Nut Encrusted Fish

I've been wanting to try this variation for a while - Thanksgiving day was the excuse :-)

Nut Encrusted Fish

In a pan on Medium heat, melt
- 1T butter
- 2T olive oil
When hot, carefully add the fish fillet(s) (~1/3 lb, enough for two)
Cover and cook each side 1-2 minutes, then remove fish and turn heat to low
Soak fish in sauce* on both sides, then place each side on a bed of chopped nuts to encrust both sides. Press slightly to make the nuts adhere.
Place the encrusted fish back in the pan, cover, and cook another 1-2 minutes, depending on thickness, until done.

*Sauce:
heat slightly to mix
- anything sticky, such as honey or jam
- something for flavor, such as chile powder or tarragon

Some favorites:
- lemon curd and pistachios
- cherry jam and chipotle powder with pecans
- kiwi jam and thyme with almonds
- honey and chopped sundried tomatoes with pistachios

Note: this would work with chicken or pork as well, cooked longer

Our Weekend

Our Weekend:
Saturday, we went to our usual French conversation lunch - this was a bit different, in that a small ensemble played French baroque music for us (composer François Couperin). We also found out that another member of the group is moving to France, and even to the same general area!
That same afternoon, we worked with our atheist group at the Roadrunner food bank, distributing pallets full of food. It was wonderful to work with so many volunteers, making at least a little bit of difference! (Kudos to friend Babs, for organizing it!)
Sunday, Oh, Sunday! The Beaujolais Nouveau! The local Alliance Française arranged a fête at La Crêpe Michel to celebrate the "new wine" - plenty of sipping, delicious hors d'oeuvres, and at least a smidgeon of French with friends, both old and new :-)

Decision Day + 8

Decision Day + 8

It's been 8 days since we decided to move to France - 8 days and a lot of things done!

One sleepless night of research hinted at a plan, and days of follow-through refined it:

• go through the French consulate in San Francisco; check the long-term visa requirements, and get an appointment
• create a timeline (mid-November to end of January), with important tasks to complete
• list risks and mitigations: biggest risk is if my visa is delayed or denied
• start on the application; meet with our local honorary consulate for advice (whew! that helped a *lot!*) This significantly lowered the main risk, and led us to set our plan more concretely. 
• make a list of possible / probable additional documents
• discuss plans with family (yay! everyone is going to help!)
• settle on a "move" date; arrange a month in a vacation rental, and get the full address
• buy air tickets, arrange a rental car and first night hotel. Buying tickets early meant we got a good flight for less; if we are delayed, it will cost more - but the consulate visit made this a low risk (of course, it could still happen - fingers crossed not)
• get travel (health) insurance , including the first 3 months in France; note that it is extendable
• order marriage certificate
• test packed the car. We will drive with: 2 people (that would be us), 4 large suitcases (take to France), 2 footlockers (store in California), a cooler, and a few miscellaneous items (whatever else fits, hah!)

Whew! What could possibly be left?!? Well...

Early December:

• visa appointment in San Francisco; see what else they want. Perhaps a letter of good conduct from the police. I called them; they need an official request from the consulate to do this.
• get a better idea of whether my visa will go through or be delayed (more fingers crossed)
• start getting rid of things: sell, donate, toss

Late December:

• final medical appointments, get any prescriptions we need to last us till we find a doctor in France
• finalize packing
• drive to California

Early January:

• visit family
• wait for visa; supply any missing documents (low risk of delay)
• sell car

Late January:

• fly to Atlanta, drive to Florida; visit family
• fly to France:
• get rental car; make sure all 4 suitcases fit (low risk)
• stay first night in Toulouse
• drive to our apartment (near Montpellier, on the Mediterranean), check in!

February:

• start integrating :-) 

Run Away!

Run Away!

I've got to run away! (that's a song...)  Do I feel like I'm running away? Well, maybe a bit. :-\ But ultimately, no. I've had itchy feet for a while now, and we've been taking baby steps towards moving on, finding a new place to camp out.

The only thing missing was the trigger, and we pretty much got that with this week's election. Why is it a trigger? Our president-elect has stated that his aim is to abolish the ACA his "first day in office" - that's in January. Can he? Well, the bureaucratic wheels turn slowly, but they do eventually turn.

It's a trigger for us because we simply can't live with the risk of non-coverage for chronic or catastrophic illness, or denial of coverage based on a pre-existing condition. As Rick likes to say, "at 50, life is a pre-existing condition!"

This week, we set our own wheels in motion. Our Vague Plan has taken shape; the ToDo lists have grown, and check marks have been made. We'll be leaving New Mexico soon, visiting family as we wade through the bureaucracy of visas, and eventually making our way to... France!

Stay Tuned :-)

~~~~
Some photos from our past France vacations (click on them for the album):

France 2011

France 2015

Jemez Canyon and Wine

Jemez Canyon and Wine
or
Rocks, Wine, and More Rocks!

What do you do on Election Day if you voted early? Day Trip! Even better, a Day Trip with Wine!

We packed up a picnic lunch, and headed up to the Jemez area for the afternoon. Our first stop was the Ponderosa Winery, and their porch, where we ate our lunch and tasted some yummy wine!

From there, we drove up Highway 4 through the Jemez canyon, stopping to ogle the Rocks and Trees

I had checked ahead on the winery, but didn't think to see if the ruins would be open - closed Mondays and Tuesdays :-\ So I had to be satisfied with snaps over the fence...

We stopped at Soda Springs

saw this little guy on a railing post (look closely!)

And drove on

We turned around at Battleship Rock

That's the blue dot on this map:

The different sun angle showed us some brand new scenes

with a little moon-rise

and amazing reds!

We ended with a fascinating view of the Sandias in front of us all along 550 - I wish I hadn't been driving; I could have had some great pictures!