the last holiday

Hope you had a happy Independence Day, America!  

I know what you're thinking. Yes, that bi-color typing was as annoying for me to do as it is for you to read. And yes, Joe is wearing a fake Freddie Mercury-esque mustache.

I spent the morning of the fourth getting rather worried that I would look like a giant reptile. My severe sunburn, after calming down, switched into major blister-and-peeling mode. Growing up, I was obsessed with picking at any wounds, flaking loose paint from anything I could reach & dipping my finger in melted wax just to chip it off. Peeling sunburns are rather distracting for me.

I also have lotion that smells like the "Mediterranean South"–loads of lavender & fig. It's almost too much for me to handle when I'm using it once a day. Now that I'm slathering it on five or six times, I feel like the smell will never leave me. My new skin will just grow right over the perfumes, & I'll come home smelling like the south of France. Maybe that's a good thing?

When it finally came time to celebrate, we totaled about eight Frenchmen, three British girls & three Americans. The numbers don't even accurately reflect the revolution. I'm happy to report the the Red Coats & Colonists got along rather well for the evening. That may have something to do with the fact that we spent most of it, when not stuffing our face with our friend's fabulous apple & cherry pies, soaking up gin or whiskey. (Again, representing both countries... though I think the whiskey ended up being Scottish. Hey, we were trying.)

For more pictures from the night, click here. Not pictured is the walk from our friend's to the party location–about ten minutes of pie-, pallet- & pasta salad-carrying. We looked like a mess, but we were too excited for ourselves to care. Also not pictured:

There were no national anthems, no fireworks, no true families, but we had a great evening. The night was our last big outing, our sort of farewell to our night life here. It was another friend's last night in town–when I woke up to type this, she was already three hours into her travels–so our original group of friends has dwindled quickly. We're the hangers-on, the last bits of those that have to leave.

The soirée had us thinking of home for obvious reasons, & for once I forgot about all the tasks in between. It will be so nice to watch Joe & Dad starting the fire, getting our dinner going while my youngest cousins run around the backyard & the Ladies sit on the deck. It will be nice to sit around a table with Joe's sisters & the families that they're building, each of us sharing our year's adventures.

Hope you had a happy, safe holiday. I'm back to packing!

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a bit of memory, speaking

Nothing is more memorable than a smell.  One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains; another, a moonlit beach; a third, a family dinner of pot roast and sweet potatoes during a myrtle-mad August in a Midwestern town.  Smells detonate softly in our memory like poignant land mines hidden under the weedy mass of years.  Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once.  A complex vision leaps out of the undergrowth.  –Diane Ackerman, "A Natural History of the Senses"

If I had to choose flowers to serve as markers of my childhood, they would be bleeding hearts and lily of the valley, two fragile flowers of early spring. When I was younger, our patch of lily of the valley was larger than my kiddie pool and nestled in the shade behind the lilac bush. It has gradually thinned, but those small white flowers still feel and smell like home to me.

I've been trying for a long time to figure out what sort of perfume I would want. It seems like a facet of the adult personality. When I think of each of my parents and grandparents, I recall their cologne, the way the scent changes over the course of the day. The way it hits me when they first leave their bedrooms after applying it. I wonder what the memory of me will smell like. 

Lily, like the earliest memories of childhood, is one of the hardest fragrances to recreate. Smell scientists struggle with the fragility, the particular freshness. (It's a fascinating business that Ackerman explores in her book. While the whole thing is exhausting, the portion on smell, which she refers to as "liquid memory," was delightful. You can read it here.) 

In case you're interested, Christian Dior's Diorissimo is the "gold standard" of lily fragrance. I like the idea of this–the memory of me being a scent that holds so many memories of me.

Now, the scent of lilies has taken on an additional meaning for me: the smell of May Day, the rest of the world's version of Labor Day, which the U.S. ditched as a holiday due to its seemingly union-focused and socialist ideals. May Day, or the "Fête du Travail" in France, is a national holiday with a fun tradition.

The streets are filled with merchants holding small bundles of lily of the valley, which they are able to sell tax-free and without a vendor's license. The "mugeut des bois" (also the name of a fragrance that smells like–you guessed it–lily of the valley) are purchased and given to loved ones during the week of May Day to show appreciation for their hard work. You can learn more about May Day and lily of the valley here or (more cynically and sarcastically) here. 

Now that May Day has passed, I'm filling the apartment with other scent memories in anticipation of my friend's arrival. (She's sitting in the Chicago airport at this moment.) We got a new gingerbread candle to make it smell like I've just baked (instead of burnt) something–handy when the oven is on and you're using those silicone baking things. Gross. 

I also was able to pick instead of buy a bouquet of fresh flowers for the kitchen table. Lauren, my dear American friend sharing this adventure, lives in an apartment in the lower level of a house with a rambling garden–herbs, fruit trees, vegetables, more rhubarb than my entire hometown could consume. And roses. Roses that look exactly like the climbing, ambling bush outside my parents' bedroom window; roses a deep crimson that are so packed with petals they seem to stay fresh for ages. Roses that smell like home.

They're now clustered in small pots–red to remind me of my mom and my home; yellow (from a younger, less ambling bush) to remind me of my grandma, with whom I share my favorite rose color.

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my valentine

Small announcement: I'm skipping the last three days of the 30-letter challenge. It's my blog, & I can do what I want. I was having a hard time picking topics for those last three that weren't revisiting themes I address too frequently on this blog (how cool my parents are, how much I love my husband, how much I miss my family...). The tumblr 30-day challenge is still a go, so check that out.

We celebrated our Valentine's Day early this year, getting ourselves out on a Saturday instead of doing the usual sit-at-home-and-read-while-watching-French-television routine. Joe got a haircut, & I met him after. He gets his hair cut on Grande Rue, my favorite street in town. We walked passed the Duke's palace, the medieval homes that are now antique shops, the fancy cheese store, the cobblestones spelling "1477" to commemorate the battle of Nancy and ended up in Place Stanislas.

