France = Dessert?

Bonjour!

We've just returned from a week-long trip to France. Matt had to go for work and it coincided with our two-year wedding anniversary, so fortunately for me, I got to go on a little vay-cay:).

The trip started in the beautiful coastal village of Saint Malo and ended in Paris. I took over 200 photos throughout the week, so I thought that for my first France posting, I'd show you the sweeter side of our travels ;).

I have always had a sweet tooth and France is definitely the place to be when it comes to dessert:). And this girl indulged, to say the very least. I made it my mission to seek out the most delicious pastries and ice cream on a daily basis (sometimes thrice daily, terrible, I know). I have to say, being pregnant in France is not a good thing when it comes to sweet treats:).

And I don't know what it is, but desserts just seem to taste better in France. And on vacation. Coffee-flavored eclairs, strawberry ice-cream piled high on a waffle cone, raspberry macaroons sandwiching a scoop of sweet-pink sorbet. Even the coffee tasted sweeter.I left this trip feeling like I want to open a little French bakery of my own here in Massachusetts. 

Maybe when I retire :).

But until then, I'll continue to be an active connoisseur.

More France photos to follow. And happy summer:)

xoxo

rainy days to slow us down

Today it rained. And rained. And rained. It's still raining... a quiet, dark night kind of rain. This is the last weekend home before we leave for France, so there were many much-needed outdoor chores to be done, but thanks to mother nature, we ended up having a very sllllooooooow, nap-py kind of day. This is fine because I had quite an uncharacteristically busy work week, which found me in and out of Pittsburgh one day, in Connecticut the next and on endless teleconferences the last. Next week will be similar, so I welcomed this sleepy kind of day.

We were able to get our new cedar Adirondack chairs put together and sanded, though the rain prevented us from painting them. Nothing says relaxation to me like the sight of two Adirondack chairs, overlooking a fabulous view on a summer's weekend evening. With a nice glass of wine, though that will have to wait until next summer. We also spent a lot of time sleeping, grazing, watching the UK/ USA Worldcup game, and having quiet time with Luna (which basically consists of the three of us sitting on a floor in a circle, staring at each other, until Luna does something doggy-gross, that breaks the circle and causes us to go back to whatever we were doing prior:)).

Like I said, we have been grazing. And one of my favorite ways to eat is this very European-style way of eating. Eating light, hors d'oeuvresy type foods, fresh meats, cheeses, fruit, with crackers and different types of mustard-y dips. I could eat every meal like this, and I believe that I say those exact words every time we eat a meal like this:).

I've started reading 'The Middle Place', which I'm really enjoying. I've been meaning to read it for months now.

I wonder... what are you doing this weekend? Is it raining where you are? Enjoy the weekend :).

a weekend at home

We have nothing planned this glorious weekend. Nada. Zip. Noth-ing. And so far it's been absolutely fabulous:).

We started our Saturday morning with cheese & chive eggs; chives from the garden. There is nothing sweeter to me than eating fresh, delicious food out on our back deck on a sunny weekend morning with some jazzy tunes playing in the background.

Ms. Lu was given a bath- the first use of the outdoor shower this season. She wasn't as thrilled as I'd hoped, but she's now fluffy & clean, which means that mama is thrilled;). And I always love the way she looks when she's wet- so small and vulnerable:).

I've been doing a lot of gardening on the weekends, and today was no exception. We haven't been able to harvest anything yet, other than the chives, which grow like weeds, but things are looking good:).

Early Girl Tomatoes

Baby Persian Cukes (aka 'green fingers')

Super Sugar Snap Peas

Sweetie Baby Romaine Lettuce

This little dragonfly in the photo above chilled out on my chives to keep me company the whole time I was in the garden. He even let me get a close-up shot. In return, I gave him some chives:).

And this sweet little mama is one of my favorites. She (or one of her relatives?) stops by this nest every year to lay her eggs and send her little ones off into the world. I'm always amazed at the concentration and efforts that mama birds put into tending to their young. It's what they live for. She didn't even flinch when I took the photo.

I wish you all an enjoyable weekend, wherever you are.

xoxo