A Look Ahead

One evening, Scott and I were roaming around our neighborhood...

Paris is most beautiful at sunset.  The lighting is just so unreal.  Everyone looks good this time of day... Paris changes completely... it's magical.

We were walking aimlessly up and down the hills of Montmartre, and came across this little gem, a restaurant hidden in the trees.

We were there way too early for dinner, but we vowed to one day return to this spot, and eat.  We were talking about it the other night, and today, I decided to google it from the sign at the entrance (thank goodness I took a picture... I had no idea the name of the place or the street we were on).  

I found their website... and oh, I'm all in (just emailed Scott the link at work... my phone should ring any minute).  I don't know if we'll do lunch or dinner, inside or out.  I love to eat outside, but the inside is so French modern, and crowded. I feel like we must experience it...we must rub elbows with the "cool, international" people. 


 Oh my goodness, what to wear????  


How about ordering the Degustation {tasting menu}: two starters, one fish, one meat, one dessert... that would be a "splurge moment" don't you think?  Can you imagine eating dinner and not hearing English for the entire meal... 
be still my heart!  
I think I'll order Opera cake w/ ice cream... just sounds heavenly.

Here is the website... if you have a moment, click through the Image Gallery (bottom...photo 12 especially).  

Le Moulin de la Galette

Be sure and take the one minute Video Tour. 

  Don't you just LOVE the French language???

Dreaming...

~Teri

Rolling Cart... Voila!

Ask and you shall receive...

Jenny

The Paris Apartment

Have a lovely day!

                    ~Teri                                   

Dinner in Five/Dessert in Five

From me... a servantless American Cook...

Two more super easy recipes...

We are from Texas, so we LOVE our Chicken Tortilla Soup.  Here's a super fast and easy recipe.  It's not the real thing, but in a pinch, it's really good.  It's also something you can always have in the pantry for emergencies.  This one serves 3, but we were eating light that day, so you might want to double it.

2 cans really good Chicken Noodle Soup... I used this one:

add 1 can Rotel (use mild if you are skittish)

Heat up on the stove... pour into individual bowls and top with shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and if you have it, a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro. 

 Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread.

My husband, daughter, and I rarely agree on the fantasticness of a recipe, but on this one...3 thumbs up.

Now, for the big failure in my life.  I mentioned that last year we went to the Shakespeare and Company bookstore and bought the original Julia Child cookbook.  I also went to E. Dehillerin to buy mini tart pans.  Both these purchases were in order for me to learn to make the Strawberry Tarts that we eat almost daily in Paris.  So on our anniversary, I got out the cookbook with all intentions of making hubby these tarts.

NOT!

Can you say 27 steps????  I'm a low maintenance girl, and I just couldn't see it happening... so, here's what I did, and they actually turned out quite well.

One pkg. mini Kebbler's pie crusts

One box instant vanilla pudding 

Apricot preserves

fresh strawberries and blueberries

Make the pudding... it will be ready in 5 min. Smear a thin layer of apricot preserves around the inside of the crust.  Spoon in vanilla pudding. Top with fruit.

Voila!

You can add liquor or vanilla to give the pudding a more homemade taste.  Of course you can make all this homemade and organic if you so desire.  Obviously, the variations are endless.

Hey... it isn't Julia, but it will do in a pinch. They really did turn out well... Scott said! ;) Hey... I think I'll serve one to my granddaughter today!

~teri

Happy Anniversary to Us

Feeling a little frustrated right now.  I actually went to the trouble to take pics of my anniversary dinner... downloaded them off the camera... deleted originals from camera card... and lost ALL BUT ONE.  I have no idea how this happened... and I won't discuss it any further.  I love/hate technology... anyway... had to use some stock photography on this post.


Here we are 29 years ago.  I posted this pic in about my third blogpost, but it bears repeating. I look so young... and naive... and clueless.  But I think if you entered marriage with both eyes open, you would run every time! 

We celebrated Saturday night.  We did not get to go to the Coco movie.  It only showed on Wednesday, and Scott really did have to work late.  By late, I mean 4am!  I guess I'll give him a by, and we'll rent it when it comes out.


My daughter thinks we are so lame and boring, but we would much rather eat in, than out.  About 5pm Saturday she told me she was super bored, and could she go spend the night with her grandparents?  I said YES.  After we dropped her off, we took a detour for...


Takeout...

We already had Champagne chilled and waiting...

We watched one of our all time favorite movies...

Scott got me flowers...

And a card...  He really outdid himself this year.  He's been dieting lately, so he locks himself in his office at lunch, and drinks a Slimfast.  That takes him about 8 seconds, so then he has the rest of the time to just sit and surf the net or read.  Last Friday... here's what he did...

