Marie Antoinette

There was never a time in the French Royal Court as well known as when Queen Marie Antoinette reigned supreme. 

In 1770 at the age of 14 she married the 15 year old boy who was later to become King Louis XVI.

In 1789 France was declared a republic and the monarchy was stripped of its power. Both she and her husband were murdered, he first and nine months later she was killed.

While it lasted, it was a time of great extravagance.

She might have looked like this

 SGA Events, Amy Punky Photography, Vera Wang

josefinacs.deviantart.com

Laduree    gastronomista.com

If you ever visit Versailles and have an opportunity to see the private apartments of Marie Antoinette, I would highly recommend that you do so.  They are quite amazing and can only be seen by appointment.

You might enjoy this book.....

Becoming Marie Antoinette

I have been looking for this dress since I saw it last year at the Oscars.  Voila here it is.
Maybe not something you would wear to Versailles but it would cause a wow everywhere else.

Stella McCartney

A Bientôt

Audrey

Warm weather leather

The French were the first to make fashion important.  It started in the 17th century and hasn't stopped

"Haute couture" originated in Paris in the 1860s.

The extravagant, luxurious and evanescent styles of the French Royal court led the courtiers to run up enormous debts to keep up the pace, at the peasant’s expense. Such fashion sprees notably ruined Marie Antoinette’s reputation, and were one of the many factors paving the way for the French Revolution.

World4.eu

Though these styles did fade away, fashion has not.

We have come a long way since that time, and thankfully our clothes are more comfortable.

From the streets of Paris to the shops in Dallas, leather is as popular as ever.  No matter how much we have, we always have room in our closet for another piece.  The styles are simple and don't change much from year to year.

Here are a few of my favorites.

From Estelle....blogger

Photo by the news.com.pk

From the runway

And now from your self appointed personal shopper,the looks that I really adore. Just click on the blue descriptions and see details.

Ralph Lauren at his best

Catherine Malandrino Stretchy Leather Pants

Lambskin Lemon Drop Top

I try and tell my readers a bit about me and my life here in France as well as my life in the States.  There are so many things I love to do and I hope you enjoy sharing them with me.  I love to cook, I love to shop, I love my family so much and from time to time will write about all these things.  I am a "new" writer, "new" photographer and fairly "new" blogger.  Thank you for following.

A Bientôt

Audrey

Thé ou de Café

Afternoon Tea a la Francaise

Kusmi tea

Lovely tea available all over the world

It would be hard to find a culture that did not drink tea.  In Europe it is an important part of every day.  It is normally served with a piece of cake or a sandwich eaten between lunch and dinner.

                From gothicteasociety blog

Along with the tea, it is nice to serve a delicious tea cake or finger sandwiches.  Better yet serve both.

I found these "ultimate finger sandwiches" hilarious. The Daily Goodie Bag has posted a recipe for Hand Sandwiches, delicious “handwiches” that use frozen dinner rolls to create a hand-shaped bun. They call them the “ultimate finger sandwiches.”

More traditional ones would be made on crustless bread and filled with thin cucumber slices, smoked salmon, cream cheese/chive or anything your imagination allows.

Don't forget to add some special sugar, like this rock candy on sticks.


Little bird tea cup

Set of 4 different printed chintz tea cups

The gorgeous stores that sell fresh ground coffee are everywhere, even in the mediaeval town of Perigueux, close to where I have my home.   The beans are freshly ground from these beautiful storage containers.

Have you tried Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee?  If you are a serious coffee drinker you can't get much better than this.
Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is a classification of coffee grown in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. The best lots of Blue Mountain coffee are noted for their mild flavour and lack of bitterness. Over the last several decades, this coffee has developed a reputation that has made it one of the most expensive and sought-after coffees in the world.

Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee

I only write about things I love.  I am lucky that I love so much.

May you recognize the small pleasures in life and take the time to enjoy them.

A Bientôt

Audrey

Sticky, gooey, delicious homemade marshmallows

Making my own marshmallows never, ever occurred to me until several years ago friends of mine had Thanksgiving dinner at Martha Stewart's home and she made her own marshmallows.  I was very, very impressed. No one I knew ever made these lucious, sugary treats but now I know how.

Marshmallow Madness

Yes, you can make your own marshmallows.  It's easy.

I made these using this French book.

Spring Pink Cuisinart mixer

Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. It is a meringue dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside. 

The dessert is believed to have been created in honour of the dancer either during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. The nationality of its creator has been a source of argument between the two nations for many years, but formal research indicates New Zealand as the source.

The dessert is a popular dish and an important part of the national cuisine of both countries, and with its simple recipe, is frequently served during celebratory and holiday meals. It is a dessert most identified with the summer time, but is eaten all year round in many Australian and New Zealand homes.

