Thursday, January 30, 2014

Mes Recettes (My Recipes!)

I LOVE COOKING SO MUCH so I want to share some of my recettes (recipes) with you! You'll notice that a few of them contain strange ingredients-- I've had to get creative due to my host family's dietary requests. I promise that I would not put recipes on here if they were not child- and adult-approved! Oh, and I'm open to any suggestions! Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.


Mashed "Potatoes"

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sizes pieces (4-5 cups)
1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium-sized potato, peeled and chopped
1 turnip root (no greens), peeled and chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
White pepper, to taste

In a large frying pan, steam the cauliflower, onion, garlic, potato, and turnip root by filling the pan with 1/2 an inch of water and placing the lid on top until the vegetables are tender and the water has evaporated. Add more water as necessary. Transfer the vegetables into a food processor and add olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt and white pepper. Blend until smooth and serve immediately.


Choco-cado Pudding

3 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and chopped into cubes
2 ripe bananas (large), peeled and sliced
3/4 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup coconut milk
1-1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
1-1/4 cup raw cocoa powder (cacao)

In a food processor, blend avocado, banana, agave nectar, coconut milk, vanilla and salt until smooth. Gradually add raw cocoa powder and blend until the mixture reaches pudding-like consistency, scraping down the sides as necessary. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve chilled. 


Lauren & Eli's Soupe de Lentilles (Lentil Soup)

1 medium white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. thyme
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 large tomato, chopped
2 cups dry green lentils
1-1/2 cups carrots, chopped
3/4 cup celery, chopped
1-1/2 cups red skin potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Water (to be added as necessary)

Place onions, garlic and olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat and cook until onions are transparent and garlic is golden, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium. Add bay leaves, thyme, bouillon cubes, paprika, salt, pepper, tomato, lentils and water; cook on medium heat for 15 mins and add water as the lentils begin to absorb it. Add carrots and celery. When lentils are almost al-dente, add potatoes and cook until they can be cut with a spoon. Add salt to taste. Enjoy!


Les Pâtes au Fromage (Pasta with Cheese)

3 cups dry whole-wheat penne or bowtie pasta, cooked according to package instructions
1 medium white onion, sliced
1 medium-sized potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 turnip root (no greens), peeled and cut into cubes
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and white pepper, to taste

In a medium-sized pot, bring water to a boil. Add onion, potato, and turnip root. Reduce to medium heat and cook vegetables for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain water. Cook pasta then drain water once it is al-dente.  In a food processor, blend olive oil, coconut milk, parmesan cheese, salt, white pepper and vegetables until smooth. Pour mixture over pasta (drained) and toss until combined. Serve immediately.


Banana-Chocolate-Almond Cookies

4 ripe bananas, chopped
1 cup pitted dates
1/4 cup agave nectar
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups raw almonds, chopped
1 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate
3 cups quick-cooking oats
Milk chocolate bar, cut into 1/2 inch squares

Place bananas, dates, agave nectar, salt and vanilla in food processor and blend until smooth. Pour mixture in large mixing bowl. Add almonds and dark chocolate; stir until combined. Add oats and mix until fully combined. Roll into 2-inch balls, place on parchment paper covered baking sheet and press down until the cookies balls are 1/2 inch thick. Press one milk chocolate square on the top of each cookie. Bake (dehydrate) at 150 degrees F for 8-10 hours. The little ones cannot keep their hands off these... neither can I!

Sunday, January 12, 2014

"You look dead."

Goodness, it's nice to be back in my routine! This past month has been a whirlwind... a mix of family, friends, exhaustion, too much food and wine, too little cash-flow and budgeting, and a whole lot of learning and gratitude for all of the moments I'll never forget with those dear to me.

Here's a recap: Mid-December, my sister, Lindsey, came to stay with me for a nine days. Once she left, I took a train to Hampshire and London to celebrate Christmas with my close friend, Kim, and her family. After returning to Paris, I worked a week full-time with all three boys (Lord, please give me at least one daughter someday), then celebrated the New Year at the base of Le Tour Eiffel with my friend, Stephanie. And to top it all off, one of my best friends, Kathryn, visited me for a week.

Some of my favorite memories:
-Lighting candles in le Cathédrale de Notre Dame with both Lindsey and Kathryn.
-Discovering that my sister and I saying "I love you more than I hate you" to each other fits us perfectly.
-Preparing Christmas Day meal with Kim; it reminded me so much of being home in the kitchen with ma mère (my mom)!
-Developing an English appreciation for toasted crumpets with Marmite and butter.
-Running through Le Marais in the pouring rain with Kathryn to have un goût (a taste) of Jacques Génin's made-to-order millefeuille.
-Receiving several heartfelt letters that Kathryn brought me from my thoughtful and loving friends back in the States.

And lastly, quotes by those I know will never give up on me:

"If you never get married, we want you to have a comfortable standard of living. Just something to think about." -Mom

"You look tired. There is blue all there." *points to my under eye circles* -Dimitri, age 8

"What if you become a lesbian in Paris?" -Kathryn

"Wow, you look dead." -Elvire, my host mom.

These are my favorite pictures from this past month. If you'd like to see more, request to follow my Instagram account, @laurenwindham.

Le Tour Eiffel at sunset.
Le Sacre Coeur
Jardin des Tuileries
Wandering through Le Marais.
View of Le Tour Eiffel from the Trocadero.
I loved having Lindsey here!
Authentic champagne

Merci, a coffee shop in Le Marais.
Buckingham Palace

London St. Pancras train station.
Kathryn and I had the best time together!


Kensington Palace
Wandering down Portobello Road.
London, England.
Enjoying cupcakes in London with Kim. 
A day in Montmartre with Lindsey.
Locals

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

I'm grateful.

