~Garlic Is Curing~

Photos courtesy of Noah's mom:)

Garlic is curing..a new kind..on Jacques' dad's old ladder ..actually 2 ladders that have a long piece in the middle as scaffolding..I used one for the Ail Rose..Letting that cure in the sun..

The other..my usual White German ..is all strung in bunches and hung in my sheshed.

Made my maddies again but added mini choco chips and some dipped in chocolate:)

Years ago you communicated by phone..took photos..had them developed and showed friends and family..

Today..you have cameras that do everything..text..take pics..IF..FB..Twitter..

Keeping in touch and sharing RIGHT away..is par for the course!

I still remember my phone number as a child..Regent 89067.

LOL.

We had phones like the one above..which is the phone is my darling place in Provence.

Well..not MY darling place..you know what I mean.

Noah and his mom went to Europe for 2 weeks on their own.

Visiting Christine and Sylvain in Belgium..and in between a 3 day jaunt in Paris with the TGV.

They had such a wonderful time visiting all they could.

Every day I saw collages of all they did..

Above are  just a few pics from Paris..that got to me..Sennelier because they went for me..and of course the sailboats in Les Jardins Du Luxembourg.

I can't even begin to tell you everything they visited in Belgium..but this is  a quick Paris list.

This is just Paris  ..Belgium 10 more days were spent..imagine.

They had a ball.

Montmartre .. the cemetary..Sacré-Coeur..Place Du Tertre..

Musée d'Orsay..Rodin..Le Louvre.

La Tour Eiffel..l'Arc de Triomphe..Jardins du Luxembourg..Tuileries..Place De  La Concorde..and everything in between w/ all their walking.

They had a ball.

Their main stay was at  friend of hers who moved to Belgium.

I find they were wonderful hosts♥

Bon Weekend~

~Like Sand Through the Hourglass~

The above pics courtesy of my daughter Caroline.
These boys are so into football..so into football.


...
So are the days of our lives~


Clematis and nasturtiums are the most prolific right now apart from the annual pots and baskets..
And thank goodness for those..

after a few parched days..I held the hose for almost 2 hrs ..and then in the aft the skies opened up..

like everything in gardens here ..it's feast or famine.

I held the hose for tomatoes and squash and herbs etc..and some annuals..I don't ..can't water all the perennial beds..


First of all..have to save the water..but I am not about to let my veggies and annuals die.

Things are coming along albeit late..

Many of you have known me since before Littles..look what's happening:(

OHMGEE all taller than me except Oli and Noah..
Both will be but not yet.. Oli is only 9.
Le bébé.
They play so well together.
The little one gets pushed..never complains..he is so tough.
He will push them one day.
Nice boys.
So grateful.

Look at these pics of them..my daughter..her phone and an app..
Unimaginable.
To me they look like a professional photog took them.
I love them.

Noah is in Belgium and Paris and I can't get the Ipad IG pics here so I have asked his mom to send me some on AOL for my next post about these ever growing boys.
Noah has seen and done more in his 11 years of life than I have in 65.
Almost.
My daughter took him on her own..2 weeks..Europe.
I could have never had the guts.
It's the strongest word I know apart from another one that would honestly surprise you..LOL:)

So if ever you feared making crepes..I just read a cookbook..and these are made w/ a tortilla.
EASY as mixing an egg w/ a tbsp of cream..
for savory..the usual s and p and herbs..and fill w/ ham and cheese or whatever..for sweet vanilla and fill w/ ice cream and fruit or jam.
EASY.
Egg mix in a bowl..coat one side of the tortilla w/ the mix..place in pan w/ some butter..then brush the top w/ more of the egg wash..cook both sides..and there you go!
Look here~

Bon weekend!

At this moment..kind of:)

Another week gone..

One of my daughters is in Belgium w/ her son for 2 weeks.
I would have never been that adventurous..
LOL maybe I was nipped in the bud in that respect~

It's lavender season here..
Paltry in my gardens I lost so much!

Still I took pics and made some lavender lemon madeleines  today after pruning the roses..
Make no mistake..Polar Ice is work.
But I want a second flush:)

I love the way I make madeleines..I sound so sure of myself.
But I am:)
As a Canadian..I keep reading how polite and apologetic we are..so true..


I vary the kinds now:)

Daisies are popping ..small Fairy roses..
Poppies..The ones that self seed..

Herbs are getting stellar so I made my salted herbs..

Google and pick the recipe you like..sometimes I make w/ a full 1 1/2 cups of parsley sometimes not..this time I added garlic scapes..
I love having these in the fridge all year long for soups and stews.
A good way to start is here..

