L'automne au Québec~

 

Frédérick ..aka Fred always walked the boys to the bus in the morning and when home picked them up at bus too..Little darlings are now big darlings:)

Yellow tree and yellow chair♥

Main road is always a treat~

Fall can be glorious..  more in the sun I find though..Shimmering palettes.

We were able to get together for CDN Thanksgiving for a few hours out back.

Everyone brought a charcuterie board.

I made two bread contributions because I just love baking bread.

The first is Rock Recipes no knead..I seem to have this one on repeat.

Anyone can make this bread.I love how it holds together so well.

The other..the pull aparts were a flash from the past..

Steakhouse black bread..You can make it in the bread machine..shape refrigerate..take out the next day..let rise..BAKE.

Like Outback's..honey butter is a great match.

Both were suggested to me by T..who Instagrammers like me know:)

Watching a few series we enjoy..the first me..Jacques is not interested.

MAID   Andie McDowell and her talented daughter Margaret Qualley star. Netflix.I love it.

American Rust ..Crave..

Call The Midwife is back♥PBS

Grantchester.PBS

Baptiste..about to start..PBS Season 2.

Scenes from a Marriage. Great acting..Crave.

The Sinner

And this weekend The Great Canadian Baking Show starts.

It's dark at 7 here..need TV at night.Not day.

Still painting my Paris People..  have given a few away.

In this last watercolor book Canson I have 1 page left..not sure what Paris People it will be..

Told you I LOVE it:)

Have a lovely week~

I'm so lucky~

 

Below.. delicious.. French Apple Cake.

You may think..that I am saying..:"I'm so lucky"..

Well for many reasons maybe I am..

But that's not why I wrote that.

A friend of mine..who welcomed me to this area with open arms over 43 yrs ago..and had moved several times..  lost her beloved husband 3 months ago..she came to visit..now living in FL having lived twice in Texas..In Maine..and now Fl..

Lots of tears..but even in her sorrow she made us LOL..even J..

I'll tell you the funny little anecdotes after..

But a few things re her devastating loss have stayed with me..

A Valentine's Day...( we don't even exchange cards anymore..)

The card he gave her ..

Said something about 3 words for her on this Valentine's day..

All expecting.."I LOVE YOU"?

Nope..

I'M So Lucky.

To have you.

The card read.

He really meant it..and now he's gone.

So sad to continue w/out the person who felt so lucky to have you.

Made me cry.

My immediate neighbour..a Gentle Giant of a man passed away in the last 2 weeks..

It's a tragic time for the spouses left behind.

They always say Man was Not made To Live Alone and many men remarry..

It's not as common in women yet it certainly does happen.

Watched a fantastic movie last night we had to stop midway.

Anthony Hopkins is so stellar in his role as The Father(Prime)..and so real..  it was hard to watch.

Funny the movie to us much younger would probably not have been of interest..Now myself approaching 70 in a little over two years and J already 80..this movie..is heartwrenching.

Sir Anthony Hopkins.♥

 My friend made us both laugh..though on a few occasions.

She is one of the funniest people I ever met.

My daughter and her family are moving in January..they are leaving their past 17 yr old home kittie corner across the street from and moving.

I told my friend..she lived here ...she knows the area like back of her hand..she said where to..

I told her..and she said:"MOVING?"  That's not MOVING ..TOKYO is MOVING..she'll be 5 minutes up the highway..

Well it's actually 14.1 minutes away.

Another chapter.So exciting for them.

Moving on..

Those were the days my friend...♥♥♥

We thought they'd never end..

Lucas said they have a big unfinished basement and they will build a wing for me..💕

Oh my God fall and all it's nostalgia right?

xx

It's October~Inside and Outside~

 

I am unabashedly posting the top pic because I unabashedly love it.

We were at 3 of the boys games on Sunday..and my daughter happened to take this photo of Max(14) and us.

We're really not that short..he' s just really tall..

That family has tall boys:)

Next Sunday will be Noah♥

Fall is definitely in the air now..

Not a heck of a lot of color yet..

but all the tomato plants are brown w/ bright tomatoes hanging from them..

