The Brocante in Paris

 

At the top of my list of things to do in

Paris this time was spend some time

at a brocante or flea market.  I consulted

with the Princess of French brocante, Corey

from Tongue in Cheek and she told me Vanves

was her favorite market in Paris.

 

 

We planned to be at the market early in the

morning but after being woken up by the

revelers leaving L'Enchanteur at 4:30 and

5:30am we slept a bit later than expected.

Who would think that our little street in the

Marais would be at it's noisiest in the wee

hours of the morning???  A bit of a lingering

breakfast enjoying the beautiful art from the

local patisserie set us back a bit as well.

This was probably our nicest day weatherwise

for the entire time we were in Paris and we

took a stroll through our local park on the

way to the Metro.

 

 

When in Amsterdam we went to the Antiques

Market but we were disappointed to find

everything locked up in glass cases.

This was much more our style.  Stall after

stall of old stuff.  The prices were a bit high

for our American dollars.  For instance, we

saw many café au lait cups marked at 38 euro,

that's almost $50 US dollars ~ yeeps!

As we strolled along we saw many of the

dealers packing up their stalls, it was only noon.

 

 

Finally I came upon this stall.  Crates

filled with a jumble of stuff from old to

just junk.  A treasure hunt!  There is nothing

I like more than rummaging through boxes

of old stuff.  I said to Mr. Wonderful, "this

is my kind of shopping" ~ just then an elegantly

dressed woman looked up at me and said,

"isn't this the best, it is so much fun!"

 

 

This is what we ended up buying.  With our

hands full we asked the dealer how much,

he gave us a French shrug and said, "5 euro?"

Deal!  Why didn't I go back and buy more???

 

 

We also picked up this little gem

for the clock collection.

 

I think I'd like to drive through the

little French villages and go to the

local flea markets and then have a

lovely lunch.  Sounds like a nice way

 to spend a vacation...

What do you think Mr. Wonderful?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neat to Eat ~ Stroopwafels

 

We are a Stroopwafel lovin' household.

Long before any of us had been to the

Netherlands we were all hooked on them.

And no one more so than Brennan, any

time we make a Trader Joe's run, he always

requests them.

 

 

On my first visit to Amsterdam I saw

this guy selling stroopwafels at the

Albert Cuyp Market.

 

 

Why didn't I try one of the chocolate

dipped ones?  I'm never hungry when

I come upon these great things...

 

 

Stroopwafels are two very thin waffles

with a syrupy caramel sandwiched

between them.  The best way to eat

them is to place the large ones on top

of a cup of a hot beverage.  This melts

the caramel and makes one waffle soft

while the other is still crisp.  Num!

 

 

When I was in Amsterdam a few weeks

ago I noticed many cute little stroopwafel

shops.  When I was in the big supermarket

behind the palace, I noticed a group of Asian

girls filling their baskets with these little bags

of the mini stroopwafels.  I guessed they were

buying them as gifts to take home.  So, I brought

a bag home for Brennan.

 

 

 

 

Never Forget

 

Today is Memorial Day in the United States.

A day to remember those who died while

serving in the US Armed Forces.  I consider

myself a patriotic person, I find myself tearing

up every time I hear the National anthem, I get

a bit choked up when far from home and happen

to see the stars and stripes waving in the breeze.

 

 

This is the 2nd Memorial Day I have celebrated

this year.  The 1st was quite unexpected, I happened

to be in Arnhem in the Netherlands to visit the Open

Air Museum that is located there.  After walking for

over 5 hours I was exhausted and went inside a

windmill to sit down.  A video happened to be playing

describing the time when the people of Arnhem were

forced to evacuate their town during WWII.

 

 

The people loaded up their bicycles, carts, baby

carriages with their belongings and headed out

into the streets.  They didn't know where to go

and 600 of them ended up at the museum I was

touring and stayed in the museum exhibits.

I was astounded ~ I didn't even know this museum

existed in the 1940's.  I went away thinking I had

learned an exciting piece of history.

 

 

When I had arrived in Arnhem the day before

I had posted the location on my facebook page.

An old friend contacted me and said his Dad had

been at Arnhem in the war and asked if I would

take a photo of the famous bridge.  Rob and I

headed out with a map to find the bridge.  On

our way we came upon a huge church with lots

of activity.  A policeman explained it was

Remembrance Day in the Netherlands.

 

 

We made our way to the bridge and found a

small memorial plaza with photos and a cannon

and memorials.  And that was when I found myself

completely overcome with emotion, I thought of my

Dad and Greg's Dad and so many of the Dads of my

friends fighting this war.  We are the baby boomers,

so many of us have some close attachment to this

war.  My Dad wasn't at Arnhem but he was in North

Africa and Europe for the war.

 

 

The church bells started ringing in Arnhem

and almost everyone stopped what they were

doing.  Young guys on motorcycles pulled over,

couples going out for the evening got out of their

cars and stood silently, it was very moving.

 

This is my Dad driving a jeep in Naples.

I'm struck by how young our Dads were,

very close to the ages of my kids now.

 

We can get distracted by the fun associated

with Memorial Day, it's a day off from work,

the kick-off to summer, cook-outs and parades

and fireworks...

But let's remember to never forget.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elle's Kitchen: Egg Salad

 

Today we needed a quick and easy lunch.

 

 

We were up to our elbows in gardening

chores and didn't want to resort to a

drive-thru lunch.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

6 hard boiled eggs

1/2 cup mayo

1 1/2 teas. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup chopped scallions

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teas. paprika

 

Note: I use mayo with lime that I

discovered in Mexico and found it

is available in the International Food

aisle of my local grocery.  It gives an

extra kick.

