Happy Easter~

The above were so bad the boys ate the icing only..trust your old tried and trues:) Quite a few fails this year!!

Above..Ricardo..not a fail:)

Above..Linda..not a fail..

Above..Linzers..FAIL!!  First time ever..We think I forgot the sugar..lol..mmmm...what's missing? Oh yes..the sugar,inedible.

I love Peter.

What's up w/ this one? LOL.Poor him.

My Peter Rabbit banner fell 3 times..so I am using   thumbtacks:)
Oh the things we do for love~♥

I tried some new carrot cake cupcakes the night we celebrated J's bday..stick to the old tried and true..lol the boys ate the icing..one or two bites were taken out of the cupcakes and left;0
So 1/10 IF..Failure.

That mousse is delicious..It's  Ricardo mousse.I practiced first w/ a main one..above..but will serve  in shooters..small ind. for an app.
You can find his easy recipe here..I have marmalade coming out of my ears..so perfect:) And yes..imperative to put through a sieve.. it makes the consistency perfect.I used a reg sive the first time..second time a mill..way better w/ mill so easy.Add oregano..and aste taste to make sure it's delish..add seasonings if necessary.

Every Easter ..I will make Life and Linda's butter:)
Go see..for my bunny..a 3 d mold that failed miserably for chocolate last yr..I filled each side with one stick of creamy butter..Linda shows you the needed consistency..filled..tapped..spread..unmolded and used the bit of lefteover softened butter to join the two halves..and there you have it:)
Thanks again Linda!
I made the cutest bunny Linzers..LOL  cannot even serve them and I insisted we thow them away.I forgot the sugar I think..never happens right?
Jacques will eat anything almost to encourage me.I said,not these.
Lots of goodies in the making..for Sunday lunch..hope the next few things work.

I painted a little greeting card that I am not ok with..Looks like a misfit.
Some days..it just doesn't work..the harder you try the worse it is.
If my cake and mini desserts turn out..I'll share them next week..but wanted to get the butter out there for everyone before Easter:)

And..


I just want to say..Happy Easter weekend.
Happy Passover starting today..

Happy Everything to you who come and keep me company.
I am so grateful for your companionship.
So grateful for your inspiration.
So grateful for your kindness.

Grateful for Beatrix Potter too♥

Monique xoxo

Pre-Easter~

My little ragamuffins ..lol.

My little misfit.

I don't think a grandad can ask for anything more with his grandchildren:) And children~

Pre-Easter is Jacques' birthday...  every year:) he wants it to be every second year..but it can't be!:)

Our daughter had us all over..I love that so much.
When we are all together.
Nothing beats that for me.

Frédérick made that HUGE card..like half a poster:) Amassed the facts..and the boys and Caroline signed..I loved the little notes..Noah had his own card w/ his family and painted an egg:)
♥


I volunteered dessert and made Tricia's No Bake Bailey's Cheesecake~
Thanks Tricia..for the inspiration at the right moment:)
You can find her recipe on her beautiful blog..right here..
I think there was one small piece left and Jacques said if he would have listened to himself he would have eaten it.I had my bite..and it's good.
Chocoltae creamy lovers unite..to me it tasted a bit like the middle of a Lindt:)

I made my first canelés in the copper..oh lala..look at my ragamuffins....little waistlines.Not supposed to have those;)
Will try again..
Noah and Mylène and Jacques liked them regardless♥

I have been looking at needlepoint tea cozies..and out of the blue a Varage Sale idea came to me..

I saw a needlepoint pic..stretched..done..all for $5.00..

a fab you tube video on how to make them..and I thought I was set.
Well..not.
Turns out my needlepoint was so vintage once I removed it from the frame..the stitches were so dry and old..they started tearing.

It's not lined..I did the best I could..and it's going to stay like that..but not usable nor practical.

Our dining room is a toughie for me.And I made it for there..

It's dark mahogany furniture..everywhere....it was my grandfathers..table ,chairs and hutches..  for his chambers..he was a judge.

I have had it all my life and will never part with it..and I hope to heavens it stays in our family..my dad would be over 100..and the set was not purchased new..have no idea how old my grandfather would be..I never knew a grandparent in my lifetime.

I am so fond of it..but it's a different room for me compared to paler and lighter..

