Wednesday, April 21, 2021

What's Poppin?

 













We had such nice weather ..that's when the poppin' started..
And then..the weather outside became frightful.

Which led to soup on Tuesday..This wonderful Chicken Pho Soup from Nagi..you can find the recipe here..I LOVE it ..We all make modifications and that's fine..No coriander? Fine use parsley..you hate fish add in? Use soy..

I used the stock.gorgeous stock with charred onions etc...beautiful noodles..the poached chicken..crumch sprouts..sriracha..hoisin..and a touch of sesame oil.HEAVEN.

The buns..BUCHTY.. buns..I made a French recipe..you can Google and find them here there and everywhere..
Pillow soft..brioche like.
Not bread..brioche.

Lovelies blooming indoors..  African Violets,Christmas Cacti,Kolanchoe...

On a sour note..as in sourdough starter note..I've barely been keeping 4 alive..I fed them all ..  you know..you discard.. save 4 ounces..add 4 ounces of flour and water..
Well I thought I'd thrill it and give it rye..
Except Jacques' Molisano Pizza Yeast..in a brown bag very similar to my Organic rye flour in a brown bag..
you got it..I fed all 4 starters w/ YEAST.

Had to throw all out and use the discard to revive..
so far I don't have good news.
I tell you..I am doomed for sourdough starters. DOOMED.

One of my Paris People stories was about Margaux this month on IG..



My story featured Margaux..an elegant older lady separated from her family due to the pandemic..
We all have to do what we can to end it.
Get families back together♥
Stop your stupid maskless protests.. grow up and step up.
You don't want to be in by 8PM? Poor you..
Kidding not poor you..you are jeopardizing the lives of the very same people that put you to bed all cozy and clean in your jammies by 8PM.

And then this happened..






Fingers crossed my 100 plus garlic bulbs will survive.

24 comments:

  1. That soup sounds wonderful. I made pho once and then lost the recipe. I will have to try this one.

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  2. Good Morning from Manitoba. I am not a blogger - but I am a follower of a handful of talented, thoughtful and artistic women. Thank you Monique from the bottom of my heart for beauty, kindness, joy and love that radiate from your blog. It is one of the lovely things that have kept me sane in this past year.

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    1. What would I do without kind thoughtful people like you:)?xoxo

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  3. Your soupe looked so enticing I had to go buy some with ZE chrunchy bean sprouts
    I’ll admit I’m more worried about the Burgundy vineyards than yr onion sprouts darlin’ please forgive😢
    C’est comme ça

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    1. We of course knew about the vineyards and feel for them
      Human nature though to be concerned over a passion of mine and over 100bulbs..planted..harvested..dried and repeat..tell you what..you do it and see how you feel lol.
      Please forgive me..It is what it is lol.

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  4. I love today's Paris People story. And oh! Those buns look to die for, so tasty. It's still cold here, too, though they say 60F by the end of the week. I've been covering plants. Yours are gorgeous. I think today will be a veggie soup day here. Or maybe, if I have a chicken breast, I'll add that, too. As always, your posts are an inspiration!

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    1. Thank you Jeanie..so cold today I did errands..I could walk to my errands but not today and we are 5000 people with either no cases or less than 5 Thank God. Washed bottles..(to follow) made dinner..and sketched Paris♥

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  5. Nothing better than soup on a chilly day, thanks for sharing. The rolls loo wonderful, like little pillows of goodness. Sorry your weather is so unpredictable. I do hope your garlic survives.

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    1. We get snow often in April..not this late w/ blooms on trees..I hope my plants pull though for me..Thank yoy.

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  6. When I was in Vietnam all I ate was Pho, their delicious soup. I lov'it.

