point, just by even disagreeing with her, you have traumatized her for the rest of the day), she then thinks it is totally appropriate to walk into your teeny tiny dressing room unannounced and commence to chatting with you about whether the size is working for you.  Most likely, you have no clothes on at all.  No the size isn't working for me.  I have no clothes on yet.  Not to mention, now that you have totally immersed yourself in my personal space I am sweating bullets which means you are right, the jeans probably won't fit.   You win.

Utter and total defeat, every time. 

Yeah.... so here is the new workout (focusing on legs). 

5 minutes of cardio (this can include, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, running in place, etc... get creative)

Next do all of these strength building exercises for 1 minute each:

1.  The wall (sit in a chair position with back to the wall for 1 minute. Don't put hands on knees).
2.  Triceps extensions
3.  Squats (sumo or regular)
4.  Jumping Jacks
5.  Superman (lie on the floor with your arms and legs off the ground as if you are flying like superman)
5.  Pilates single leg lefts (sit on the floor holding your knees, with feet off the ground - extend one leg straight forward while still holding the other knee and switch. Repeat).
6.  Squat thrusters (with a 5 to 8 pound weight in each hand held down by your side, do a normal squat.  As you come up, bring the weights up and push straight above your head).
7.  Plies squats (as in ballet plies, stand on your toes with heels together and do squats while always on your toes...google if you need help).
8.  Jumping jacks
9. Karate kicks.  Hands up like you are getting ready to box someone, stand on one leg and kick the other leg straight out at your hip at waist height.  To get really intense, repeat the kicks for 10 seconds at the end without putting your leg down).
10.  Donkey kicks.  Get down on all fours, kick one leg straight up and bring back down.  Repeat for 1 minute.  Then, switch and do the other leg.

5 more minutes of cardio and repeat.  It should take about 50 minutes to complete this workout. 

And then drink lots of water.

Image via

Seriously. It rivals Christmas. 

Anything and everything 50% off.  The leather jacket I've been eyeing since October, over the knee boots I've been searching for for two years, beautiful Porthault pillow cases and lots of feminine silk tops courtesy of Sandro, BA&SH, Claudie Pierlot, Sonia and all my favorite girls.  If you are thinking about a trip to Paris, you should consider late January.  The flights are cheaper, you'll have an excuse to whip out your fur (tres acceptable here) and the shopping is seriously incroyable.   Icing on the cake, an Hermès private sale tomorrow morning. 

Another thing that I love about January in Paris is the gallette de rois (the French version of king cake - a Louisiana specialty in the US that appears in January and lasts through the Mardi Gras season).  The French gallette de rois is also made in early January to celebrate l'Epiphanie (the day in which the three kings traveled far and wide to pay their tribute to the baby Jesus).  In France, the three wise men are known as Les Rois Mages (the Magi).  French families celebrate this special time of year by partaking in what else, but a delicious pastry.  The flaky cake is filled with crème d'amande and it melts in your mouth.  I'm hoping to get the Mr. over to the Marais on Sunday to try one of the best gallette de rois in Paris, at Jacques Genin.

As to which one is better, the Louisianan sugary rendition or the French flaky pastry, my lips are sealed (I'd be tredding on very thing political ice by answering that one).  You will just have to come over here and decide for yourself. 

Totally off the subject, but how cute is this dog?? I found him on pinterest.  He's a cavapoo, a mix between a poodle and a king charles cavalier spaniel. Need him, right??!

Image 1) via; 2) via

French food, how am I going to live without you?

Côte de bœuf and Sauce Béarnaise. A combination that seldom disappoints. 

We were treated to a fabulous dinner at Chez Georges last night (Thank you Pearces'!) and I have been up since 4:30 this morning thinking about my côte de bœuf and béarnaise sauce smothered with crispy pommes frites perfection. Add this one to the list. 

The real star of this meal was the béarnaise.  And a good French béarnaise is worth mastering, in my opinion.  It sounds simple - clarified butter emulsified in egg yolks and flavored with herbs (namely, shallot, peppercorn and tarragon). I have a sneaking suspicion it is not as easy as it sounds.  Stay tuned.