It was sunny, and the cobblestones were warm as we crossed the square that was once again filled with families and tourists. The aquarium is behind Place Stanislas, & they let you in for free if you have the Nancy Jeune Culture cards, which we do. These cards cost five dollars & get you into just about everything in town–& get you discounts at restaurants & cinemas. Can't beat that.

We spent an afternoon staring at frightening fish, watching children fall in love with the Amazon or swirling seahorses, checking out a tank where the aquarium is growing its own corals & looking at stuffed animals. You can check out more pictures of our afternoon here. And an afternoon out always means... a new Where's Joe's Head?

Our original Valentine's plan was to head to Excelsior, the beautiful Art Nouveau restaurant in town. While we want to have that experience sometime in the near future, we were much more in the mood for an afternoon in one of our favorite bars, so we headed back across Place Stanislas, paused to watch a group of musicians play Brittany Spears songs & offer free hugs (no joke–it was just like college in the States).

We took up residence at a pub, buying several large bottles of our preferred Belgian brewery's offerings & talked about how excited we are with how life is going–I'm finally trying to organize things & get essays published; Joe got another poem published; we're knocking down our debt each month & we're still falling in love with each other.

Couldn't ask for a better first Valentine's... except maybe less salt on the pizza we ordered on our walk home. Capers, olives & sardines should have given us a clue, but ouch. Joe was awake most of the night drinking water. I took two bites & thought my taste buds would never rehydrate themselves.

I hope you all have a happy Valentine's day or enjoy skipping the holiday–whichever you prefer. Still haven't gotten the special gift for the special someone? Check out the gift ideas post from a few days ago.

The sun is out again. Joe's first words on getting out of bed? "Sun again? Two days in a row?" We're going to soak it up with the blinds wide open & spend the day how we usually do–ticking away at the keyboard & getting organized for the coming lessons. Bonus activity this weekend: cutting my hair. I wasn't exactly excited about spending 30 or 40 euros on a haircut. When I showed up for my appointment, saw that the salon was closed, waited & saw that it stayed closed, I took it as a sign. I'm meant to cut my own hair. How hard can it be? At least its long & all the mistakes will be less noticeable. Maybe we'll find out that Joe's true calling was to be a hair dresser.

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day 25, to the one having a hard time

Day 25. The person you know that is going through the worst of times

(a card you can buy the files to & print...)

A Valentine for my family.

Somehow through all of this, you've been the one comforting me for not being there. That just doesn't seem right. I'm sending as much comfort & love as I can to the States–I got a great deal on the shipping!

I love you, & I can't wait to see you in a few months. You're all wonderful, truly amazing people. I'm really proud of all of you. 

Love,

Meg

P.S. Can we watch all of Mad Men Season 4 when I get home?

le st-valentin

*Photo from Lady L, taken from this blog

Joe & I are planning on getting our Yellow Bird Project shirts for each other for Valentine's Day, since we have yet to order them. We're also hoping to go to an art nouveau restaurant in town, since it's where a lot of that movement happened in town. (A post on that later, which should be fun.) This got me thinking, though. Instead of more roses or more teddy bears, how could we treat ourselves & the planet better this Valentine's Day?

Like I did for Christmas, I'm putting together a list of fun gift ideas to show that just because you're thinking sustainably doesn't mean you're giving everyone incense & a hemp sweater. So, let's see what we've got. (Apologies for most of these things being focused on the ladies. Guys don't get as much attention on this holiday... though let's be honest. Who's enjoying the lingerie more?)

1. Jewelry: Don't worry. We're not talking diamonds (though it's easier and easier to find ethical diamonds). Ten Thousand Villages, along with hundreds of other fun things for your home, has great jewelry that you can feel good about wearing everyday. I love buying my sister jewelry, and the flower necklace I got her from Ten Thousand Villages is still one of my favorite finds. You can find all styles & things to fit your small, college student price range.

2. Clothing: Green Earth Bamboo has lots of  sustainable linens & clothing, like this simple, sexy nightgown that–if you're a bit daring–they say doubles as a dress.

3. Skip gifts & go for experience: Instead of giving lots of plastic packaging, wrapping paper that will get tossed or lotion that will get used up, Mother Nature Network (in their own collection of gift ideas) suggests buying future memories–tickets to a favorite sports team's coming game or yoga classes. (Hint :)

4. Valentine's Day Dinner: Instead of going to the restaurant that needed reservations a month ago, check out what your hometown has to offer in terms of local food. Can you find local fare, or restaurants that buy food from local supplies? Can you buy ingredients at local co-ops or groceries to make a unique meal–maybe trying turnips or fresh yogurt for the first time?

And what dinner is complete without a cheers with some bubbly or wine? If you're like us & enjoy trying new wines as much as possible, why not check out some of these organic options for similar prices?

5. Chocolate: Duh! We all love it, but what we don't realize is that chocolate is a nasty business–damaging to the environment & to the human spirit, as one of the biggest sources of human trafficking. So when you're buying your sweetie those extra somethings special, make it EXTRA special by removing the guilt. Most cruelty-free or ethically-traded chocolate says so right on the label. They usual tells a nice story or gives facts about how much the workers appreciate it & love making chocolate for you. So love them back & learn moderation. Instead of the jumbo-sized box, buy a nice bar in your Valentine's favorite flavor combination (mine's ginger & as dark & bitter as possible).

6. Good Clean Love: You knew it was coming. If you're, umm, looking for extra spice & extra sexy, why not go for all natural products? Good Clean Love has a great slogan: Chemistry without chemicals. So instead of smearing God-knows-what on your most precious parts, why not try out these (truly innocent-seeming) products or these (less innocent-seeming, based on the book covers) gift sets?

