Starting ..

Noelle's boys

Don't worry..I know it's not Christmas..but it seems to be right around the corner and I don't know how in the world that happend.
I have to say..the older we get..I think..the faster  the days go by.

American Thanksgiving..is the 24th of November..a day short of one month from Christmas..I admire that they do so much in one month!
And I hope everyone has a Happy one.


You know I love painting and am useless from my mind..
or flowers or landscapes...it is as if I cannot translate 3d into flat..

..I must go back to "Drawing  with the left side of the brain",there is an acetate sheet to help you to do that..I am always so impatient to progress that I regress...but give me something I can try and copy and I love it..I just read in the book ..A Little Life..that I am a copyist..
BTW..the book is sometimes very hard to read..not for it's length,702 pages..but for the suffering some have to endure.
It is graphic..and sad.
It does however show us that some people are incredibly loving and kind and nice.
It's just that sometimes..one is so marked..there is no turning back.

..the painting to the left is an old Christmas card I copied..you just look at the card..and draw it on a watercolor paper and then paint to your liking..the middle one is really a pink and blue birthday card w/ a chicken or two..I changed the clothes and colors and left out the chicken..the one to the right was also inspired on an old card I kept..
This is what I love doing because..I am sometimes happy enough with the results..flowers..kill me:(

Yet I LOVE them.

Not all my Christmas cards are hand painted..just a few..

because I love some bought cards too..I was just feeling inspired..I have to start early enough in the fall..because we are 12..there are stockings to fill..(8)and gifts to wrap..and I hate wrapping a multitude of gifts..I love wrapping individual ones w/ special attentions given..mass wrapping is..ok let's get this over with..
That's the spirit!:)

The 3 top Christmas cards were painted with..different paints different companies..
I would be hard pressed to tell you which was what..sorry!

But I did want to tell you about 2 little sets I bought ..
that I like***..
The sets have all the cute appeal you could want w/ the black shiny metal case w/ thumb holder underneath..(VG quality)..
All the paints are wrapped in clear then paper wrappers..all numbered and they come w/ a card to paint the colors w/ varying transparency..
I am not an expert at doing this..but am trying to do this w/ every set that comes to live with me..
I bought The Tropicals..and The Classics.
I painted the reindeer w/ the Tropicals..
my first try..  as a copyist of course.
for some reason the reindeer looks paler here..and I will add glimmering snow and place it on a card backround..
I asked Jacques.."Do you find these colors chalky and dull?" Or vibrant?
He said vibrant..
..granted they are not JUICY like M Grahams or Daniel Smith or Sennelier..but I love them.
My daughter's friend's adorable little boys..painted with the Tropicals also..Ipad photo..I am not well suited for phone pics or Ipad ones..she posted this photo on FB..and I tried to COPY the photo.
It appeared to be taken on a wharf..the day was dull..and 2 ducks were swimming by..

Fun fun little kits for travel..or home.
Try finding a pratical beautiful case like this..plus the plastic half pans..and paint for the price.
I don't want to sound cheap..
but all my pearls are not real.

**** These are not for first class  watercolorist aficionados..just saying;) Artists that swear by certain makes..I guess they would call them student grade.. I am  a student so they work for me and my small pleasures..I did buy 2 sets of more artist grade paints but I have yet to open them.

When I bought my Fiat..lol.. the car connaisseurs came out of the woodwork..and said..OH NO!!
I said OH YES.
6 years later..I still love it..well you can't love a car..so I still like it.

My Grumbachers are the chalkiest paints I have and many artists swear by them.

But these little Prima sets suit me wonderfully..and I do have more expensive ones.

PS no one told me to write this:)No one paid me..not sponsored..but the day I got these I wrote an Amazon review after opening 3 colors and trying.

Don't know if you can make out a bit of the name Bill on the table..my brother carved that when he was a child:)maybe it does not show in this area..
Caroline carved her work of art on one of our couches..all I could say was :"Wait 'till your father gets home"..
~ That was my line.

So if you are not getting cards ready..etc..you can..

You can start making bird treats:)...

And getting some of the ornaments organized♥



Footnote..