Even Easter is subdued:)

I am so happy w/ the linen square I brought home from Provence..that seems to have MC embroidered on all 4 sides.
I felt it was meant to be.
Chateuneuf du Pape was at our wedding..and Dom Pérignon is as old:)
Made the bunny years ago..cups and tray ..my mom's..old reading glasses..and 2 sweet recent gifts..:)

Darling little spoon..I find it so charming..Sarah has such taste..if you have never popped by..Easster is a good time w/ all her precious collections:)

A lovely sifter/strainer flat spoon has been added..I was spoiled on my birthday in February ..by Garden/Foodie friends I have had for years.
Thank you Terry:)

We had that no bake tomato sauce again..w/ basil and sun-dried tomatoes,capers,oil,garlic..parsley..you probably think that's all we eat:)
I promise..no..:)

The look -like vintage Easter molds were bought on sep.occasions at Michael's w/ the coupons.
I thought they were so cute..
Keepers.
On a shoestring budget.
I wonder what was on my grandfather's table maybe 100 yrs ago at Easter time.
Surely something lovely~Something Downton Abby-ish.
Did I ever mention..that once..very comfortable and quite illustrious..they did not have much at the end.
My grandmother was paralyzed and all their dollars went to the care of her well being.
That's the story I heard.
How I wish I could hear all the stories..all the real stories..
No one to tell me.
Pay attention ..:) 
I wish I had known that one day I would have loved to know just about everything;)
I am starting a few Easter things and will share..the keepers..

Oh..I did make some cookies..:)

W/ Susan's cutter!

Thank you again Susan:)And Happy Birthday TODAY!
Having warmer weather the next few days..should thaw a bit of snow:)For muddy Easter egg hunt paths labyrith like in snow...lol;)

Tourrettes~Sur~Loup~

This window♥

That famous blue door♥

Help yourself~

My car..no no:)

Many restos are in little stone grottos:)

My fave pottery shop.

THE place for violet products.

Can you tell I love her?

Tourretes-Sur-Loup..was a coup de coeur in 2008..so we went back:)
The people are friendly,the food delicious,the streets charming.
You are 15 miles from Nice,Antibes..

We stayed in a remote little place ..not in Tourrettes..I think too remote for us..the driving was incredible..  out of everywhere we stayed..this was the challenge.Well the worst challenge.
Our hosts were welcoming..we stayed in an annex to their home which was built for their parents.
Prefectly comfortable...clean..  but so remote.

And you have to be ready for things that can change..the photos..had shown lush green grass surrounding the home..  verdant as far as the eye could see..poor them..
Provence had such a drought..when we went..all the grass was brown..no grass actually surrounding the house..our view was pretty though..as you can see by the last photo..but arid .

 This is one area we could not anticipate staying in again.The whole area is so hilly with Evil Knievel bends in roads..picture this ..manual transmission..90 inclines..180 turns..narrow roads..oncoming cars.
You have to really be a pro.And Jacques was.
But I kept holding onto the door handle..anyway you get it.

While there..we visited places close by..Tourrettes is one..

CHARMING.

The streets have inlaid Violets or wolf (sur -LOUP).. paw prints..Tourrettes is known for it's violets:)

I bought sugared violets and violet syrup..who can resist.
La Bastide Des Violettes is a special building /compound..where they make ..produce and sell the violet specialties of the area..

The pottery I bought was from there..Poterie Tournesol.

Pont Du Loup..

Is a hike too..
but we went..
it is the home of Florian.. top quality confiseries..
It's rugged..and raw.Super scenic.But I have seen it now:)
As you arrive there is an abandoned hotel..which sets the feeling..on a misty grey day..it was a bit sad.

Confiserie Florian..beautiful..$$$$

Gives you an example of how far up you are driving and under what conditions..

The gardens have roses..edible..cute cute..


We also visited Oppède Le Vieux..which is very remote and you walk up to it..many many steps Highway to Heaven.lol
Do not mistake it for the newere Oppède..keep going and going and going..it' s so artistic..sketchers abound..it's tiny and quaint.

Jacques is FIT.. 30 yrs on the treadmill every day..  golf for most of his life..daily walks..to get up to the village the steps ,are uneven stones..narrow..crooked uphill..you have to sometimes grab onto something for fear of losing your footing.
Do not venture up if walking is an issue..it is a LOOOOOOONG walk..hundreds and hundreds of stairs.

The resto when you get to the top.

Arists were sketching here..I met a lovely woman.. who had trouble walking..so there has to be a way to drive up for people who cannot get there.Her husband was walking around..she was sitting..happily sketching..she had never seen a waterbrush..What an artist.her workd was amazing

The biggest shop:)



We also  stopped in Grasse, for one moment ..well a few.. but left shortly after..
and a few other towns..but from this moment on..we left this particular area of Provence..

 And headed to  our final destination..Aix ~En ~Provence..which I loved..I guess that will be the last Provence post:)