If you do try them out, please. Please. Do not feel obligated to come back & tell me how great they are. I'm happier for you when I don't have to hear about it.

7. Flowers: I know. It's the best feeling to open the door to an armful of flowers. They touch all the senses, & it's an emotional experience that is hard to match. So when you head to the florist, try a gift that'll keep on giving. Instead of a dozen roses, buy a rose bush. Check out your state's native species & bring back a bit of true natural habitat. My favorite spin on bouquets?

"Stranger than Fiction"


Truly thoughtful, which is the point of the holiday, isn't it?

So there we have it. An update on all the classics. Hugs & kisses from France. We love you. With red & white hearts & boxes covered in tissue paper & doilies & conversation hearts & naked children with dangerous primitive weapons.


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having an epiphany

The celebration of Epiphany is celebrated in many countries across Europe and around the world; however, France has their own unique traditions in the celebration of Epiphany.
-source

Epiphany is the time in early January (exact date varies depending on the country) when the arrival of the three magi is celebrated. The real epiphany comes from the magi's (and the world's) realization that the Lord was in human form.

I've been gearing up for this one–it was part of the Advent excitement. According to the same site, "Epiphany has been celebrated through much of the world since the 4th century."* But for the main part of the celebration, the "galette des rois" (similar King cake).

In the King cake version, eaten on Mardi Gras, a naked baby statue is hidden inside (creep town), tying the cakes together, back to the same tradition: a celebration of the Lord taking human form (only to be eaten by a child that then wears a paper crown & "rules" for the year).

Joe & I have been cheating. We've mentioned our favorite pastry here in France, pithivier (puff pastry filled with frangipane). We've eaten a good amount of them. In the south of France, the cake takes on a more brioche texture and is filled with... some sort of fruit filling? Not clear on this. Not yet sad to say that I'm missing it. Luckily for us, the King cake common in northern France is very similar–flaky pastry with frangipane filling. The only difference? The shape... and one special ingredient. A small, ceramic figure.

Though originally a broad bean was hidden inside*, France has upped the ante. Now, all the pastry shops you pass have "Collect them ALL!" signs. Every cake has a ceramic figure inside (multicolored cats, Tour de France bikers, fish of all kinds). Every cake ranges from seven to 15 euros. Collecting them all, for a set of 8 and assuming you get a different surprise in each cake, could cost 120 euros, roughly $160.

We won't be collecting. We will be satisfied with our two free slices, courtesy of a teacher Joe works with. And, surprise surprise, Joe found a small, ceramic penguin in his slice that reminds him, "Partégeons la Planète!" (Let's protect the planet!)  I had the chance to meet the teacher at a Christmas open house at the school, where Joe spent an hour surrounded by students excited to shout in English. (I got their approval, so the night was a success.) Included with our two slices was her recipe for the cake.

Hopefully, I'll try that this week. More hopefully, it will be a bigger success than the naan I tried to make that turned out like breadsticks. (We ate baguette with our cauliflower curry tonight.) We washed the cake down with some chai, made with this (never home)maker chai recipe. I strongly recommend it. I also strongly recommend adding a teaspoon of cocoa, but let it steep a looong time.

You can learn more about the celebration & symbols of Epiphany here. Or even if you don't want to celebrate and just want some cake, check out this link for recipes from several cultures.

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was wir in Frankfurt taten, part 1

"what we did in Frankfurt"

I don't know an ounce of German. There are three phrases I know, two of which I forget are German.

1. Gesundheit (or, as Urban Dictionary spells it, gazoontight): a word for health, used when someone sneezes

2. Auf Wiedersehen (or, as I would spell it, Alf Vita-sane): goodbye

3. Danke: thank you

German I learned for our trip:

1. Ein dunkles Bier: a dark beer

2. Ich spreche kein Deutsche: I don't speak German

Number of people that were rude to me because Ich spreche kein Deutsche: 

0

There were many things about our trip to Frankfurt that were absolutely wonderful. Over a few posts, I'll discuss some of them, but there was one that stood out the most. While there, I did not meet one person that was rude or cold to me because I was a foreigner. Now, granted, we were visiting a tourist town, but the kindness started before we even reached the German border.

Somewhere along the French-German border, there is a quiet town called Forbach that goes to sleep at about 8:30 each night. En route to Frankfurt, we had a two hour stop in Forbach, so we went in search of a bar. 

There was one open within walking distance, and there were three people inside. When we walked in, we were overcome by 1990s American music, each song introduced by a heavy-sounding, male German voice. When we got in, the place was starting to get quiet. Shortly after we got our beers & opened our books to kill time, the customers left.

No one else was coming in. The streets were looking pretty dark. I was getting uncomfortable. When was asked, the man said yes, he was closed, what were we in town for? Instead of returning to the train station, he invited us to sit with him while he cleaned up the bar. We talked about not knowing German, about our reasons for being here and about where we could possibly find another place to sit for a few hours. The man gave us directions & wishes for safe travels; we returned to the station.

After our first day in Frankfurt, we wanted a nice bar to sit for dinner beers. I realize that bar-hunting is seeming like a hobby of ours, but after a big lunch, we weren't hungry enough to eat. Who doesn't have room for beer, though?

We found a bar near the Alte Oper, Frankfurt's old opera, to spend some time. The place was packed to the walls. We were kindly offered seats at the bar, and we took up residence for several hours. I was fascinated. The bartender was flying between bottles of champagne, beer taps & mixed drinks without ever spilling a drop. At the same speed, he was mixing cocktails of French-German-English phrases to slid down the bar to customers. Every customer seemed to be a regular; he welcomed us right into the mix.

Between pouring drinks, he'd throw glances our way. If Joe was drinking too slowly, he'd ask why he didn't like the beer. I had finished mine & decided not to order another, so he was always checking in on me via nonverbal, humorous faces that reminded me of special occasions at the bowling alley with Dad, sipping Shirley Temples. 