The couture shop windows have been reflecting some very overcast skies lately. They lavishly display holiday items adorned with ribbons, glitter and exorbitant price tags. Light-strung and glistening trees line the cobblestone streets, and under them hundreds of scarf-wrapped travelers bump into one another as they clamor through the German Christmas markets for a handful of roasted marrons (chestnuts), a sugary gauffre (waffle), or steamy, fragrant cup of vin chaud (hot wine). Christmastime has arrived in the city. 

Though I'm still taken by Paris and its twinkle this time of year, I find myself longing for home and wishing I could be with my mom in the kitchen preparing a hearty, home-cooked Thanksgiving meal for our family. 

That aside, I'm grateful. 
I'm grateful I do have a loving family back at home who is missing me, too. 
I'm grateful for mornings I wake up tired, because it means I stayed up late Skyping a best friend. 
I'm grateful for the frosty air that makes my nose numb and my eyes watery, because it means I'm walking the streets of Paris. 
I'm grateful that the church I [try to] attend is an hour away because it means I have a place to worship the One who is with me during the good days and the difficult days. 
I'm grateful for a 5-year-old's sulking and complaining after every meal I prepare, because it means I have a kitchen to cook in and plenty of ingredients to pour my creativity into. 
I'm grateful for the frustration that the language barrier creates, because it means I'm always learning. 

...but I'm not grateful for changing diapers. Ew forever.

Jardin du Luxembourg, with the France and US boats in the foreground!
Salon du Chocolat (largest chocolate event in the world) with Kim!
Lunch at Rose Bakery
Traffic jam
Suburban Paris
Avenue Montaigne
Celebrating my birthday with new friends!
American diner in the middle of Paris. A taste of home!

My birthday was really wonderful.
Markets along the Seine


Studying at Craft
Place Concorde

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Eli

Last Saturday we returned to Paris after spending a week in sun-kissed Vaison-la-Romain, a humble town in Provence surrounded by deep blue montagnes (mountains) and dotted with châteaux, Roman ruins, and family-owned vignobles (vineyards). Seven decades ago, my house-mom's grand-père (grandfather) built a home and a winery just outside of the city. Though the family still harvests grapes for wine, the home now serves as a family getaway from the pulse of Parisian city life. The land is magnifique (magnificent/beautiful), lined with thousands upon thousands of grape vines whose branches weigh heavy with delicate and sweet Syrah grapes-- the sweetest I've tasted. It was a needed break, but I was ready to return to Paris. Too many bugs.

In other news, I've wanted to write about Hugo's nanny for some time now, but I'm afraid I lack the diction to do her justice. Eli, a 29-year-old from Paraguay, is one of the most delightful women I've worked alongside. She speaks Spanish and broken French, so our communication consists of simple vocabulary, laughter, and the occasional frustrated exhale when the boys act out. Thankfully the language barrier has nothing on our teamwork! I especially love being in the kitchen with Eli; she's an incroyable (incredible) cook. The warm, inviting smell of butternut squash soup or simmering lentils may leave the kitchen in a day, but I can only hope her selfless-nature, her creativity, her patience and her eagerness to help will forever stay with me.

Observations:
-Hugo smells perfect after his bath; I could kiss his soft blond curls a million times over.
-Daily my thoughts take me from "I'm having ten kids" to "I'm never having kids."
-Mom-- forgive me for ever complaining when you put a hot meal on the table.
-The chewing gum in France is awful.

Picking the last of the apple harvest.

Vaison-la-Romain
Local cheeses
Tuesday morning at an open-air market.

Un chat (a cat) in Vaison-la-Romain.
Roman ruins
Thank you Lord for reminding me of your promise when the day has gotten the best of me!

Friday, October 18, 2013

Love it all through!

A group of Auburn girls studying in Italy visited Paris this past weekend, and what a joy it was to spend time with such familiarity! We enjoyed a picnic dinner on the Champ de Mars in front of the illuminated Tour Eiffel, complete with baguettes, fromage (cheese), fraises (strawberries), figues et poires (figs and pears), Jacques Genin chocolat, vin blanc et vin rouge (white wine and red wine).
     We took a bike tour.
         We indulged in savory galettes, Ladurée's macarons, and sweet crêpes
             We admired Notre-Dame.
                 We sipped vin chaud (hot spiced wine) and chocolat chaud (hot chocolate).
                     We explored the Marché aux Fleurs et aux Oiseaux (flower and bird market).
                         We stumbled upon the Fêtes des Vendanges de Montmartre.  
                                                                 
In other news, I'd like to bring something to the foreground. Am I overjoyed to be here and grateful for what I am learning? Yes. Do I wish to come back to the US after just nine months? Not a chance. But let me tell you this: not every day is a dream. Not every day holds a walk among gardens of autumn flowers in full bloom. Not every day is filled with five-star French cuisine, a glass or two of fine wine, or a relaxing afternoon reading an enticing novel in le Parc Monceau. After all, I'm not on vacation; I'm doing life here. Oftentimes I feel tired. I feel I'm lacking patience with Dimitri, Victor and Hugo. I feel under-appreciated and overwhelmed. I feel intimidated by the French culture, the language, the lifestyle.

That said though, I love it. I love the seemingly perfect days and the days I'd rather curl up in bed and read, because each day is coming together, piece by piece, creating this chapter of my story. I am in love with this life.

"You have to digest life. You have to chew it up and love it all through. You have to live it with your eyes, really... You can talk and talk about it and not get it right. You have to do it."     -The Paris Wife
Auburn friends in Paris!

Soupe à l'oignon

An outdoor market.

An old train station.


Marché aux Fleurs et aux Oiseaux
Polo de Paris

A fruit market.
A long walk along the Seine.
A flower market.


A home in Montmartre.
C'est l'Automne!