I cleared them out today Sept 28th..maybe a bit earlier than usual..but because of the chillier nights the tomatoes were splitting I must have removed 30 cages.

I keep making roasted tomato sauce.I won't bore you w/ more photos!

But I will make again w/ this latest harvest .

A tip for nasturtium lovers..in pots mine peter out.

In the ground they go forth and prosper..even now.

That soup..  may I tell you it is my fave fall butternut squash soup.

I had it at someone's home 23 yrs ago..and she gave us all the recipe..I have it in her handwriting and was going to transcribe..

I have to add as a footnote..

I've loved and lost friends for various reasons through my almost 70 yrs..some through my youth and being bullied because of weight,moving..divorces.. disappointments.. 

and some were just aquaintances..and the person who gave me this after a dinner at her home..was an aquaintance.

How do you spell mean?

LOL.

Her.

But I loved her soup.

So glad I found it  on the web.

And so glad I kept true blues.

But hey! It's a Canadian Living recipe..and I found it online ..HERE

I use my immersion blender..no wine..but a generous splash of maple syrup.

And..I made some fun ricotta tomato tarts.

Little ind. puff pastry tarts.. basil leaves on bottom after blind baking the pastry..then ricotta mixed with garlic ..more basil and salt.Ricotta lacks salt.IMHO.

Then my beautiful garden fresh tomatoes with Gaby's Vinaigrette drizzled on top..♥

Then ..after this pic..I air fried for 4 minutes at 400 pre-heated..even better.

I love tole trays..and see that cute little balsamic vinegar necklace bottom right?

I have had it over 20 yrs from a friend ..

I think the best Italian Shop in Little Italy had more at the time..

I LOVE this shop.

Dante..

Coulda woulda shoulda.

Woulda bought some to offer as gifts..why shouldn't olive oil..balsamic vinegars NOT wear necklaces as cute as these♥

If you're bored and have nothing to do:)

You can read this.

So..I've had my fave camera for over 5 yrs..  thereabouts..a mirrorless Olympus and have numerous lenses..and I dont need most of them but love 3..

It's not working..the replacement camera is no longer available..repair..IF it works is 250 US plus shipping plus duty..NO guarantee.

3-4 months wait.

:(:(

I can't give up on Olympus mirrorless because of all my lenses.

Sooo..I went to my local camera shop..no..I would have to get the newest model and the reviews are not as good as mine..

What to do.

I Googled..and Googled ..and wow.

On Kijiji..

a brand new one.

This selling site is for IN person only but I bought something before from Ontario and they sent it to me.I just trusted them

THis was bigger..and in Toronto..not a small purchase..so we talked back and forth..and one of my daughter's said mom I'll drive you there..I mean how NICE is that?

So I offered the seller to meet halfway 3 hrs for her 3 for me..and then out of the blue..she said her brother was coming to MTL.

He met us 20 mins from my home.

NICE NICE young man.

Done..

Olympus OMD 5 Mk11 body only bis..is here.

In Europe bis mean the same as the first  ..so if you live at 64  next door could be 64 bis;)

Bis is here.

I have to get used to it I had my other programmed..

The End.

Have a good week it's so fall here.

But grey the last few days..

I had a wonderful visit from a friend I met over 40 yrs ago.

It felt like 40 yrs ago.

With our scars of years of living and a recent very deep sorrow for her.

With all her pain..she managed to make me laugh.

I mean..♥How do you spell nice.

Tomatoes..muffins..basil..repeat..

 

My daughter shared a lovely little roasted cherry tomato sauce with me..

I made it once..made 2 pots..

I made it again!

I did amend the recipe ..

I roasted a head of garlic and a few red pepper strips and  an onion with salt and pepper etc..roasted at 425F for twice the time.

In the sauce I added 3 large sun dried tomatoes..and again kept a chunky sauce..it just gets better and better when you adapt to your liking..added red pepper flakes and some sugar..

I  added a splah cream for a rosé sauce one night.

Again..let me tell you..homes smell amazing ..while the roasting is going on..

My basil is still lovely and strong.

I attribute it's health and happiness to almost no watering during growing season.

I asked J to leave it alone..as I remembered that both Septembers away..we came home to lush basil..no one watered it..