I ordered a coffee in French; he showed me a mug. "No, the small one," I replied. "Ah, an espresso," he explained–using the same name we would in America for the traditional shot that has become "un café" in French. 

"Danke," I said with a laugh. 

"Merci," he replied, then added, "Et l'addition pour les deux sympas" over his shoulder to a coworker when we were readying ourselves for the cold walk back to the hostel.

No matter what language came out of my mouth (because at times, I'm not sure which did), those we were asking help from were quick to adapt–be it at the train station, museums or in our hostel. When I managed a small German phrase, they were kind enough to reply in turn, making it all seem perfectly normal.


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happy new year!

 

Cheers to a happy new year!

Joe & I are back from Frankfurt, & we have to say... we love Germany! I ate too much sauerkraut, schnitzel & Nutelle, but we had an amazing time. It was like walking on sidewalks made of gold.

More exciting than our time in Germany was the mail we came home to: a collection of crocheted snowflakes from my grandma like those hanging on my parents' tree each year of my life; handmade cards from my tiny cousins (their first ever!) now hanging on our wall; a care package from Joe's family with a piano-playing Snoopy. Thanks so much to everyone for making our first Christmas incredibly special. Our mailbox fillings mean more to me than I can say.

To bring in the new year, we're eating a tourte (a French sort of shepherd's pie filled with pork in white wine sauce) that required lots of hours marinating, lots of trimming pork shoulders, two kinds of pastry crust, lots of eggs yolks & onions that made me bawl my eyes out. (Added bonus: extra dough = REAL BISCUITS!)

Unfortunately, we've canceled our plans with friends for some needed recovery time from travel before Joe heads back to work & I start getting letters from graduate schools. We're using the nice dinner time & champagne-sipping reflecting on Germany. So what was it like in Frankfurt?

***

It was like coming home. As our feet crunched along the icy sidewalks through the 19th century architecture, no longer worrying about stepping in sliding through what the last dog walker left behind, I looked at the buildings, churches and hanging pub signs with a sense of solidarity I'd never felt in France.

My family on both sides, and a good portion of Joe's family, began in Germany. I'll be honest; I'm not quite sure where we're from. I've never had any desire to learn German. As I've mentioned before, I never had any desire to eat a meat that came in any kind of casing. But something changed when we went to Germany.

Maybe it was the beer, which we had more than a good sampling of–lots of dunkels that reminded me of my dad's pint of beer in German Epcot (which I would have hated at the time, as he did, but have come to love). I was excited to try sausages with sauerkraut and brezels (pretzels) and apfelzwein (an apple wine that's a Frankfurt specialty). It felt like my duty, like a part of me; I felt like I was learning about a part of myself I'd never tried to discover.

So we aren't historically from Frankfurt. Maybe not even from the region. But I was suddenly looking for a part of myself. Without this country, the hardships they'd been through, the history it had, my family wouldn't have its history. We wouldn't have come to the states. My family wouldn't have farmed. We wouldn't have ended up in Ohio.

The trip to Germany with its various museums, restaurants, pubs and skylines was more than sight-seeing. It was somehow a trip home, a way of gaining a better understanding of myself. It was a way to connect to my family, think of them and love them, when I couldn't see them for the holidays.

More Germany to come! Now, it's time to celebrate the first new year of our married life. The photos are almost set for online posting. In the mean time, look at our updated Christmas album to see our new friends & how we spent Christmas night.

Don't forget to check out the German edition of Where's Joe's Head?

Do you love German food or have German recipes? We'd love to hear about it and try more German food of our own. If not, what foods from your own heritage do you enjoy?

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merry christmas

Happy holidays to those that don't celebrate Christmas. I hope you have a safe & happy holiday season with your family & friends.

Merry Christmas to my friends, family & followers (& everyone that reads but doesn't follow).  We've made it through advent & are now only hours away from Christmas.

It's unbelievably hard to be away from my family at Christmas, & I'm never doing it again if I can help it. That said, Joe & I are doing our best to make the holiday our own. We'll be dog-sitting, heading to midnight mass, making some French goodies, drinking wine & enjoying our first Christmas as a married couple.

Surprise, surprise. I left our first Christmas ornament at home. It will have to be our "first Christmas in the U.S." ornament. Our humble tree has served us well & kept our spirits afloat, with the help of the Christmas music they pump into the streets around town. 

I'll be listening to Bing Crosby & Perry Como, thinking of Ohio & wishing for some buckeyes. I'll be thinking of all of you, praying for your safety & sending you warm wishes. Here's a Christmas prayer from Robert Louis Stevenson to warm you up today.

The Christmas Prayer

Loving Father,
Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men.

A few years ago, I made my family a mixed CD of Perry Como Christmas. It was a bit of a disaster. "Frosty" (a song my family doesn't particularly enjoy) got on their twice. One of the files turned out to be Bing Crosby. One was, well, I don't even know. We still listen to it while opening Christmas gifts, & I'm always embarrassed.

Here's some Perry Como that I got right for you guys:

Merry Christmas! I'll be back to blogging on Dec. 26.

when you realize you're where you want to be

I didn't get much done yesterday in terms of a conventional to-do list, but I went to sleep feeling the most accomplished I have in a long time.

The day's main event started at 2 p.m. & ended at around 9 p.m, when Joe & I put our dinner dishes in the sink. The sink was crowded & completely surrounded by clean dishes. Our sponge had been destroyed earlier in the day, when I scrubbed out four bowls of melted chocolate, chocolate ganache & cocoa powder.

Our friend Lauren had come over, & we'd set ourselves to baking. All day. Perfect. We each have a huge heart for everything that happens in the kitchen, & we were excited to share the goodies we were each making.