Leonard Cohen passed away last week:(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n7WmzfYy00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGorjBVag0I&feature=share

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o6zMPLcXZ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLk4vdY28Q

And Flanders' Fields..

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/11/11/leonard-cohen-in-flanders-fields-remembrance-day-2016_n_12908096.html


All the above are so worth listening to..take the time..sit back..and ..perhaps   be ready to be moved.

Maman's Soup~And Danny Tanner♥

There are only a few things I know how to make because of my mom..
Cottage Pie..Spaguetti sauce..Chinese chicken wings..and her chicken noodle soup.
Her Canard a l'Orange..(with my dad's ducks)(yuck).

I don't know why but I seem to have had  zero interest in cooking and baking when I was a teen..and as most of you know I lost her when I was 19..
but these were some of my favorites and I loved when she made them.
Cottage Pie..I always called Shepherd's pie.. until Marie set me straight;) :)
You know the 3 layer delight..beef..cream corn mixed w/the kernel corn and the best darn mashed potatoes you can make on top..

her spaguetti sauce I have improved upon because of one of my daughters..the addition of capers and black olives..delish.

Her Chinese chicken wings were stellar..bake your chicken wings till done..bring a jar of VH garlic sauce to a boil and add the baked wings till coated and glistening in this rich soyaee sauce..

Her chicken soup.

I LOVED it and my girls have liked it and all of the above..

She would take the carcass of the chicken..leaving some meat on..the chicken was baked..she would put it in a stock pot..cover with water..add  a stalk of celery..a whole carrot.. ..onion..garlic..salt pepper..parsley..a bay leaf..and let all that simmer for a few hours..discard everything except the broth..pass through a sieve..add cut up chicken..and EGG noodles..I sometimes add egg spaetzle..
then her secret ingredient..some Bovril ;)
Parsley on top.
Feel good comfort food..


Some things you never forget..like Vick's Vapo-Rub..:)
I recently bought some and to my horror it was lemon scented..oy..just leave well enough alone.
I had bought a generic one years ago..much better than lemon scent.

With soup or pasta dishes..Grissinis are a fun accompagnement..3 of the Littles ..loved them..

I had watched the GBBS..and they made some..I had not made any in a couple of years..I tried this recipe this time..I used garlic..rosemary.and more salted..3 kinds..so you sep.the dough in three..
don't listen to them though..I had to flour and reflour my surface..as this dough is sticky..

I started using the bread labels in 2013..time races by..you can too..thanks to this talented blogger.

Even if you don't bake your own bread..buy a loaf and bring it somewhere or have it on your table like this:)



There's not much I would not do for another moment with my mom.
Ma meilleure amie au monde..

It seems that to make up of this great loss in my life..He..sent me 2 little girls that grew up..and then the  4 Littles..
He knew what he was doing..
So funny..
Noah came over w/ his mom for a visit while his daddy was away..

have to tell you something..our floors are hardwood and warm colored and shiny:)

When the boys take off their shoes..and walk all over the place..little sweaty wet socks leave footprints everywhere..it's the stupid shine.I would get matte next time..anyway..I keep slippers for them..not when socks are dry:)
But wet..:"here darlin'"..

anyway..Noah was coming for a  visit and he told his mommy..:"Nana is a bit like Danny Tanner.."LOL.she cracked up and yes so did I:)
Any of you watch Full House?

Google him..
and you may see why;)

Honestly..I think I have become very laid back..just our floors..

My girls watched every episode and now all 4 littles have watched thanks to Netflix..


..Take care..
Signed..

 Danny Tanner..aka Nana..aka Monique.

If you want to know what I looked like when he came for his visit..look no further♥I know some of you don't notice sidebars..so I wanted you to see:)
At first the mouth was straight..and I said I thought nana always smiled at you..he said but you weren't smiling when I did your mouth..so he added the wings.

I love it.

Paper~And Macarons and Foxgloves~

I enjoy paper products very much..cards ..paper..calendars..craft papers..
I just wanted to share what I ordered from Shutterfly recently and how darn cute it is..an easel calendar♥
You pick your  photos and they fill 12 months..all different styles..no surprise I picked this one..it comes w/ that cute wooden easel..the paper is cardstock..not flimsy..

All Shutterfly all lovely.