Last year he killed it w/ kindness:)

I love that you can share cherry tomatoes.

My neuro got some..  our fireplace men got some..my neighbour..

It's so rewarding to grow and offer.

I started saving seeds..tomatoes etc..

I made muffins and had one while sorting some..

It's my FAVE bran recipe..

From Café Sucre Farine.

One bowl..  you can glaze or not..you can use prunes instead of raisins.

So so good.

The perennials are sad and burnt.I cut dwn the little lampstandard bed by the road.UUUUGLY.

I'll get onto the other ones sooner than later.

But the New Guinea Impatiens are lovely.

So more next year.

I added miniature dwarf Irises♥

Have a good week:)

Requested recipe :)And of course chit chat~

 

The gardens are Septemberish yet not as rich as past years..so fried..  Impatiens are still lovely so more next year..sedum never disappoints nor any type of hydrangea.. The leaves have not moved too much color wise..here and there you see a tree with some color but nothing really yet.

When you are working in your gardens..you spot miracles..I know they like to eat parsley but isn't she pretty? I relocated her. 

I'm still painting Paris..Cannes..Provence..Antibes people and have but 5 blank sheets left in my third journal.

It's been fun attributing stories to them.

A few times I did giveaways and our friend Debbie won Mercedes with her son Charles-Antoine above.. I added little checks to match Debbies taste..before sending.She's a MC lover.You can tell right away by clicking on the link to her blog.A lovely group of friends collect the pieces..

Last yr I wasn't focused on Paris People and had fun painting different Provence things..:)

September in Provence is idyllic.I am extremely grateful we went when we did.

3 times..but twice for one month on our own.

I adored our pied-a -terre there.

If we could build a home for 2 in my small town here I would build this one.

Tip to toe front to back ..the land..  the interior..just heavenly.

More heavenly the first time:)

I'm waxing poetic..onto the real issue here:)

I found a Food blogger/radio personality who Tik Toks and Instagrams..

On Tik tok he was making this better than Starbucks..lemon loaf and he caught my attention..

with lemon yogurt being an ingredient:)

I like different.

Food La Bouffe

The recipe on his site differs a bit so I suggest you use the one I am posting..the Tik Tok one.

I have his permission:)

La Recette~

He used a whisk.I used my KA.

Pre heat oven at 350.

Prep your loaf pan accordingly.

I have IMHO the best loaf pan..A pullman from E Dehillerin in Paris..offered to me by Lee~Ann.Jon and Isobel many years ago♥.

I bake this loaf lid off of course.

3 eggs

1 cup of sugar

2 tbsps lemon rind

I rub my sugar with the lemon rind like Dorie Greenspan does..if you make your cake w/ a whisk you should do it too.I make my cake w/ my KA so I just mixed the rind with the sugar at the beginning to get that worked in.

1/2 cup neutral oil

 2 tsps Watkins lemon extract (I used a specialty Dr Oetker item)

but he swears by WATKINS so do it:)

1 cup LEMON yogurt.

 1 1/2  cups Cake and Pastry flour

 2 tsps baking powder.

Mix eggs with sugar(Rind already incorporated) yogurt,neutral oil,extract.

Sift flour and baking powder..

add

Pour in prepped pan..bake ap 50 mins..toothpick test it..

mix 3 tbsps lemon juice 1 cup sugar pour over cake..Refrigerate 1 hour.

Then I unmolded and found perfection;)

This croque-monsieur was a hit too! It's from  Tastesbetterfromscratch   and well worh it..crank up the Dijon;)

A treat..a little decadence once in a while is ok right? 

I hope you enjoy both recipes..

At this time of year..I look at my gardens and think..they all need an overhaul.

Goutweed prevails and that's a bad thing.

But we are crazies as gardeners..we always think..actually ..KNOW ..next year will be better.

Right..

Hope never dies in the heart of a gardener..

So Bulbs are bought..tulips..not planted yet ..I had to painstakingly remove hostas..THAT my friends is a JOB.

I am saving seeds..

And..

I planted these.. ♥The name alone♥

So life isn't what it was..and it's about to change again..

But what are the choices in life...

 As a young brilliant girl told me..

The only constant is change.

Take care..