Much of our work involved melting, letting things set & waiting. This means that, while eating chocolate ganache with a spoon, we were able to watch multiple episodes of MXC (just watch). Joe was happy: he got to lick spoons, drink lots of tea with condensed milk (DELICIOUS) & watch amazing Japanese television with American voice-overs.

Yesterday, I made a promise: I will never take my kitchen equipment for granted again.

We don't have a mixer. Actually, I don't even have mixing bowls–or a spatula. I don't know how I missed these facts when I invited Lauren over, but at least she was able to bring a spatula. I mixed my cookies by hand, first taking ten minutes to "whip" the butter with a fork. While mixing it in a brownie pan.

But it felt really great–like I was really starting to understand the ingredients & what it takes to work with them or change their properties. It was like a chemistry experiment, & it was really fun.

More importantly (for those reading that know me or will see me any time soon), it all turned out well & I'm ready to share. I ate too much ganache yesterday that I don't want to see it again for a loooong time.

So here's what we made:

From top left, clockwise:
Punitions, a traditional sablé French cookie (simple recipe & five ingredients)
Mom's fudge recipe (sharing: fudge–yes, recipe–no)
Lauren's cappuccino cookies
Lauren's cracker toffee

This cracker toffee is genius. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Then like it with crackers–like saltines or rectangular butter crackers. Make a caramel sauce (butter & brown sugar). Pour over crackers. Bake. Dump chocolate chunks on top. Bake until the chocolate melts & covers it. (Obviously, I'm missing the specifics that make this recipe work well. I don't have it yet, & I don't know if she'd want me to share it.)

This was all easy enough. I've made a fair amount of cookies in my day, & the fudge was doing all the work on its own in the fridge. Most of the day was dedicated to truffles.

I don't have pictures of them, because they look so much better on Smitten Kitchen's web site, where I found the recipe.

Then, it was time to make dinner. Joe went off on a beer-buying adventure (as we've found a place close to us that will match your beer choice to any food you're making). He came home with two organic beers in huge bottles, & we set to drinking them–until one exploded on the uncorking & poured all over. I let Joe drink most of that one.

What Joe loves most with beer–well, what Joe loves most in his belly–is pizza. Now that I've found yest & an oven, we're going to be making a lot of them. First one last night: broccoli, peppers, goat cheese & garlic. Today for lunch (to use the other half of the dough): crème fraiche (a popular topping here & thicker than our sour cream), avocado, tomato.

We also need to figure out what we'll be eating for the holidays, because tonight we pack for our day of dogsitting!

While eating pizza last night, I was exhausted. I was starting to stress about the other things that I didn't get accomplished yesterday. Then I realized–I didn't care. Not really. I'd had a day with a friend, with a great husband, with lots of chocolate. I'd gotten my hands going on four different recipes. I was starting new family traditions. I successfully made two French recipes. I was completely contented.

I need to take note of that feeling more often.

Off to conquer the world again, in the French style.

4th sunday

This week, we list the Angel's Candle, the final candle of advent, & I finally finished my advent wreath. There are some obvious issues, but for my first type project, I'm going to be okay with it & leave it at that. I'll revisit it next year.

As I said, the fourth Sunday is the angel's candle–not to be confused with the shepherd's candle. These aren't the angels proclaiming Jesus' arrival. This angel is visiting Joseph & asking him to believe in the woman he loves.

It takes a lot for us to believe in each other–a lot of faith, love, forgiveness, grace, patience... & some of us (blush) require more of these if you're going to live with them. I loved this candle & going to mass on my own  (& making friends with a crazy French woman who was excited about her new mountain boots on the walk there) to think about this one.

After four months of marriage, we're learning that it takes a lot of faith in each other to make things work. Moving, looking for graduate schools & jobs, trying to navigate a foreign language/culture–it's a lot to take in. We couldn't have managed it together if we didn't feel that we could trust & communicate with the other person.

So this week, I want to say thanks to Joe. For everything. For having faith in me. For coming here with me. For marrying me. Can't wait for our first Christmas together!

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day 28 of the 30 day book challenge

Day 28. Favorite title

I saw this book on Powell's Books series Indiespensible, where they pick a book from an independent press every six weeks. If you subscribe, you get the book signed by the author sent to you. If you don't subscribe, you can read cool things about books you might not have ever found otherwise.

I don't subscribe, but I want to someday. I like checking back on this blog to see what books I should read. My favorite find so far, though I haven't read it, is "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" by Aimee Bender. Powell's staff seems to really like Bender & have good things to say about her short story writing.

I'm excited to read this book, but as I haven't I just wanted to share the title with you & encourage you to check out Powell's, consider ordering used books to save yourself some money & look into the Indiespensible set-up.

It's Dec. 22. We're so close to Christmas!

Sufjan Stevens tell you how to get ready:


What songs sound like the holidays to you? What are you watching to get yourself excited? What music plays when you walk down the street?

homesick for the holidays

Our friends are often asking us what American food is. We explain that it's not fast food, not just hamburgers or McDonald's. We try to explain what our family eats on regular basis... but neither Joe nor I have a "traditional" American diet when we're feeding ourselves, & our families eat a wide range of foods. We eat a lot of ethnic foods in the States, so what is it that's distinctly American?

We still haven't decided, but a list of foods that I miss (particularly those associated with Christmas & New Year's Day in my family) has been growing in my mind. I'm homesick.

I've had a craving for macaroni & cheese like I've never had in my life. I wanted it homemade, heavy & covered with cheese that has been baked to crispiness. I wanted the leftovers cold, eaten out of a plastic container in the fridge.

My family didn't make homemade macaroni & cheese. We didn't even eat much boxed mac & cheese. But when I was younger, when my grandpa ran the show at family Christmas on my dad's side of the family, there was always a large–LARGE–crock pot of his baked mac & cheese, with onions & so much cheese that even the leftovers were a bit greasy.