Off to the boulangerie....because the upside to waking up at 4:30 in Paris is warm pain chocolat. 

Au revoir.

Image via Doitinparis.

On the way to chez nous

We are FINALLY on our way back to 26 Rue. As we sit in concourse E at the ATL airport I am reading my new favorite book. Highly recommend. (Thank you Mme. Grande!) Check out Mrs. Scott's blog here. I am slyly reading while pretending to watch the Saints game and eat buffalo wings (pretend only applying to the watching part, of course....buffalo wings are my favorite).

See you back in Paris in the morning!!! Lots of news to share. See you soon, Francophiles.

Crawfish Étouffée

In French, the word "étouffée" means, literally, "smothered" or "suffocated", from the verb "étouffer". In Louisiana, to "smother" food means to simmer it in a small amount of liquid with lots of seasonings and spices to create a gravy or thick sauce that is served over rice.  This is a favorite special occasion meal in New Orleans.  Mme. Grande (my mother-in-law, and New Orleans native) was kind enough to share it with me to share with you.  Her recipe is adapted from the Mr.'s cousin, Alexis's grandmother, Mrs. Wray Edward Robinson (and featured in the Junior League of Baton Rouge cookbook, River Road Recipes II, A Second Helping). There is nothing better than a secret family recipe sans the secret.  

If this is your first time trying your hand at Cajun cuisine, let me just warn you this recipe is a bit challenging.  But you have to start somewhere and mastering the art of a dark brown roux is great place to begin.  The rich delicious final product is totally worth it, I promise!!  It will be the show stealer at your next Mardi Gras fête.

Good luck! 

Ingredients
1 pound of butter (4 sticks)
1 cup flour
*3 bell peppers finely chopped
*2 bunches green onions finely chopped
*1 stalk of celery finely chopped
1 pound of can tomatoes
3 teaspoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
6 cups water
5 pounds crawfish tails
4 cups rice

*If you are short on time, just use two packs of the trinity- bell pepper, onion, and celery used together are known as the "holy trinity" of Cajun cuisine.  It is sold pre-chopped at most Southern grocery stores. 

Melt butter in a large dutch oven.  Add flour and stir constantly to make a deep brown roux (about 45 minutes).  Be very careful not to burn.  Medium low heat is best, but use your best judgment to make sure it is cooking well without overheating.  It will be different with each stove.  It should look like this at the end.  

Add peppers, onion, celery and tomatoes to the roux.  Add seasoning.  Cover and cook slowly for one hour stirring frequently to prevent sticking (medium to medium low heat, but again use your best judgment to make sure it is cooking without burning).  Add water and cook slowly for an hour and a half to two hours.  Add crawfish tails and cook about 30 minutes.  Next, cook the rice.  

Serve rice in individual bowls and spoon crawfish étouffée on top (usually about a 1:1 ratio).

Serves 12.  

Oh and one little confession - I haven't actually tried to make this quite yet, but I was given very specific instructions by Mme. Grande.  I will give it a whirl and update with my results asap.

Bon Appétit.  Back to Paris in less than 5 days!! (And I promise I will stop neglecting this blog).

Images:  1) via pinterest

Bonjour from Nouvelle Orleans

I promise we are going back to Paris....eventually.

The Mr., like many Mr.'s, is a football fanatic.  Fantasy. College. Professional. Tag.  You name it, he's into it.  So naturally, when his team found their way into the BCS Championship, he found his way to a ticket.

I am definitely not complaining about this little stopover though.  Temps in the 70's, time with the in-laws, fabulous food and fun local shopping.... not a bad alternative to the City of Light.

The good news is that we will be back in Paris just in time for the Soldes.  See you soon.

War Eagle!

five favorites

2. Image via.  3.  Image via. 

Happy 2012

May your new year be filled with peace, happiness and love.  

And maybe a trip to Paris.  Happy 2012.  

*Image via pinterest