He printed these pics and taped them inside of my card (yes, that's my head on someone else's body at the top).  He is telling me he ordered me a Kindle, and the red cover (including built in light)... and that I will have it by the time we leave for Paris so I can read in the parks.  I got him a Kindle 2 years ago for Christmas, and he LOVES it.  I usually read books with pictures... no, not Dr. Suess... but books on decorating, travel, or how-to.  He's convinced this Kindle will change my life, at least when I'm reading a novel.  I also think he's tired of lugging around my carry-on with at least 5 books in it, because I'm never sure what I'll be in the mood to read.  Now, we will carry only 2 sleek reading devices... oh... technology again!  


Anyway... too sweet... don'tcha think?  The reason I'm not bragging on what I got him, is because I was all out of ideas this year.  We decided to not try and compete anymore, or worry about what the other person is getting.  If you see something fabulous, or have a great idea, wonderful... otherwise, just relax! 


 Oh... and we did have a discussion about how Paris IS our gift this year... he's always breaking the rules :)

44 Days...

Just checked my calendar...  only 44 days until I get back to where I belong...

For the past few years, we've gone to Paris every fall.  We are hopelessly, endlessly, hooked on it.  Each time we go, we treat it as if it's our last time, because truly, who knows what tomorrow brings. Each trip has had a "feel" to it, a theme, if you will.  We don't plan the theme before we go, the trip just takes shape somehow.

Here are the themes we've experienced so far...

Trip One... The total and complete nonstop scurrying from one place to another year!

Trip Two... The cold year... the Louis Vuitton year... 

Le Grand Colbert year.
Trip Three... The Marseilles year... the Sacre Coeur year... the harp year.
Trip Four... The London year...The settling in year... 

the Luxembourg Garden year... 
the year we realized once for all... 
we belong!

It's funny... when we are speaking of something, we'll say, "You know, we went to that restaurant during the "cold" year."  We both instantly know that was 2007.

 I haven't a clue what Trip Five will bring... that's the fun of Paris.  No matter how much we plan and plot, it all falls apart when we get there.  I keep thinking... get out the guide book, make a plan to see absolutely anything you haven't seen yet.

Then I pause... no need.  The experience is what counts, the living, the melding.

***********************************

I guess we all know I'm hooked on purses.  This year, I only have one souvenir I really want, and it's certainly purse related.

I saw this shop one day right off St. Germain.  I think I can find it again... maybe.

I desire a simple French Market Bag...

See them? Stacked in the middle, as if they are nothing special?

As Rachel Zoe says... "I die."

And if I ever have the opportunity to live in Paris, I am SO getting one of those old lady rolling bags... see the lime green and the blue one?  They are the most practical thing I see on the streets.  I keep trying to think of a use for one in my life here, and I just can't think of one.  I certainly don't haul my groceries home on foot. 

Anyone have any ideas??? I would love an excuse to get one.  Scott will looooooove hauling it home on the plane :)
          Totally forgot to mention where I got the fabulous French market basket idea...
one of my most favorite blogs...
      MaiTai
       Check out the inspirational post here, and all her other posts as well. You will be inspired!

Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky

Guess what movie I'm hoping to see this week?

Doesn't it look fascinating?

I love stylized French movies.. they are the best.

There are only 2 obstacles in my way...

1.  Scott hates subtitles.

2. The movie is waaaaay across town... Scott hates distance and 5 o'clock traffic.

...but it IS my anniversary afterall...

Will I prevail?  I'll let you know.

Here's hoping...

Teri

P.S. Just watched a crazy French movie on Netflix instant view...
 if you don't know about instant view... find out about it... it's fabulous.
The movie was called "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not"
Starring Audrey Tautou (of Amelie)
We are still trying to figure it out. Many twists and turns and really different!
Here's a sneak peek...
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi279380249/

Back from the Beach

Ok girls... back from the beach.  I have to admit it was RELAXING and fabulous.  Great weather, great friends, porpoises jumping completely out of the water, lots of sun, and as always on this island... a cool (sorta) breeze.  I will admit, I got way too much sun, and ya know what?  A tan 50 yr old is not nearly as attractive as a tan 30 yr. old.  

I over did it, but at least I didn't burn... 

Still catching up on bills and emails, so let me leave you with this.  I never really blog about recipes or food... I'm not much on either.  It has to be fast and simple and basic, or I'm just not into it (my Julia Child cookbook I bought in Paris sits on the shelf... mocking me).  I wanted to share this fabulous recipe, and show you the French flair I added to it...

 just for fun!

Easiest Chicken Pot Pie... Ever

One roasted chicken, (Costco) de-boned and

cut up by hubby ;)

One can Cream of Mushroom soup

One can Cream of Celery soup

One large bag frozen mixed veggies

 Salt to taste, and lots of fresh ground pepper 

Mix all this together... pour into a 9X13 glass baking dish, top with Pillsbury Already Pie Crust, and bake at 400ish until hot and brown... maybe 30 minutes or so. Keep an eye that edges of crust don't burn.