I loved the stuff. I wasn't so hot on the Christmas ham, so I'd pile my plate with Grandpa's pasta & baked beans. I'd nibble on it all night, going back for seconds & thirds, then nibbling more while we were packing leftovers to take home.

There aren't many of us on Dad's side of the family, & there are even fewer of us that turn up for the holidays. This meant there were loads of leftovers. Grandpa joked about how much I ate, but he always gave me more than my fair share of mac & cheese to take home. On Christmas day, in place of lunch I'd have a fork at the ready, for nibbling noodles from the fridge throughout the afternoon.

So I made mac & cheese for the first time, using this recipe (from a blog that I really enjoy). It turned out great, even with the random French cheeses we picked for the topping; I think the extra paprika & spoon of cumin I added helped. We paired them with veggie fritters, since I don't know how to make corn fritters & wasn't feeling like corn. (I mashed chickpeas and tossed it with a few slices of yellow bell pepper, an egg, two grated carrots & half of a grated zucchini before frying them in olive oil–& I mean really frying them with some serious oil & heat.)

Yesterday was Thursday, which means it was our night to share dinner with our American friend, Lauren. We've been having themed dinners lately, so we decided to make this week America.

It was the first time I really understood what comfort food was. I bit into the mac & cheese (then warm, gooey brownies washed down with blond beer) & thought of home, of holidays with family & late nights at church, looking at the large nativity scene.

I'll be making a lot more of my family recipes now that I have this oven, & I think that eating food from home & letting the memories come back will help me get through the holidays.

The snow is gorgeous & is also helping my mood–mostly because I have warm socks & boots to walk through it in. I don't know how I would have done it without my new snow(ish) boots...

Enjoy what you're reading? I'd love to know that we're on track. Click Follow on the right side of the screen to stick with us.

3rd Sunday

After a long morning of baking–that went on so long due to the un-stiffening of the eggs that I forgot about Mass & missed my favorite week–I have some time to settle down & think about Advent.

This third Sunday is the most exciting & the most reassuring. The Shepherds' Candle, often rose-colored, is the candle of hope & rejoicing, of God shedding his light on the world.

As I've learned along the way, the point of Advent & lighting the candles is to bring our focus onto God's light coming into the world on Christmas. With this candle, we think of the light reaching the shepherds in Bethlehem.

That's all I have for this third candle: the thought that, of all those he could choose, God went to the Shepherds first–to the humblest, the simplest–to announce His entry into the world.

Our challenge to each other this Christmas was to be simpler & start nixing things from our lives that aren't as essential. We're recycling our decorations & gift wrapping, looking for ways to reduce shipping needs, spending less, finding gifts that give back & making sure we've got the reason for Christmas in each part of it.

What are you doing for yourself this Christmas to make the holiday simpler? To make yourself more humble & in the spirit of the holiday?

holiday giving

If you haven't started your holiday shopping, you will be soon. I hope I can catch many of you before you head to the malls. There are some great companies & organizations that help you practice what you (or at least I) preach.

And that doesn't mean you have to get everyone in your family an itchy, unrefined hemp sweater to show you're in touch with Mother Earth.

There are lots of companies doing great things for the common good, & I wanted to take a post to talk about the commercial side of the holidays. We're all buying gifts. We're all looking forward to giving them.

Here it is, my first annual Green-saving, Green-living Christmas List:

 1. Nothing says love like handcrafted gifts. They're more personal, more unique & more romantic. But let's face it. Some of us were not meant to be crafty. For those of us left gifted, there's Etsy, a site dedicated to the small producer. You can find everything on your shopping list at Etsy. Handmade or vintage, the one-of-a-kind items are sure to please.

2. Raise your hand if you give or receive bath & beauty products for Christmas. Yeah. That's what I thought. Now, there are a lot more (& more affordable) natural options. One of my favorites, as it's maintained the same mission while becoming easily accessible to all of us, is Burt's Bees. So if you're giving hygiene products, why not make it a bit more of a luxury with some all-natural products?

3. I <3 books. More than any present. More than any other hobby. Even more than baking some days. But I really appreciate used books as well–& have even begun to see them as full of character, someone else's affection for the novel & a longer history than new books. For a wide selection, check out Powell's Books or even Amazon (just click "used" instead of "new").

4. Joe discovered the Yellow Bird Project late in November, & we've fallen in love. Our favorite artists, their favorite causes & really awesome designs for t-shirts. We're getting them for each other for Christmas. (I called dibs on Andrew Bird!) 

5. Who doesn't need a new planner for the new year? One of my favorite styles is the Moleskine, but now I'm in love with this eco-friendly, less expensive option (with very similar quality & colors). Check out Ecosystem, & you'll never go back.

6. I don't know about you, but I guzzle coffee & eat my weight in chocolate around the holidays (today for example, when the Betz family polished off a box). Snack guilt-free–& even find HEALTHIER options–with fair trade products. The prices are comparable to quality coffee or fancy chocolates that don't have the goal of helping small farmers earn fair wages. So why not feel like you're really treating yourself & others at the same time? Equal Exchange is great, & you can even order their products on Amazon, if you're hunting for free shipping. Bonus!

7. I know that it may be hard for family & friends to understand, but some gifts are great when they give more to others–like Heifer International or Oxfam's Christmas Collection. You get a card, explaining your gift (like giving a family of ducks to a family in Thailand, to start their farm), & then you get to think about how the gift helped them keep their family together ALL YEAR. I'm a huge fan of these, & you'd love it to. Not comfortable "giving" it? Add it to your own list!

8. If you'd rather focus on feeding your own family well, why not check out buying your family a membership to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program? You get fresh, local, sustainably-grown groceries each week & get to know the farmers in your community.

