Monday, February 19, 2018

Forever Young~ Caroline..our bébé 41~





















Forever Young~

I love that song..

we celebrated 2 birthdays this weekend and one of my daughters cards to me had Forever Young on the cover..

I still miss this show..

Notre bébé..turns 41 the 21rst..

We always always have such a nice time when we are all together.
We eat way too much..:) But who cares? From cheesies (my weakness)..to amazing apps and main courses and salads and desserts..and wine.
Sounds awful to say we eat too much when so many have nothing.

But I am a blogger who talks only about the good stuff in my life..:)
I leave out the rest..on purpose.I just don't want anyone thinking perfect exists.

The cards♥ Each and every one from my family and  friends.

The Littles all made cards.. Olivier was so happy to give me one ..w/ all the writing..en lettres attachées..and he wrote Monique lol not nana.
God Bless Children.


From afar and close by..

snail mail warms the heart in more ways than one for some reason.

Caroline brought a crowd size delish app..

Baked cheese w/ a type of bruschetta topping w/ a balsamic glaze..:)

Mylène served shrimp apps and this meal..

all components are keepers..

Main..is here..Ricardo..M used Pork..DEELICIOUS

Potatoes..here..I will use a crock pot to reheat and keep warm..novel.Stovetop can scortch..Fred looked at the Crock Pot and said:"You're using a crockpot ? Don't let Max see this;)"..For all of you who watch THIS IS US..you will get it.

Salad..here...  see a variation below..I only had Chioggias and feta.

The carrots..I even brought home..

Dessert ..

I made Ina's choco cake..
the cake topper was made w/ a printable alphabet from Nathalie Malan Studios.I thanked her.

I DID NOT USE INAS FROSTING!!  I USED ANOTHER AND ADDED 1/4 CUP OF CRISCO!!

and a pie..
the pie was so so..the saving grace.. the Scrabble cookie cutter letters:)
We are..were  actually.. ..Scrabblers;)
On IG I had seen a pie top done entirely w/ Scrabble letters and that led me to the hunt..
they come in a cute cute metal Scrabble tin.

They were so $$ when I started my search..lo and behold..on Ebay someone received some as a gift and had not need for them.Such a nice EBAYER..UK:)Much more affordable to me.
I was excited to make the crust decorated this way.
:)




Do you notice a cute theme above? I have "known" Susan..for over 17 yrs now through the net..  

we exchange Christmas and Birthday gifts.

I must admit..the fun that pops out of her boxes..is pretty amazing.

La Poule pillow..card..stamp..potholder..egg cup warmers:)Cookie cutter..so creative..so perfect.So thoughtful.

I was the grateful recipient of lovely items that will pop up here..at one point I am certain.

one of them is a glass w/ an inscription..;) A cute inscription..  a tomato server w/ and inscription and a spoon w/ an inscription.
I love words..always have ..quotes..books..by the way..Child is good so far..

I love this pic..s..  Jacques built outdoor dollhouses for our girls when we moved..this is the second one..the first was an A frame..

the Littles on our crescent did plays and things..in it..like a stage..she must be 5 here..Little Red Riding Hood:)


No computers..just make believe outside and inside..with what they had~



I loved their rooms..they smelled so good..I used to wallpaper everything..:) A friend's mom has stitched the Sunbonnet Sue quilts..see the Strawberry Shortcake pillow?:)4 maybe she was..


Remember the wool ribbons? And gingham and lace..and pig tails and dirty faces?

Those were the best years of my life..I wasn't working yet..just home w/ my girls playing house..in my 20's..imagine.


I do recommend this salad as I am pretty nuts about beet salads and have posted many through the years..
Very very good.
You can use spinach or mesclun or arugula..whatever..
I added the juice/oil of the roasted beets to the dressing..
Anything seems to go:)
I hope you enjoy it too.




Have a lovely week~






68 comments:

  1. What a wonderful celebration! Each recipe looks wonderful and I do love beet salads! Ina's cake is work of art! The roses and daisies are beautiful. I need lessons :) And the scrabble pie! The scrabble cutters were a great find! The photos of your girls are just precious. Jacques built that building little cottage for your girls? I should have guessed. So much talant! They must have loved playing in it with all of their friends. Yes, wallpaper was everything here when our girls were little too :) So sweet! Forever young ♥ Soon you were have fresh eggs again...Cluck-cluck-cluck :)♥

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    1. Just going back to Pin the recipes and noticed the mention of the crock pot and This Is Us. OY.