Shutterfly is not sponsoring this at all..I just wanted you to see what cute things they make in case you didn't know..with the holidays approaching..they have bags..wall calendars..magnets..puzzles..games.
♥
I love this set of 2 CDs Jacques bought,primarily because my mom enjoyed Frank..and quite truthfully I do too..he is up there w/ Michael Bublé ( poor them right now..their little boy Noah is facing cancer)....Harry Connick..etc..

Lucas came for a visit and played chess with Jacques..so I played with my paints one room away:)♥
I had been so fortunate to find a tiny blooming foxglove:) In the midst of putting the gardens to bed..a precious pastel summer jewel.
And so the paints came out:)
Lucas had a bite of the macaron and put it down..he did not put down the Halloween Oreos:)

Maries' Bumbleberry Traybake~

Another of Marie's wonderful baked goods recipes..

Her bumble berry traybake..
I recently made it for Jacques and it proved to be a winner.
I made it in a Fat Daddio's removeable bottom tart pan because I halved the recipe..it halves perfectly..
I used a frozen mix of the mixed fruit..just tossed them in some flour first..the only thing I added was vanilla sugar..

I am trying to hold onto the beautiful fall we had..

I like painting leaves!
Alas they are wetter and wetter!

Oatmeal bars of the 70's~

Even in the rain..oh they glow~

The leaves have fallen a lot by the wayside  and have danced and twirled in the wind..
It is wet wet wet outside..perfect day to stay cozy inside..
Hope the weatther is far better for Halloween..


In 1974 I was newly married and 20  ....
Now I can't believe it..20 sounds so young..
We had both our daughters before I was 23..
The first one..I was 21..
I would give her her bath..and she would smell so wonderful..in a little baby bath thing..(ohmygosh have things come along)..

we would put her in her onesie(they were not called that though).. and footed pjs..or her very first little smocked Holt Renfrew nightgown..my favoritest ever..and we would put her on the table and admire her♥
Adore her is more like it.
I played house.. she had dark hair like my mom's(ok Jacques' too:) )her middle name was Jeannette (my mom's)..and she had a canopy bed..the doctor was sure it was a boy..having dreamt of a canopy bed all my life..and never having one..we bought a Lepine canopy crib..I told Jacques we could take the canopy off ..if..

and we had 2 girls:)

Anyway all this to say..when the girls were little I stayed home..to play..I did have 2 girlfriends and had them over w/ their littles and I would make oatmeal bars that Gail Bertram showed me how to make..

well that was the treat..always for the Littles..oatmeal bars or a cookie mix in a bag..oatmeal choco chip..

the boys sometimes come after school and I made some:) Max said they are really good those things nana..:)
Oli took a flake of oatmeal and shook his head no..lol..
I promise you these are great..
and I sent some home and got a message saying:" Thank you for the oatmeal bars"..she remembers♥

So easy..

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar  ..you can put less..
some vanilla
1 tsp baking powder..why..I have no idea..
pinch of salt
1 stick of butter..melted

I melt the butter in the micro..but you could melt it in the oven in an 8x8 pan..
add the rest of the ings and make sure everything is coated in butter..you can use margarine..but butter is best,,
press into the 8x8..pre-greased ..
and bake at 350F for 20 mins..

Let cool..but not completely..score..I do 4cuts x4 cuts so 16 squares....and leave in pan till cool..and firmed up..remove..
I find them so delicious.
You can make in a larger pan..but much thinner they will be..some coat in chocolate..just put chips on when they come out of the oven..let melt..spread..
and..you can use less sugar:)  I like them caramely instead of sugary.

The last of the swings..Jacques made 4..for the four Littles..at one time they were all up..I think we are leaving this one up for the memories♥

Hope you are having a nice weekend.
I wanted to show you one of my favorite colors..Daniel Smith Pyrrol Orange..and I am not even an orange person.

All Hallow's Eve~

Or... Halloween Oreo Cookies but better ...from Baking a Moment~

Above..atop a small mountain we sometimes hike..

Thought I would squeeze this post in..  in case some of you need cookie ideas..for Halloween..Lucas loved them..
a lot.
I sent the rest over..and kept 2 for Noah:)
I have loved doing little things for Halloween:)

And seeing Little things..for Halloween..