So, I hope you enjoy your holiday gift hunts & consider adding a bit of sustainability to it all. While you're driving around to the stores, listen to Target's free Christmas Gig. You can download the whole thing on this site. What more unique list? Snag this Indie Christmas mix tape.

christmas craftiness

As I mentioned in my previous post, I failed at blogging yesterday. It was my last official day of teaching for the semester, with just one day to make up on Monday–three classes & one exam to give. It's strange to be on the other side of the university experience, so I wanted to celebrate not having exams to take.

I had gone Christmas shopping for Joe on Tuesday. While he took a nap, I wrapped his presents using recycled tissue paper & wrappings that have accumulated from my birthday & various care packages. In the mess of papers & scraps, I found an Anthropologie catalog.

I love their pictures–high quality catalog. More high quality than the clothing that is way, way over priced. This does not change the fact that I have, for years now, been buying their home supplies from the super-clearance-small-price section of the store. I love their kitchen supplies & table settings. Now, I finally found a way to put their magazine to work.

I started tearing the thing apart & sorting them into colorful piles... Then I spent the rest of the afternoon making this:

Joe helped me hang the snowflakes, since even on a chair I can't reach the ceiling, & we got to celebrate our coming First Christmas for an extra night while listening to Democracy Now's amazing coverage of COP 16 (the UN climate change summit).

I continued my resourceful holiday spirit this morning, making a large pot of vegetable soup with our newly purchased produce (another errand finally accomplished yesterday). It was my first time making vegetable stock on my own, & I wanted to just reduce the waste we'd been creating. I opted for just boiling all of the celery that was too flimsy to eat with the celery greens & outer onion layers. I filtered it through our juicer. It looks normal.

I sauted the vegetables, & the finished soup is currently simmering on the stove. I have to say, this is one of my favorite feelings: a morning of peeling, chopping, slicing, tossing & the buttery, spicy, fresh smell that fills the apartment. I even did the dishes (mostly so I could stand next to the onion as it cooked in butter).

Here's to a resourceful, productive & home-filled holiday! Mine starts today, & I'm loving it already. Not looking forward to an afternoon of sending e-mails, but it must be done. How about you–how are you spending your holiday? What are you doing to save some green & be green this holiday?

For even more Christmas spirit, head back over to Where's Joe's Head? for two more submissions: my mom & Chloe, my sister sent their hidden Joes yesterday afternoon.

starting the season

This weekend was full of Christmas festivities. Now that my feet are tucked into dry boots, I'm ready for even more! Before I get ahead of myself, here's what last weekend looked like:

 

more pictures here

On Saturday, we followed a crowd of families & children toward Place Stanislas. After a bit of a wait– which was filled with Christmas carols, mulled wine sipped from thermoses & listening to an announcer tell us to PLEASE step closer to the right side of the square.

Kids were propped on parents' shoulders when the show started, & after a few minutes I was worried about how they'd be sleeping that night. The story goes something like this: A butcher kidnaps three small children, butchers them & puts them in a tub of salt to pickle for seven years. St. Nicolas shows up & brings the children back to life. There is much rejoicing...

And there were tons of fireworks for the celebration, & they matched the tone of the story perfectly–moving from red fireworks, flames & explosions when the butcher is around to a light music & cascading fireworks when St. Nicolas walks through the snowy woods to the butcher's house. The victory of St. Nicolas (& the finale of fireworks, which included St. Nicolas being lifted above the crowd) closed the night on a positive note, but I know some kids that would still have some serious nightmares.

On Sunday, we headed to Metz for a lighter, more general celebration of St. Nicolas's big weekend. Metz has a huge Christmas market, & our friend has an apartment overlooking the route of the parade. After coffee & parade watching, we set out for an afternoon in the market. Most of the market's booths included free samples (gingerbread, dried strawberries & I think 10 different kinds of ham), so it was hard not to get full before heading back for dinner with our two friends.

With all the excitement, walking & anticipation in the crowd–only 17 days until Christmas!–we were able to forget that we're away from family this Christmas. We soaked in the new traditions, appreciated that this may be the only time we're in Europe for the holidays, & ate our fill of cheese. 

One of our best gifts is that we both have jobs this year, something we weren't expecting to happen for another three or four years. It's enabled us to enjoy this experience, learn more about French culture by immersing ourselves in it & travel with friends.

Our relationships with the people we've met here have grown faster than we'd imagined, & we've been blessed with lots of really wonderful people that make Nancy seem more home-away-from-home than far away from home. Thanks to them we're making it through the holidays (at times with too many obligations, something Joe & I are not at all used to) without too much time to sit around & miss home.

That said, I can't help but dream about holidays back home, with my family nestled into our new apartment or home with just the lights of the Christmas tree & our hands around warm mugs of hot chocolate. I think to console myself, I'll make some of my mom's fudge before the weekend.

To start the seasonal celebrations here on Francofile, my dad has created a Where's Joe's Head? Be sure to check out his craftiness on the WJH page.

advent, second sunday

We're starting the second week of Advent, which took some effort. Our "Advent candles" are all silver, since we couldn't find a traditional four-pack of Advent candles. The actual candles are white. Then, they were dipped in this silver, sparkly paint stuff that I don't think was meant to be set on fire. It oozes & bubbles & covers the wick. So this week, I had to pick around in the wax, peel off some paint & tolerate a horrible burning smell before we got the Bethlehem candle lit.

I did this candle this morning, & I'm not a fan. I have only had time to make one leaf, "Rejoice." More will be made later, & this candle will be redone. There are actually two reasons for that:
1. I wrote "Bethleham."
2. It looks like poop.

I'm stopping work on that so that I can focus on the actual meaning of the candle instead of focusing on how much I suck at Illustrator. This random web site has a nice collection of information about Advent's second Sunday, like this quick explanation of the Bethlehem candle:

The Bethlehem Candle represents the preparations made for the coming Christ child. Bethlehem is an appropriate place to signify preparation because, even though no room was available for Mary and Joseph when they came, God had orchestrated events so that Caesar Augustus called for a census to be taken. Joseph and Mary had to leave Nazareth so that they could register in Bethlehem and the Scriptures below were fulfilled!