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    2. He did build it..the first was an Aframe:) Oh they had a ball in those things..little table and chairs inside..tea sets.lol are you surprised?
      Here is the app Caro made..fab..
      not low fat just saying..

      Hot caprese dip w/ balsamic glaze.
      Gobbled up..

      http://www.mythirtyspot.com/hot-caprese-dip-balsamic-glaze/

      I snowshoed today..feeling a bit rounder ;)A lot.

      All you need for the roses is 2D:) Wilton..and the stars..I never changed tip:) I promise if I can do them you can even better.I am a terrible cake decorator.

      I love your chicks here and I am Forever Grateful:)♥

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    3. I know..is Fred funny or what? My son-in-laws..and daughters keep me in stitches..they are so quick witted..sometimes it takes me a sec..;)
      I follow This Is Us on IG..:) They even laughed about Crock Pots..;)

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    4. Thank you for the recipe link and tip advice :) I will have to try. We have oodles of birthdays coming up here too! Rounder here also :(

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    5. Check out my flower boxes lol..I was not a gardener in my twenties;)
      I know you have bdays coming up♥

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  2. Happy Birthday Monique! What a lovely and delicious celebration you had - and such delightful memories of days gone by! Your daughters were/are precious!

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    1. Merci Chris..I had a ball playing house with my girls..the age of innocence..so young to be a mom..!Well it seems that way now:)

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  3. Well, that looked like the best birthday. What kind of pie was it? So cute. Did you paint the chicken that went on the pillow. Love it. I wasn't sure when you were writing about a beet salad, but then the picture of it and it made my mouth water. Still baking bread and my 90 year old friend wants the recipe. I will send her a card with it. Seems she baked bread all of the time years ago and had a potato sourdough starter she fed for 20 years. She loved it.

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    1. Your bread makes me smile🙂The pillow is from an online company called Society 6 my friend Susan sent it to me..she crocheted the potholder and egg warmers and painted the card☺️🌟👍🏻Multi talented!!!!

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    2. I wondered what those darling little chicken things were. I also wanted to say I think Caro looks like her mom. Oui?

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  4. what lovely and cute are yours posts Monique, just beautiful and love this video and this show!
    Happy birthday to your girl xoxoxox

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    1. Gloria you are so sweet!I know you love Susan🌟🙏🏻We are so lucky on the net to know such nice people..mentors..friends..

      Thank you for the wishes for our daughter❤️

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  5. BTW I love Susan too, is one of my best and lovely friends in blogger world!!

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  6. Bonjour ma chère Nana,

    J'ai musardé agréablement sur de nombreuses de vos publications... vu mon retard !!
    Un bien joli gâteau de fête ! ... 🎂
    Des photos précieuses...

    Gros bisous 🌸

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    1. Bonjour! Merci de votre visite..le temps passe si vite..il faut célébrer lorsqu'on le peut.:)

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  7. There is so much love in this post, Monique, it touched my heart. Also, the scrabble cookie cutters are super fun.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Thank you Amalia:) The cutters were a bit of a splurge but less than half of the ones I had found.He was so gracious re shipping:)

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  8. Happy Belated Birthday to you and Caroline, Monique! The love just oozes from the page! Such beautiful creations and images filled with that love. There is nothing better than gathering with family. I hope this is your very best year yet, sweet lady! blessings and hugs ~ tanna

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    1. Ohmygod Tanna..I wish that too♥
      THank you so much.

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  9. Morning Monique...
    Belated wishes to you both! Your daughter is adorable...she has the same face today☺️
    Preparations are impeccable...and that salad! And that cake! And that pie! Oh my....
    And the card from one of your little...most precious💋
    I will have to look for that sign you have in your kitchen...😉
    Sweet pics from the past....things were so much simpler then....*sigh*
    It was a great celebration....for 2 great gals....hugs to you both!
    Enjoy your week...Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    1. Hellooooooo:) I can tell you where it came from:) Of course I loved itand Caroline said Fred bought it♥He bought it at Hallmark..in Montreal somewhere..but Hallmark usually carries the same things from province to province..even in the USA.. I hope you find one.
      It's got your name on it:)
      Thank you so much and you have a great week..I know you will!