 Okay... my kids are moving out left and right, so we are down to 3 of us, so sometimes I half this recipe and bake it in a 9 in. pie plate... and sometimes I get creative with leftover dough.  Here is the finished product.  I had Scott hold it to take these photos, and it almost slid right out of the pan!  Sorry I am too lazy to actually get out the camera... but you know.. all those wires and downloading... it bores me! I use the camera built right into my computer if at all possible.

Hope you can see my Eiffel Tower!  I freehanded it with a butter knife, as you can tell!

  Dinner in 2010 America...

SWEET!

Happy cooking!

Teri

The (my) Brain is a Mystery

I've never given my brain much thought... it's always worked quickly, efficiently, and served me well for many years.  That's why my recent lack of instantaneous thinking is throwing me for a loop.

I'm getting a little worried... I tell someone I've got something great to tell them... and then... poof!  Nothing comes to mind.  I constantly lose my train of thought.  My daughter and husband are learning to live with it.  I can tell it's frustrating them though.  I've heard this sentence many times lately... "Quick, spit it out before you forget."  Uhmmmmmmmmm......

Each time I've left the house lately, I've planned to pick up a gallon of milk.  FIVE times I've returned home with no milk... luckily we don't drink much.

Yesterday I realized I messed up really bad on a bank transaction.  I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say, I ended up with a large credit balance on my credit card, and money coming out of my checking account twice!!!! All I can say is... at least I found it before chaos ensued!

My brain needs a rest...   

So...tomorrow it's off to the beach for five glorious, relaxing days... 

I plan to write, read, and sleep.  I may blog from there... last year I was able to pick up Internet from the neighbor... we'll see.  This particular beach is on Anna Maria Island.  A sleepy town with nothing to do, no shopping, and fabulous sunsets.

Okay... there is an outlet mall about 30 minutes away.  Maybe I'll start working that credit balance 

off my card... shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ;)

~teri 

A Little Ingenuity is all a Girl Needs

So I know this post will make me seem so shallow, but who cares????

I think we all know I'm in love with Louis Vuitton products.  They seem oh-so-french to me, and I just love them.  They reminded me of Paris before I ever even went there, and to be lucky enough to have a husband that loves to buy me whatever I want... well, they mean more than just a handbag that isn't even made of leather (and for those prices... it's outrageous... but I digress). Whenever I carry one, it makes me smile, and think of Paris, love, fashion, the Champs Elysees', etc.  Has any other purse given me this feeling... I think not.

SO... as you may remember from a previous blogpost, on our second trip to Paris, Scott bought me the Petite Bucket.  

I say Scott bought it for me, not because I'm some fifties stay-at-home wife that thinks the husband holds the purse strings...pun intended... but because without his coaxing, I would never have purchased it.  As you can see, it came with the bonus of a makeup-type bag.  I LOVE IT, but I've always thought there was more I could do with that bag than keep it hidden inside my purse.  I always thought it would be the perfect little purse to take to dinner, or church, or whatever.  After all, no matter what the situation, all a gal really needs is a cell phone, lipgloss, and a debit card... right?????(remember when your mom made sure you had a dime with you when you went on a date, just incase you needed to call home?)  
The problem was, the little purse had no chain (other than a tiny chain connected inside that was not detachable from the handbag itself) and the size made it really too small to pull off as a clutch... but I never let go of my plan, and searched the LV website and the Internet for the perfect chain, and just never could find one... until NOW.

Yesterday, Scott and I went to JoAnn's to pick up some crochet yarn (yes... I love to crochet... don't judge).  We were meandering around, and we ended up walking past the jewelry findings.  I expressed again my desire to Scott. I handed him the small bag that was inside my purse, and he went on a mission.  He searched the aisles  until he came up with a chain, two findings, and 2 hooks... all in gold to match.  Here is the finished product... 

I'm so stinkin' proud.  Tiny bags similar to this sell on the LV website for $240- $350!!!!!  I feel like I have such a cool new purse, for the grand total of about $3.  

Yes... husband of the year...gotta love it~ 

 Teri

P.S. I've been holding out... I have some new product videos to introduce to you.  One product in particular has been in the testing mode, and I'll be ready to pass it on to you soon!

A Plan

So..... I told you in my last post that I was going to share with you my plan for overcoming my bout with feeling out of sorts.  Seriously... I had some ideas... and for the life of me... I can't remember them!  I'm not kidding... will they print this blog in the newspaper someday, with the headline... 

"We Should Have Seen it Coming?"

I don't mean by any stretch that I am going postal on you... it's just strange that I can't remember ideas I had only a few days ago.