So last week, we had the Prophet's candle–the prophets shone light onto the world by teaching about the coming of the Lord. This week, we have the Bethlehem candle–the city from which Jesus' light first started shining on the world.

 To celebrate the light of the city, we're going commercial & hanging out in some city lights ourselves. Today, we'll head to Metz for the Christmas market with friends for some traditional French Christmas celebrations.

Hope you've all experienced your first snow of the season & are excited for the holidays! Have you started your shopping or baking? How do you prepare for the holiday season?

an excuse to eat crackers

I wish I could say that the 12 hours of sleep I got last night resulted in me feeling a world of difference in this cold. I'm on day three of death by drippy nose, still hosting a stomach that makes the most terrifying noises. I have been spilling cups of tea, rubbing my eyes that seem to be on fire, crying about buying the wrong crackers, drinking tea until I'm bloated from water intake & sleeping.

The sleeping makes me more upset. I am not good at resting–at letting things go, slowing down or allowing my body to take a break. This is how I got sick to begin with, from all the running around between get-togethers, meetings, classes & class work. I haven't had time to get myself back in shape (again, epic fail on the yoga & slipping on the push-ups from time to time). It's no wonder my body just hit me upside the head & said, "Hey! Quit your shit. We can't keep doing this."

So here I am. A roll of tissue paper for Kleenex & pot #2 of tea for the day–green tea with rose & violet, which tastes like the perfume of the woman who sits next to you at church. I went to bed at 8:30 last night, got up at 7 a.m. to make us some pain perdu (happening far too often) & could have slept for another 12 hours. 

Instead, while Joe went off to work I set myself to cleaning the apartment, my Thursday ritual. In between activities, I sipped tea & ate TUC crackers (great story behind their "name"). This resulted in me eating half a package of crackers. I do this when I'm sick. I am convinced that they make me feel better. 

So let's look at how Megan gets better:

• 1 package crackers (flavor & style varies, depending on illness; saltines only for flu)
• carbonated mineral water & orange juice (or save a euro & buy Orangina for the best of both worlds)
• tea + tea +tea
• cuddling Joe (which, surprise, got him sick but did wonders for me)
• STOP WORKING

One of these steps rarely happens. When I was younger, it was the tea. I hated it. There was no way I'd go near it. Now, I guzzle it (all but herbals, with the exception of chamomile)... but I can't get myself to stay under the covers & let myself get better. I instantly begin panicking about how behind I am, how much I won't get done, how I want to read but my head hurts too much.

A personal goal for this year was to get better at listening to my body. This goes well when I stick to my yoga, but we all know how that goes. I've fallen (hard) off of that wagon. So I'm resting. I've given up on reading, grading, shopping for Christmas, eating, all of it. I'm staying warm, snuggling up with some tea & watching the snow fall.

I tend to get sick around each change of seasons (just like the start of the semester, sick for the first week of teaching & leaving a great impression on the students). This then tends to make me hate winter. As I look at the snow on the tree-covered hills & the smoke rolling from the
tile rooftops, my opinion is changing. It looks like "A Christmas Carol" outside.

Once I get myself better, I think this could be my greatest winter yet. My students are complaining about the bitter cold, but I'm still finding it invigorating to walk around with gloves & a thick scarf. The air is crisp, but there is no Jack Frost (or wind) biting at your nose. There is only the feeling of the coming holidays, the sound of the snow underfoot & the warmth of Joe's arm wrapped in mine as we walk down the slippery sidewalk.

thanksgiving again

There are scenes in movies that you envy: warm parties seen through windows on cold streets. Friends toasting with wine glasses. Lipstick smiles all around the table.

For our Thanksgiving celebration on Saturday, I felt like I was living through a holiday movie. Friends showed up with mitten hands wrapped around casseroles still warm from the oven. It took a while, but all of the traditional components were there: the pies, sweet potato casserole, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, noodles, dressing, turkeys (found stuffed with chestnuts & currants, so almost more French than American), gravy, green been casserole (bestill my heart). We. Ate. All. Day.

And as the casseroles lined the counter and the wine glasses overflowed–or the Budweiser, known here simply as "Bud," went down quickly–we couldn't stop smiling. There were four of us, Americans, searching for that home holiday feel. Several of our British friends had been part of Thanksgivings before; for some Brits & French, it was a new holiday. There was something exciting, comforting & familiar that we couldn't quite put our finger on.

The meal lasted from 4:30 to 11 p.m, and you would be hard pressed to find a minute when one of us wasn't eating something. It was the first Thanksgiving where I really let myself go, filling the plate multiple times & enjoying a bit of every dessert (German gingerbread, French macarons, American pumpkin pie, cakes, tartes...). I wanted to consume every drop–every moment of feeling warm & complete on the holiday, every ounce of affection that went into each dish.

While standing on the balcony with a glass of wine, watching the snow fall on a section of the city, I realized why I couldn't stop smiling. We had found it. In the three months we've been here, we have discovered the feeling of home. We've found friends who open there hearts to us, without forgetting the feeling of longing for our true homes in the States. We've found a circle of comfort that allows us to move about the city, between friends' houses & now familiar neighborhoods, bars or side streets, while feeling truly at home.

With a little jolt inside my chest–from the cold & from the realization of my feeling–I saw for the first time that this can happen anywhere, this feeling of home & belonging & kinship. And that is what I am most thankful for this year: for the willingness of people to take on others, open their heart & share their experiences. I am thankful that in doing so, we remember how much we rely on others to carry our hearts, to be gentle with us & trust us enough to do the same.

We are truly blessed this year, & we're thankful for every minute of it. Thanks for being a part of the story & for sharing yourselves with us.

Now that we're a bit past the holiday, what was special for you this year? What are you most thankful for?