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    2. And on the back..It says Hallmark..the boys signed it♥

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  10. Oh the pie, the scrabble letters, that gorgeous cake, beautiful letters and those wool hair bows - I had forgotten about them. Such memories. I had them in every color. Thanks for the smiles today Monique and happy birthday!

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    1. WE did too:) the red was never great and the white never stayed white:) Loved them..and bows and barettes..and head bands..Thanks so much Tricia!

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  11. Belated wishes to both of you! Your girls parallel my girls ages and I do remember those days too. What a great party, all the food looks fantastic. Oh my I know a few people in our family that would love that main course with pork cheeks. I’ll have to search for them and give the recipe a try. Your cake as always looks wonderful. Did you use a different recipe for your frosting as it looks so much darker than Ina’s. I read a post that used Crisco instead of butter to hold the shape of piped icing. What’s your secret? Susan’s gift is so wonderful. Just think before you know it your girls will be back in your garden clucking around the garden! And last, I 💕 the scrabble cookie cutters! Enjoy the warm weather, go check your baby hellebores and see if they survived. With some luck, maybe you will have a flower bud.

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    1. Go check my hellebores? LOL you are so sweet and funny..I would need a snowblower..we have feet and feet of snow! It's raining though so perhaps an inch or two will go!!

      And you are so smart..last night in bed I thought..OMG I did not use Inas frosting recipe THIS time..I used another..and it had NO Crisco but I added some..and I cannot recommend the recipe because my kitchen was a disaster..it used Cocoa powder and it took so long for the coacoa powder to beat in it flew everywhere..Everything around my KA ..the KA and the Keurig needed a washing! So yes..I used a diff recipe and I will go say that now:)!!

      Thank you..you have always been so quick and observant.
      I am sure you were a grade A student.
      I look so forward to posting a delightful gift I got:)That you will love because they say we offer what we would like to receive:)

      So ..the icing..LOL...

      Thank you!!

      Se used PORK shoulder.. which is fatty ..but they had it all trimmed..and once she added the cocoa the sauce came together like a charm..Fred removed some of the fat from the liquid before the cocoa:) All was served ON the potatoes..gorgeous:)

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    2. Hope springs eternal! Soon you will see the hellebores, like maybe the end of March provided no big snows come. I know I’m delirious thinking no more snow. We had such warm temps today. I went to an aboritium near by that has a conservatory. It was so warm I took off my jacket. I know adding cocoa powder makes a mess. I have flour sack towels which I draped over the KA even when incorporating the flour but especially with powdered sugar or cocoa. It keeps the mess contained. I never knew Crisco could go into an frosting. Guess it keeps it stiffer so your buttercream flowers don’t wilt. Thanks for the secret on the pork cut, getting pork cheeks is difficult.

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    3. Yes,,my daughter's wedding cake icing..white had crisco too..I HATE the stuff..but needed in some cases.. I feel like visiting a conservatory..windows..light..plants:)♥

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  12. Beautiful girls
    Beautiful cakes
    Beautiful everything!
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA❤️🍒💋

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  13. What a beautiful post ...love it all....have a Nice week love Ria x ❤️

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  14. Happy Belated Birthdays! Precious photos of Caroline.💕, and the cake - a work of art! Dinner must have been delicious. Sounds like it was a wonderful celebration!💖✨🎉

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    1. I wish I would have been into photography back then:)When I look at your daughter's photos and what moms do today..I think so many pretty occasions w/ their beautiful faces are all in a blur..:( Today is unbelievably photo friendly w/ pnones..and DSLRS and the facility to have it all at our fingertips♥
      It was a lovely..busy..celebration..s:)

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  15. ~Perfect birthday with your family Mon....🍰💓

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    1. They make me laugh and love..that's all I want:)♥Well ..give or take something:)

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  16. Happy Birthday to you Monique and your daughter! What a cute chicken pot holder!

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    1. Thank you:) I know I love the potholder..so thoughtful..cute and well made;))

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  17. Belated birthday greeting to you all. I absolutely love al the chicken gifts...they just make you smile.

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    1. They did Karen.. package after package chickens were popping out:)Thanks!

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  18. Your site is very useful for me,Thanks for your sharing.

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  19. Happy belated birthday wishes to you both. The cake is fabulous! The photos, that darling playhouse are so wonderful. How fun to play with your children. The chicken potholder perfect. Love the scrabble pie. I bought some of those last year, when a friend was thinking about hosting a scrabble themed party, I need to use them....