~breathe~

Ok... on to the next.  I did turn 50 last month without fanfare.  There was just too much going on... but I want to share this card with you.  It came from a dear friend, and I L-O-V-E it!  Sorry it's backwards, but there's a correctly oriented pic at the top of this blog.

Every time I open this card I smile. 

Since I can't remember any of my old ideas, I just came up with a new idea... drink more Champagne... French of course... and celebrate the simple things in life.  

When Scott and I jet off to Paris in September, (I had to say "jet off to Paris"... it sounds SO romantic) one thing we are looking forward to, besides our oh-so-chic apartment, (see bottom half of this post) is popping a bottle of bubbly on the steps of Sacre Coeur, and toasting the most wonderful marriage, and city, in the world!

With that said, I leave you with these quotes... 

"I drink Champagne when I win, to celebrate . . . and I drink Champagne when I lose, to console myself."  (Napoleon Bonaparte)

"In victory we deserve it, in defeat we need it." (Winston Churchill)

"My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne." 

(John Meynard Keynes)

"I only drink Champagne when I'm happy, and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty." (Lily Bollinger)

"Champagne is the only wine that leaves a woman beautiful after drinking it." 

(Madame De Pompadour)

"Three be the things I shall never attain: envy, content and sufficient Champagne." (Dorothy Parker)

"Two warm bodies and one cold bottle of Champagne will produce something more wonderful than would happen without the Champagne." (Helen Gurley Brown)

"Champagne offers a minimum of alcohol and a maximum of companionship." 

(David Niven)

"Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right." 

(F. Scott Fitzgerald)

"One holds a bottle of red wine by the neck, a woman by the waist, and a bottle of Champagne by the derriere." (Mark Twain)

Aren't these a crack up? 

Maybe there is magic in those bubbles... ha ha...

 these certainly gave me a smile, hope they gave you one too!

~Teri

I'm Back...or am I?

Well friends... I don't know if anyone noticed, but I've been in a self-imposed exile for awhile. I want my blog to be uplifting, and while good things continue to happen in my life... some not so good things have happened too.

I have not been in a mood to blog without it sounding... well... depressing... and I refuse to make this a place that doesn't make you at least 'crack a smile.'

I'll try to say in a few words what I've been going through... I've had

a sudden and unexplained bout with migraine headaches... the first in my entire life (they thought I had a mini stroke at first... but CT scan and MRI showed nothing). I've also had total and complete insomnia... and I don't mean the kind that comes from worry or anxiety, it's the kind of insomnia that says..."I'm awake, now what?" It not only makes me cranky, but I'm also aging before my eyes! I have also not been myself in mind or body. I was out to dinner the other night with friends, and I felt like I was having an out of body experience. It was like I was there, but I was watching myself have dinner from a distance. It's funny, my husband and I will have an entire conversation, and suddenly I realize, I haven't heard a word he's said... and worse... I haven't heard a word I've said!

Is all this because I turned 50??? I wonder....

The other day I was reading a magazine my mother-in-law kindly brought me because it had an article on Paris in it. When I turned to this page... I laughed OUT LOUD. Not only does this show the French in rare form... or should I say "regular" form... but it looks like I've been feeling lately. Superimpose my face on either woman, and there you have it... the way I've felt lately when ANYone, ANYwhere, asks me to do ANYthing!

(The phone rings...) "do you really expect me to answer that?"

(It's 6pm...) "dinner... what's that?... if I'm not hungry, I don't know why you are."

(It's 2am...) "this isn't too late to be watching TV darling, and yes, I know you have to get up in the morning...what can I say?"

(A friend asks if I can help with a project...) "seriously? you've got to be kidding!!"

(Someone at church wants me to commit to something in the fall... )"I could be crazy by fall! Are you sure you want me? If you only knew how weird I'm feeling, you wouldn't ask me... gotta go now... I feel a breakdown coming on..."

(Mom asks me if I want to take a trip to Washington D.C...) "I don't know if I can take a trip across town, and you want me to go to Washington D.C.?"

(Husband comes home from work...)"Darling... from now on, our TV cannot be on the news at all, and also... could you be a dear and get the mail everyday, and screen it for bad news before you hand it to me? And sweetheart, whatever you do, don't mention our retirement account, or the economy. I just got finished cleaning my rose colored glasses, and I don't want you to fog them up. Oh... I hung twinkle lights and spread fairy dust around the house today... try and go with it... okay?"

(my words in red)

Luckily, I've come up with a plan to deal with all this, that doesn't include moving to a desert island... afterall... wherever I go, I take me with me!

more to come girls... more to come...

~Teri

Photo...National Geographic Traveler-July/Aug 2010 pgs 72-73.

Photographic team of Sisse Brimberg and Cotton Coulson.

traveler.nationalgeographic.com