 

 

Chop hard boiled eggs.

 

 

In a separate bowl, combine

the other ingredients.

 

 

Add eggs and stir to combine.

 

 

Serve on bread or lettuce.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maille Mustard Boutique ~ Paris

 

I admit it ~ I'm a mustard freak.

I love mustard, I think it can add so much

to a simple sandwich, a delicious entrée or

a Bavarian pretzel.  Many Americans don't

go far beyond the ball park style mustard

and that is a shame.  There are so many great

mustards all over the world, from the sweet

Bavarian mustards to the tangy Mucky Duck

mustard from Michigan.  Is there any surprise

that Paris would have entire boutiques devoted

to mustard?

 

On our final day in Paris we headed to

the Place de la Madeleine to go to Maille.

Ringing the square are Fauchon, Hediard,

Caviar Kaspia and other specialty food stores

and from the look of things they are all busy.

 

 

But I was on the hunt for moutarde...

Maille has shelves filled with all sorts of

mustards, oils and vinegars.  You can also

sample various mustards.  Another fabulous

thing is they have mustards "on tap".  Why,

oh why, didn't I bring home a crock of the

Black Truffle mustard???  It was so good.

You can bring your crock back to the store

and have them refill it as well.

 

 

We always have an a la Ancienne style

in our house since we can buy this type

locally.  Brennan brought me this one

from his last trip to Paris.  On this trip I

got the Balsamic vinegar mustard (divine!)

and the Fig and Coriander which I have not

tried yet.

 

 

Oh, and look at what is just down the

street ~ ooh la la!

 

 

 

 

 

The Month of May

 

I love the gardens at my American Homestead,

Avalon.  And... those gardens take a lot of work

each year.  This year we were away the first 18

days of May ~ prime planting time!

 

 

I knew I would miss the blooming of the

lilac, one of my favorites.  My sister knew

I would be disappointed so she emailed

me a photo of it in bloom while I was in

the Netherlands.

 

 

She also sent me a photo of the stunning

bloom of this crabapple.  I bought this tree

years ago at the end of the gardening season.

I felt sorry for this poor neglected tree, it was

sort of like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.

I took it home and planted it in the front garden

and it stayed there for a few years and pretty

much remained a twig.  I wasn't sure if it was

going to live so I transplanted it to the back

garden and it has been there for many years,

growing very slowly.  Over the past two years

it has really started to thrive, there are many

branches and it is filled with leaves.  And this

year, it bloomed!  It bloomed magnificently.

My sister called me in the Netherlands to let

me know since she knew I'd be so excited.

I was!

 

 

Today, these beautiful roses bloomed.

They are a delicious deep pink and smell

the way roses are supposed to smell, just

like the old roses I remember as a child.

 

So, if anyone is looking for me for the next

week, I'll be in the garden.  I just wish Mother

Nature would co-operate, everytime I put on

my gardening clothes, the raindrops start...

 

 

 

Elle's Kitchen: The Rum Runner

 

The warm weather has finally arrived in

our neck of the woods.  We wanted to have

a refreshing cocktail to enjoy out on the deck.

Something fun and fruity.

 

We decided on the Rum Runner.

 

 

This is a recipe for a basic Rum Runner.

There are many variations, many call for

a banana liqueur and we don't care for it.

 

1  1/2 oz. Malibu Rum

1 oz. Blackberry Brandy

a splash of orange juice.

cranberry juice and

pineapple juice

 

Place ingredients in a shaker

with ice, shake it up and enjoy!

 

Just be careful, they go down easy...

 

 

Oh Happy Day!

Anyone who knows me, knows I love to 

travel the world.  But there is nothing better

than coming home.  The joy and comfort of 

sleeping in your own bed (I call mine The Cloud),

having your best doggie friend follow you around

to make sure you don't leave again, touring your

garden to see what has changed since you were

last at home, and just being surrounded by the

people and things you love...

Today we are all home at the same time, a thing

that doesn't happen all that often any more.  We

didn't expect Brennan until next week as he is 

working on a special project, but we got a news this 

morning that he is sick and there is no better place

to get better than at home.  The homemade chicken

 soup is on the stove, ready for when he wakes up.

Dinner for the rest of us (vegetarian of course) is

being prepped and then for dessert we will celebrate

the holidays we have missed as a family.

A Happy Day!

I hope you have one as well!

Versailles

This morning we hopped on the RER and

headed out to Versailles.

Officially, Versailles is closed on Mondays.

But we were here for the gardens.

We have already been to the chateau

and felt we didn't need to see it again.

Europe at this time of year has been

so crowded.  Even more crowded than 

when I have been here in June.  This is

why we usually never go to Europe at this

time but this year was Wonderful's big 

birthday and we also wanted to visit 

Keukenhof.

So to visit the gardens without the tour 

groups and throngs of people was a delight.

(For people from New Jersey in the USA, it 

was like going down the shore in the winter,

my favorite time.)

The Orangerie and the Swiss Lake.

Stunning...

We strolled through vast allees of trees

and viewed tons of statues...

and fountains...

Then, it was time for this:

My favorite part of Versaille is

the Hamlet.

It was Marie Antoinette's escape from 

court life.  She would go here to act like

a peasant.

Renting bicycles is a great way to 

see out of the way places that would

be too far to walk to.

The end of the Grand Canal looking 

back to the Chateau.

As we were leaving the sun finally

came out ~ Murphy's Law.