I wanted to applaud  these watercolors..handmade..that I won on IG..
They are made by Stoneworks Mill that you can find on IG and Etsy.
Artisanal♥

And the very talented artist Kateri Ewing as her book was part of the gifts and I can't wait to get into it.
I painted the small squares of a store I love..

and a poppy of mine..

Great practice..different styles,different papers.

Also..we had near tornado weather yesterday..after a few months of knowing yesterday was coming it came..actually a true tornado north of us..

A Gardenbuddy I have corresponded for 100 yrs with..came to town  with her husband.

Arlene and Larry.

We met in person 15 yrs ago..
and again yesterday.
After nurturing the gardens perhaps a touch more w/ Arlene in mind..

We woke to thunder and downpours after such beautiful sunny Provence days here..

Oh well..

And it was a deluge..so Jacques and I decided to take them to a nearby town..that is a bit touristy..
OHMGEE

We walked around a bit in humidity and greige..

Then sat for a drink by the water..not to eat there..just a cool drink.

WE NEVER LEFT..and changed tables 4 times inching our ways closer and closer to inside..as the tempest..tempested and increased in strength as we moved along!

By the time we had witnessed a tropical storm in QC..and were snuggled in a moody bench indoors..

Our meals arrived and we lost power.

We ate in total darkness like famous restos..apart from Arlene's I phone propped on something..lighting tiny corners of our meals:)
LOLOLOL

Not the visit I had planned..but remember Paris?

Things happen.

Well she has not changed one yr in 15.
Such nice people..

Today she went to Old Mtl..and seemed to have a great time.She went on the ferris wheel.I have not even seen my ferris wheel.
She ate in a favored spot of mine and took loads of pics and shopped a touch more.
She said she had a great day.

SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

We will have some Long Island Rosé to their health..
ok and ours..

I'll wear a peony tshirt w/ a stunning photo A took..
and freshen up w/ Lavender towelettes..
A day to remember;)

Again..I wish you a lovely weekend.

Please know I love keeping in touch with you.
You are treats to me.

Here is how my madeleines turn out perfect for us.

Hopefully for you to.

Prep a madeleine mold.

I would love to find a heart one.WS had one and discontinued it..
So I use silicone..nine cavity ..it sits on a small rack.

I spray.

You will need a scale.

Start by mixing 2 eggs and 80 gr of sugar.See what I did below for these lemon lav ones.

I use a hand mixer.

Blend until paler in color and foamy.

Add 50 gr of cooled melted butter,and a tsp of honey (or not).

Then add 90 gr of flour that you have mixed 1/2 tsp of baking powder into.
add 1/2 an envelope of of vanilla sugar and mix well..I use a full one.
For this lemon lav recipe I had rubbed my sugar w/ a tsp of lemon zest.
And added a tsp of culinary lavender..but add to taste.

Fill prepped molds not full..but I do a bit more than half..
If you are using a silicone mat and it doesn't have a stand..lay on a solid baking sheet.You need support w/ silicone.

Star by baking in a 400F oven for 5 minutes..
lower the heat to 350 and bake an additional 10 mins or so.
You want to see a BUMP.

Let cool..dip in a lemon/icing sugar glaze..add a few sprinkles of lavender or dust w/ icing sugar.

Au nom de la rose~

Roses on tables in Aix~

When its beautiful here..it reminds me of Provence..the blue skies..the heat..

the flowers..

the lunches we had out..

here we have them in..

except w/ grandsons on their birthdays ..nice weather days by the water♥

lovely salads in squares..

on terrasses..all so very magical..days I will never forget.

I made a neat salad..Alice Water's..Food and Wine..

Baked Goat Cheese Salad..

I added honey to the vinaigrette and used Panko..

you can find the recipe here..

perfect summer salad..for lunch or for dinner!

My French salad plates I have had for years and they have aged so well!

Jill Butler Designs

In Provence..so many pastry shops  ..so many.

you are often tempted to skip lunch and have a pastry.

When I succumbed to temptation..it was for Sacristains:)

Easy to replicate at home..not exac

tly like the shop ones..but good enough..crunchy sugary almond delights.

I did not use this recipe..I used from a French site..but they look like mine:)

I used bought PP.

So good!!

here you go..

Mine was taken here.

Bon weekend and ensuing week~

Our tradition with each of the boys..on their birthdays..we pick them up and take them out for lunch then they shop:)
Every year..Noah heads to Toys-R-Us..LEGOS!
He is an Avengers/Lego afficionado.
Both are loves of his so when you can combine the two..=happiness doubled.
He sets them up in no time.
Makes him so happy.
My daughter saves all the booklets..his sets are intact..many set up in his room..he has well over 100..she stopped counting..he started very very young:)It's a passion for him.
I like that little passion.
He's so careful w/ his things too..lol like his dad;)i.e.  his toys:)