Three Charming Towns

After a day of incredible beauty, I feel drained.

It’s hard to imagine that one could ever become accustomed to the breathtaking sights we saw today.

 

Three very different yet very beautiful French towns were visited, and after 8 hours of oohing and aahing, I can’t wait to sit back, relax, and process the wonderful day I’ve had.

Katie and I slept in today- luckily not as late as yesterday. While she showered, I ate breakfast and planned the driving route we would take.

As I showered, she ate and recorded the driving directions in writing. We’re a good team like that.

The offline android navigation system Sebastian lovingly prepared for us unfortunately has yet to work, so Katie and I are back to written directions, following maps and learning from our wrong turns.

We’ve actually been doing very well considering that most of the roads we’ve been driving are unmarked tiny French country roads; known by the local farmers but unfamiliar and baffling to the American tourists.

The first stop of the day was to visit Saint-Léonard-des-Bois, a small village located in the valley straddled by the Normandy and Western Loire borders.

Popular for outdoor activities, this village boasts hiking paths, canoeing routes, mountain biking trails and rock climbing. 

 

Katie and I wandered around the center of the village and hiked up a very steep path in hopes of obtaining a panoramic view of the village below.

We were unsuccessful in our sight seeing, but got our hearts beating along the way.

 

Once back down the hill, we took in the remaining sights of the bridged river.

On the road again, we navigated our way to the second stop of the day, my favorite village, Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei.

Situated almost as an island surrounded by the river Sarthe, this village has not surprisingly attracted artists since the 19th century.

 

If any little village will inspire creativity, this is certainly it.

The natural colors of the stone houses surrounded by woodlands and bursts of blossoming color made me want to set up an easel and attempt to capture the beauty around me.

Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei felt oh so very French.

Our oh so French lunch fit right in to this village.

Baguette with goat cheese, arugula, tomatoes and fresh cracked pepper- packed this morning. We also had chips and brownies.

Katie and I enjoyed our very French picnic along the banks of the river Sarthe.

A more pleasanter spot for a relaxing picnic, I could not imagine.

We ate on the large rock overlooking the bridge to the right and the church to the left.

Rightfully named as one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France "The most beautiful villages of France," the town was not only beautiful, but tranquil, reverent and calming.

I could easily move to this village and spend my days painting amongst the natural world around me.

 

We had a good long wander about.

We looked into the church, walked around the chapel and even watched a group of school children play a game of ball from canoes.

After pulling ourselves away from the picturesque French village, Katie and I found our way to the town of Fresnay-sur-Sarthe.

Actually, it was the second time we’d found our way to Fresnay; the original arrival unbeknownst to us, as we turned around after our first and worse misnavigation of the day.

Sadly, my camera battery died just as we entered our third and final town, so the remainder of my day was captured using the camera from my phone.

Although it was no Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei, Fresnay-sur-Sarthe was a small town with big character.

Complete with medieval walls, a dungeon, stunning bridges and stone houses that have become jagged and crooked with time, Fresnay was unlike the other two villages we had visited today.

We spent a bit of time in the beautiful Church of Notre-Dame where three very friendly old ladies were eager to share their English booklets explaining the history and symbolism of the church.

The next moment of awe occurred as we viewed the town below from the medieval walls. The Sarthe river laid the way for yet another round of beautiful photographs.

Once we’d seen all that we thought we could see for the day, we decided to drive back ‘home’ to the gite.

 

As luck would have it, the most inviting sunflower fields lined our way back.

We couldn’t help but park the car and capture the brilliantly cheerful sunflowers.

Driving away, we agreed that this was the way a vacation should be.

Back at the gite, I prepared dinner while Katie wrote in her journal. We had roasted potatoes with garlic and rosemary. Katie ate chicken nuggets with avocado and I had patties made with lentils and mixed vegetables over arugula.

Attempting to take in as much beauty as possible in a day can drain a person.