Lindsay at Ultimate Foodies supplied this picture and recipe for the most delicious Pavlova with a soft marshmallow interior.

This pavlova has a crisp meringue encasing a soft marshmallow centre. and is sure to please. If you want a large pavlova (like the one pictured) then double the recipe.

Ingredients

4 egg whites

8oz caster sugar

4 level teaspoons cornflour

1.5 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

600ml double cream

Little bit of sugar to sweeten (about a teaspoon)

Dark chocolate to grate on top 

Method

Line a baking tray with baking parchment and pre-heat oven to 130 degrees celsius.

Start mixing the egg whites (using freestanding mixer if possible, or hand beaters otherwise).

Add the sugar tablespoon at a time and beat.

When thick, add the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla extract.

Beat until stiff, then dollop out in a circle onto the baking tray (make a slight dip in the middle).

Bake for 50 minutes until crisp on the outside.

Turn off the oven and let it cool inside the oven.

Whip the double cream with the sugar and spread on top of the pavlova. 

Decorate with raspberries and grate a little dark chocolate onto them.

A Marshmallow recipe from my childhood is  Heavenly Hash.  I made it for my children, as my mother did for me, and they loved it.
It couldn't be easier.  Delicious.


1 c. whipped cream
1 sm. can crushed pineapple
6 chopped marshmallows
6 maraschino cherries, chopped

Mix all ingredients together and chill well.

Another great way to use marshmallows, only this time you can buy the cake instead of baking it.  It is a S'mores cake. It doesn't get better than this.

Neiman Marcus S'mores cake

If you would like to learn more about the highlighted items, just click on the bold blue letters.

I hope you like these recipes and will try them.

A Bientôt........

Weekend in the countryside

Saturday night we were invited to a dinner of raclette and potatoes.  A very typical old French meal cooked from the heat of the fireplace. 

Our hosts Cynthia and Fabrice with darling neighbor from Australia, Circe.

Raclette is also a dish indigenous to parts of Switzerland. The Raclette cheese round is heated, either in front of a fire or by a special machine, then scraped onto diners' plates; the term raclette derives from the French word racler, meaning "to scrape," a reference to the fact that the melted cheese must be scraped from the unmelted part of the cheese onto the plate.

Traditionally the melting happens or happened in front of an open fire with the big piece of cheese facing the heat. One then regularly scrapes off the melting side. It is accompanied by small firm potatoes, gherkins, pickled onions, and dried meat, such as jambon cru/cuit and viande des Grisons.

Sunday morning was the brocante in Verteillac.  The first Sunday come rain or come shine, this brocante is held and so many of us show up. Unfortunately there were not many exhibitors and I was unable to add to our French Vintage Home treasures.  Hopefully next time I will have better luck.

Late afternoon I was invited to a party at the beautiful home of very good friends for champagne and Galette des Rois.

La galette des Rois (literally "the flat pastry cake of the Kings"), a cake celebrating Epiphany, is traditionally sold and consumed a few days before and after this date. In modern France  the cakes can be found in most bakeries during the month of January.

Tradition holds that the cake is “to draw the kings” to the Epiphany. A figurine, la fève, which can represent anything from a car to a cartoon character, is hidden in the cake and the person who finds the trinket in their slice becomes king for the day and will have to offer the next cake. Originally, la fève was literally a broad bean (fève), but it was replaced in 1870 by a variety of figurines out of porcelain or—more recently—plastic. These figurines have become popular collectibles and can often be bought separately. Individual bakeries may offer a specialized line of fèves depicting diverse themes from great works of art to classic movie stars and popular cartoon characters. The cakes are usually sold in special bags, some of which can be used to heat the cake in a microwave without ruining the crispness of the cake. A paper crown is included with the cake to crown the "king" who finds the fève in their piece of cake. To ensure a random distribution of the cake shares, it is traditional for the youngest person to place themselves under the table and name the recipient of the share which is indicated by the person in charge of the service.

Formerly, one divided the cake in as many shares as guests, plus one. The latter, called "the share of God," "share of the Virgin Mary," or "share of the poor" was intended for the first poor person to arrive at the home.

The French President is not allowed to “draw the kings” on Epiphany because of the etiquette rules. Therefore, a traditional galette without figurine or crown is served at Elysée Palace in January.

Yea!!! I got the "feve", that should mean a great year ahead.

Cake plate with dome from Target

Raclette grill

If you don't want to make the raclette in front of the fireplace, you can make it on this great grill.

I always try and include things I love and I hope you love them too.  You can click on the bold letters above and get details of the items if you would like to learn more about them.

Another very beautiful and full weekend and I didn't have to cook a thing. I did get to wear the Galette des Rois crown all evening as my reward for getting the feve.

Holiday parties are over and it is time to get serious about le régime, really serious.

A Bientôt........

Audrey