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  7. Loved the post! It reminded me of a trip we took to Scotland (back when we still took trips). There was a bench looking at one of the lakes and on it was a dedication to a someone's mother: "If heaven weren't so far away, you know we'd visit every day." It stayed with me. I don't know why your post reminded me of it, the gentle beauty I suppose.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. I so love that quote..and I love benches w/ tender words of remembrance.I always stop and read when I find one♥

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  8. The same thing happened here but a month ago. Warm, warm weather. Everything popped...the daffs, magnolia, scilla, early irises. Then poof, back to cold but by then all the early wonders were faded. I wish it would have lasted longer. I think your garlic will be okay. I think it's pretty hardy. I would love both the soup and the buns! Up to 75F here today but then back into the 50s tomorrow for plant shopping. I had to Google Butchy. One recipe called for thickened cream (I wonder if that was sour cream?) and another just heavy cream and milk. What a delightful treat! And the soup sounds right up my alley. Definitely going to visit Nagi for the recipe. Your poor sourdough starter! You make such wonderful breads that aren't sourdough based so no need for all the tending. Poor Margaux :( I feel so sad for those who are still isolated and can't physically get out to shop or have any interaction at all. This has been such a long, hard road and depression is a reality for so many.

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    1. We are the lucky ones.. no illness..knock on wood..no depression ..again kow..And diversions.Hobbies hobbies hobbies..key in loneliness and worry.
      We've had our first death w/ the AZ vaccine:( A 54 yr old woman.
      Are our lives pre-determined..our lives and deaths..because..how?
      So sad.

      I went to Costco at 8 AM yesterday in our area..very few people.. but driving there..it's life as usual for many..One thing was an eye opener the number of parents driving their children to school instead of putting them on the bus..

      Caro is theonly one not vaccinated..not the age group yet..

      and we are all only on number 1.


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    2. I don't like this moderate comments..yours is gone:( Yes that is Lucas..much to Lucas' dismay Max is the same height now..:)
      I was shocked.. he says it was an error in judgement but it seems to me ..he wouldnt make an error..in judgement ..that surprised me to bits..after seeing JE's story..

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  9. Beauty is always popping in your life! The beauty you see, the beauty you create! We've been hearing about Canda and outbreaks. One in Quebec City originating in a gym where the owner who was against following rules. Boom! Spread through the city and shut down. I'm glad you are still so vibrant in the midst of the pandemic!

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    1. You are right Rita..QC city itself has suffered.It's often been the place with most cases.
      Not even because of hat case.
      For us..J and I.. apart from being w/ family close..in our homes.. nothing much has changed.. I can't even get in a car w/ my kids yet everyone can go to malls..I's the amount of time spent in close contact..
      Our youngest daughter can get her vaccine appt as of May 5th..It's all our first ones though..
      After our second one maybe we will feel more comfortable.
      It's for our children and grandchildren that life has changed..so much..
      I often think of the long time repercussions...

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  10. I need to stop reading you on my iPad. I read and then can't comment, plan to come back and then don't! I am so sorry that I didn't comment on this post even though I read it last week! DUH! Your garden collage is so pretty. Love your forsythia. I will miss my British Garden I think. Those buns look magnificent! I am a sucker for fresh bread!! Wish I was in your neighborhood! You could pop some in a bag and throw it over my fence, lol. (socially distanced delivery!) The blooms on that cactus are AMAZING! I have never had any luck with house plants. I kill them. The Pho soup, those charred onions have me drooling. I always love your art. Especially your people and your sweet Margeaux touched my heart. That is all of us of a certain age. Wishing, hoping, obeying. The numbers are going up here every day. I stay in my bubble. Cindy, Dan, Dad and me. I have not seen my daughter except for that one lunch at Timmies. Of course now we are in lockdown again that won't happen for a while. I wish people would just obey and then we could get control of this despicable virus. Life will never be the same. It will still be good I hope, but never the same. xoxo

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    1. I wish they would just obey!Another demo yesterday..selfish entitled etc....


      Looking forward to seeing you move in :):)

      I'll start a starter when it warms up:)

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  11. PS - Sour Dough, I hope to try it again in my new place and have some success. Wish me luck!

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