After enjoying a glass of red wine, I feel like it’s time for bed. I’d better be off- we have another full day planned for tomorrow.

Bonne nuit.

Good night!

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Stuffed Breakfast Tomatoes

When I came across this fun looking recipe a few weeks ago, I saved it away until I found the perfect tomatoes at the local Turkish grocery store.

Thick, firm, sturdy tomatoes served as the cup in which a complete, delicious breakfast was baked.

Although this dish has several steps and takes a bit of time, it really is worth the work for a tasty and surprising breakfast.

Start by coring two large tomatoes, being sure to leave the sides intact.

Coat the inside of the tomatoes with a parsley, basil, salt and pepper rub.

Cook garlic, leeks and spinach in a non-stick skillet until tender. (The original recipe calls for green onions but leeks worked well.)

Place half of the spinach leek mixture in each tomato, pressing the stuffing down to fill the base of the tomato. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

The tomato cups are now ready for the eggs.

Carefully crack one whole egg into each tomato.

Bake until the eggs are set. One of my tomato cups made it through the baking process and one burst. Either way, they still tasted fantastic.

Top with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. Serve with buttered toast and fresh fruit.

For Pip & Ebby’s printable recipe, visit this link.

Fancy schmancy Sunday brunch!

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Fennel and Red Onion Pizza with Balsamic Reduction

While writing my pizza post from last night, I realized I never shared the previous week’s pizza.

This pizza was too good not to share.

I had a fennel bulb from my CSA delivery that needed to be used so I slowly cooked the thinly sliced bulb in a bit of olive oil along with a red onion until just before tender.

I then poured in a couple heavy glugs of balsamic vinegar and continued to cook the mixture until the vinegar reduced by over half and became thick.

Fresh yeast pizza dough naturally formed the base of the pizza, topped with a very light brushing of tomato sauce and then the fennel mixture. I used fresh mozzarella and goat cheese along with sliced black olives.

This combination was amazing.

Once baked and out of the oven, I sprinkled some of the fennel greens over top.

Sweet balsamic and salty cheese.

Delicious!

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Fennel, Orange and Spelt Berry Salad

It really is a shame Easter is over.

This refreshing, crisp, spring salad would have been perfect on an Easter day buffet.

Oh well, better late than never, right?

In an attempt to use the fennel from last week’s vegetable box delivery, I turned to one of my favorite cookbooks, Clean Food.

The recipe in the cookbook formed the perfect foundation to build upon- from a side salad to a dish that can stand alone as a meal.

The ingredients in this recipe are clean, wholesome, and revitalizing.

After photographing the ingredients and beginning to make the salad, I decided to double the fennel bulbs.

 The mint was freshly picked from my balcony.

Although I used spelt berries, I’m sure wheat berries or another firmer grain would be just as good.

 I’ve been  zesting like crazy since I bought a microplane.

Two large oranges make a lot of zest! 

Chopped fennel and mint piled atop the orange zest.

Add in the orange segments, cilantro and red onions.

Add the cooked and cooled spelt berries.

Give it all a good toss.

Mix up your dressing by shaking it until combined.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Lightly adapted from Clean Food

Ingredients

2 fennel bulbs, halved, cored and thinly sliced

4 oranges

1/2 small red onion, finely sliced

1/2 cup raw spelt berries (wheat berries would also work)

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, torn

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, torn

Dressing

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Juice from 1/2 orange

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Cook the spelt berries according to package instructions, rinse with cold water and set aside.
2. Steep the sliced red onions in boiling water for 30 seconds; strain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, zest two of the oranges. Remove the peels and pith of all 4 oranges and add the orange segments to the bowl along with the fennel, red onions, mint and cilantro.
4. In a tightly sealing container, such as a reused glass jar, shake together the dressing ingredients until well combined. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to evenly coat.

Enjoy in the sunshine with a tall glass of iced tea.

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Black Bean Mexican Pizza

Last week when I saw Katie’s Black Bean Mexican Pizza, it immediately went on my Recipe Wish List.