I could go all the way back to Lucas..our first..in his Lion suit..♥
But I will spare you:)
That recipe..from Baking A Moment..is so easy so good..keeps it's shape..I think I need those rings though;)
I made the dough the night before..I encourage you to do so..so much easier the next day to get going:)
I had the Wilton orange food coloring and the stamps..both items were bought last year the day after Halloween...

 

 

If you have never made this recipe my daughter gave me years ago..do so..it is a favorite here in fall::)
WE don't use turkey or chicken sausage..both Jacques and I do not like ground poultry..I use the hot italian sausage from Costco..so pork.
WOW recipe..keeper as you can see:)

So many photos I could add♥
So many lovely memories..

Mmmmm....comfort food and comfort views~♥

I had more inspiration lately..one from a friend and one from a French blog..

Linda mentioned Martha's lentil soup..she had given me a red lentil soup recipe that was terrific..the NYT one..I have 3 others also..this one..this one..and this one ..but I had bought some green lentils from France..so I tried the recipe Linda sent me and it is a delicious soup..she suggested the addition of pancetta..and that's what I used..I did add a couple of dashes of hot sauce that I love..
My love affair w/ lentil soup only started in the last few years..it was never something I loved..until I got terrific recipes..:)
Thanks Linda for 2 of them:)

Now Martha..that's another story..when I found out she was on TV many years ago..I worked.. so Jacques would "tape" the shows for me..

lol..

These are just part of my collection..on top..there is a sheet with which episodes..and what was in them:)
I was INLOVE with her in the late 80's 90's..
thank goodness we still have a VCR..I will watch one day..but with Netflix and PVR..and On Demand..and books and painting and not working..:) it may be a while.
She looks fantastic I find.

I am skipping over the whole jail thing because I am not very knowlegeable on insider trading...mais pas du tout.


The other ispiration found was a no-knead recipe..I know.. I know we all have so many..I won't even link to all the breads I have made..you would be yawning..and annoyed..or skip right over them:)
it's a neverending story..:)
So it was at La Popotte De Manue that I spotted this one..
I used my regular Silpat..next time I will try in my curved molds but they are not non-stick:(
I would love hers..$$$...  weird... the 7 cavity one is cheaper but does not fit in my oven:(
The trick is to not handle the dough a lot..she used the word..precautionarily..
I want mine to crack  open next time..like hers..could be the flour..etc..one never knows..

so here is what I did..

500 gr of flour
350 gr tepid water+50 gr tepid water
7 grams active dry yeast..I buy a big vacuum packed yeast..keep it in the fridge
2 tsps of salt
1 tsp of sugar..
Dissolve the yeast in the 50 gr of lukewarm water

Mix the flour..salt and sugar ..then add the lukewarm water and yeast water..mix until you have a sticky dough..
sprinkle liberally with flour..cover and let rest until doubled..
flip onto a well floured surface..cut into 8 and carefully place on your baking surface..pre-heat oven to 450 F..and let the breads sit while the oven is pre-heating..
bake for 15-20 minutes..go look at her pictorial:)

And beautiful pics.
I love making breads and seeing them..and smelling them:)

You may enjoy what our QC looks like this October..
Just click here:)

It has been nothing short of magical..QC.. this fall..and even stragglers are hanging on..see the rose?

This weekend was dark and rainy and so windy..

I planted all my garlic and I thought the wind would carry me away..we had no power Sunday morning so I thought just do it..had a winter hat on..

All White German is planted..square bed..and horizontal bed..Xlarge in the hexagonal one..and Music in the herb part.

Fingers crossed for a good crop.

It's been my favorite thing to grow this year.

And nana is stitching..Christmas.

Take every opportunity you have to tell someone you love..that  you love them.

I think I tell them all too much:)

They just grow up so fast..

In September Lucas is going to the college his parents went to.

He was accepted after the entrance exam and we are happy for him.He will look dashing in blazer and tie♥

And grey flannels..

I told my daughter you know he won't be rolling up his skirt:)

My girls did that.Not to today's heights..lol.

Autumn,the year's last,loveliest smile..

~William Cullen Bryent.