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    1. Oh you do! They work so well! Great quality!Thank you!

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  20. Happy birthday dearest Nana to you and to your daughter.
    Such a beautiful post! I love it all.
    Have a happy week.

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  21. The happiest of birthdays to you and to Caro...that cake is spectacular...I love that Chocolate cake recipe....always so good and so moist.
    Bisous always...

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  22. I can't believe I missed your Birthday. :-( It looks like it was celebrated in style and how lovely that you share the celebrations with your lovely daughter! Yay! Our Maryn turns 7 tomorrow, where has the time gone! Your cake looks so beautiful, so does the pie crust. I love pie! I love LOVE cheesies too! (Quelle surprise!) Your chicken goodies. So sweet. You have friends and family who love you so very much. What a great blessing! Your photos are so precious. What lovely memories! ♥♥♥ That baked cheese sounds positively gorgeous. And that salad . . . now that I could quite happily tuck into now and it is only breakfast time! Love, hugs and Bonne Weekend! xoxo

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    1. Jacques is so funny but right..I told him that birthdays are really for the young and he said I have been saying that for years..it should be every two years at a cetain point.:) I agree..I love celebrating HER..younger..I quite liked the feeling of a birthday..now all my thoughts are concentrated on her..but I am there..hard to explain:)
      I want no fuss on me.
      But I love when we are all together.
      Thank you for your wishes..I appreciate them very very much!!
      WE eat non stop..from the time we arrive..until we leave:)

      Then..the next day we nibble;)
      Have a great weekend Marie.

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  23. I don't know where to begin except to say that my birthday wishes are very belated by now! But they are very happy birthday wishes for you and your daughter as well. What a beautiful child she was and I'm guessing she is a beautiful woman now as well. It's all rather lovely -- the cards and gifts and food (that cake is a stunner and I really want to get scrabble cutters now!) But the most beautiful part is your big heart, the multitude of memories and joy you have shared this year and those past. Many happy wishes, my friend.

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    1. I probably should not even mention mine;)In my heart that double celebration is about her.:)♥
      Thanks so much for your wishes:)She is a lovely young woman.Always always a ray of sunshine to everyone..always.
      Oh I think you are a Scrabble cutter gal Jeanie..Books,,words etc:)Hope you can find one.I found the price prohibitive until a lovely person in the UK received some as a gift and did not want them.He was flexible on item price and shipping price..it brought it into..a range that worked for a BDAY dessert..since we don't buy them..I can splurge on a tool ..right? LOL.
      Bonne journée..bon weekend~Et merci!

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  24. Belated greetings, I hope you both had a wonderful time. Delicious food, lovely photographs, it all looks gorgeous.

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  25. Happy Birthday to you and your daughter! You create such memories! I appreciate that you blog about pretty things. There is so much not pretty in this world, you are my little escape.

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    1. That is such a kind thing to say.I am humbled because I am ordinary..:)Thanks Pam:)
      Personally I cannot get over what an amazing professional photographer you have become..TOPS.

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  26. I loved the simpler times with the children!
    Happy Birthday to you and Caroline!
    What a sweet, sweet post.
    We just got back from Lake Placid, so this is a belated :-)

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    1. I saw:) It's another HP for you..looked lovely Debbie:) Enjoy enjoy enjoy..and thanks!!:)

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  27. Wonderful post, Monique! When our kids were younger, we would just jump in our VW Vanagon Westfalia and take road trips. Those were the days. Still have the van. Happy Birthday to you and your daughter!! Hope you both had a wonderful celebration!
    Hugs, Jody

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    1. Would love to see your Westfalia!We did have a lovely evening..lucky girls.Thank you!!

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  28. Que de jolis souvenirs ! Nos bébés resteront toujours nos bébés ... ;-)

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  29. I missed this earlier. So cute to see your girls as littles themselves. Yes, life without electronics, social media, etc. etc. seems to be what I miss. I'm making an effort to spend less time connected to electronics. I want to be connected to my life around me. I adore the friendships I've made here. That is what keeps me coming back! I just don't want it to rule my life. I know you get that. Happy weekend, my friend!

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  30. Pretty projects,Thank you for the tutorial and for sharing !

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  31. So, so sweet....not enough words... xo

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