I thawed out a frozen whole wheat pizza dough I’d stored in the freezer, so putting this recipe together took about 20 minutes from start to finish.

 

I topped the cooked pizza with homemade guacamole for dinner on Thursday…

and ate leftovers cold and guac-less for lunch on Friday.

Sunshine makes all things better.

This recipe certainly is a keeper.

I can foresee it becoming a regular ‘round these parts.

Do yourself a flavor favor and make this pizza soon.

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Strawberry Lemon Shortcakes

One of my favorite books growing up was The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear.

I believe that everyone should have the pleasure of knowing this wonderful story, so I’ve found an audio version for those of you who are not familiar with this children’s classic.

My favorite part of the story has always been when the little mouse attempts to disguise the strawberry.

Yesterday, there was no disguising the red ripe strawberries from this Big Hungry Bear.

Yesterday morning I was up early and on the road with a very nice Irish colleague of mine, heading to a strawberry field outside of Troisdorf, Germany.

The drive was beautiful, winding through small villages speckled with timber-framed houses and old mills which have been converted into lovely homes.

Rustling water and weeping willows= total peace.

If you live in Germany and are looking for farms in your area to harvest your own produce, visit this website. There are links to a variety of different farms, growing all sorts of produce.

Once we arrived at the field and opened the car doors, I was instantly struck by the smell.

Red Ripe Strawberries

Lots and lots of perfectly ripe strawberries.

The best part of picking your own berries? You can instantly eat the fruit fresh off the vine while you’re picking.

After 20 minutes, I had about 20 strawberries in my basket and probably 50 in my stomach.

I would pick a red ripe strawberry and think, “Oh no, that strawberry is too perfect to wait for!”

Then it would go in my mouth rather than my basket.

Although I didn’t think it possible before, one can develop a sick feeling stomach from too many strawberries.

After about an hour in the beautiful sunshiny weather, my basket was full.

Goodbye field of dreams.

My basket was weighed and amazingly, the total came to €4.50!!

It’s a good thing the lady didn’t weigh the difference in my weight pre and post picking.

But as always, there’s the one who got a way!

I couldn’t wait to get home and begin to bake for my berries!

More specifically, I couldn’t wait to bake strawberry lemon shortcakes!

Summertime fresh and sweet.

Ingredients for the shortcakes.

Mix the dry ingredients and cut in the butter until crumbly.

Whisk the egg, milk and lemon peel together.

Wet meets dry.

Combine to form a sticky dough.

Knead on a floured surface.

The dough will become soft and smooth.

Roll into a long log.

Slice into 12 even pieces.

Form into a ball

Then lightly press on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

Bake until golden brown

The lemony smell is sweet and light

Fresh strawberries, ready and waiting!

Layer it all together.

Strawberry Lemon Shortcake

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Shortcake:

• 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 and 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon cold butter
• 1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons cold milk
• 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk, beaten
• grated peel from 1 lemon

Whipped cream:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• grated peel from 1/3 of a lemon

Method

1. Hull and quarter the strawberries. Toss with sugar and refrigerate.
2. For the shortcake, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter until crumbly. (Hint: if you do not have a pastry cutter, freeze the butter, grate it into the dry mixture, then stir until well coated.)
3. Whisk together the milk, egg and lemon peel. Pour into the dry mixture and stir until well combined. The dough will be slightly sticky.
4. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead 10 times. Roll the dough into a log then slice into 12 even pieces.
5. Form the sections into balls then lightly flatten onto an un-greased piece of parchment paper.
6. Bake at 400º F for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Place on a cooling rack.
7. For the whipping cream: whip all ingredients until light and fluffy.
8. To assemble, top the shortcake with the cold strawberries and whipped cream.

Simply Delicious!

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Dreary Sunday

I woke up this morning to find this- a dreary Sunday.

Snow has found us once again.

I shouldn’t have been too surprised as the weather forecast did predict another round of snow… but after a few warmish days in a row, I was really looking forward to a bit of sunshine.  Not letting the weather pull down my spirits, I decided to make the best of the home-bound day with a bit of magic in the kitchen.

First up- pancakes. I tried a different recipe than usual and found the pancakes to be flat, tough, and rubbery. Luckily, the toasted pecans and maple syrup saved the day. My little bottle of maple syrup is a prized commodity. Germans don’t do the whole warm and filling breakfast thing.  Accompanied by a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee, this made a great breakfast.

Next up, refilling the jar of joy, aka homemade almond butter. When a 1/3 cup jar of prepared almond butter costs €7, you’re forced to find other means to supply your addiction. What’s not to love about making something so delicious for so little money?

Homemade Almond Butter How To

Or to be more specific- flaxy cinnamon coconut infused almond butter.

Step 1- collect your ingredients

Translation: coconut oil, cinnamon, almonds, and agave. Sea salt and flax seed were feeling camera shy.

1 cup almonds

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon coconut oil (you can also use canola or sesame but I like the added coconut  flavour)

1 teaspoon agave

1 teaspoon ground flax seed

Shake of cinnamon

Step 2- roast the almonds

Nice and toasty

Sprinkle the almonds with salt and roast in a 200° F oven for 10-15 min. stirring every now and then.

Step 3- making friends

Place the coconut oil and agave in the food processor then pour the hot almonds over top. I think it’s only fair  to let the three get to know each other a little before they’re forced to be friends. Once the oil is melted, sprinkle with flax and cinnamon then move on to step 4.

Step 4- Chop and churn

Give your food processor a work out- flip the switch to chop and churn. Stop and scrape the sides once the nut butter starts to creep up and away from the blades. It might take a while, but the almonds will eventually turn into a creamy paste. As every fibre of my green self starts to feel guilty for using so much energy, I remind myself how much money I’m saving and how wonderful it is to know exactly what goes into my food. The smell is so good you’ll have to stand back.

Step 5- pour and seal

Once your almond butter has reached the desired consistency, pour it into a clean glass jar, seal tightly, and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Enter: Left-over Make-over

On Friday, the Aussies, Sebastian and I had planned on eating at this fun middle-eastern restaurant called Karawane. We showed up only to find out that no reservation meant no possibility. So, we traipsed a bit further down the Rhine to another goodie called Kartoffels. Kartoffel in German means potato- and that’s what this restaurant does- potatoes. Every dish on their menu is based around potatoes. Even their artwork and decorations follow the root-veggie theme.

I ordered a spinach and (obviously) potato gratin loaded with cream and cheese. So unhealthy yet so delicious. The portions at this place are huge so I ended up taking half of mine home in a doggy bag.

For lunch, I decided to take this tin-foil wrapped creation from drab to fab.

Take the not-so appealing left-overs.

Toss in some fresh veggies and beans.

Heat it all up.

Add a little skim milk cream.

And then you have a more veggie-filled yet still unhealthy appealing lunch.

By 3:00 I needed some fresh air so Sebastian and I took a nice long walk down the hill and into town. It was the perfect  temperature for a cold-weather walk. Along the way, I took a few photographs.

Amongst the beauty, I even bumped into a little humor.

After walking into town, I hit up the gym for 30 min of bicycling and total-body weight lifting. Once I was done, I was hungry! Snacked on 3 dried apricots then made my way home to put together a crazy delicious lunch box dinner.

Toasted whole-wheat bread with cream cheese, mustard, alfalfa sprouts, shredded carrot and lettuce along with a clementine, celery and almond butter.

This. Hit. The. Spot.

Now I’m off to read blogs, do some laundry, skype my parents and get a good night’s sleep. Thanks for reading my first “real” blog! Good night!

For all you experienced bloggers out there- what is your best technical advice for blogging? Any tips of tricks I should know about?

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