24 November 2019

Drop Biscuits

I've been missing Mom's biscuits lately, and the topic came up in my English Conversation Atelier - it's hard to explain just what a biscuit is! So, Mom sent the recipe, and I put my oven through another hoop!


Drop Biscuits (from Mom's cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens NEW Cook Book! And she's only had it since 1955!)

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (T55)
3 teaspoons baking powder (levure chimique)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-8 Tablespoons margarine or shortening
1 cup milk

For sweet biscuits (for strawberry shortcake), add
1-3 Tablespoons of sugar

Steps

  1. Heat oven to 450°F (230°C, or 220°C with fan). In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening, using a pastry blender (I just use my hands!), until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the milk until the dough leaves the side of the bowl (dough will be soft and sticky).
  2. Drop the dough from a teaspoon onto a cookie sheet.
  3. Bake 12 - 15 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove the biscuits from the cookie sheet to a wire rack or paper. Serve warm.


~~~
If you're wondering why I'm posting so many recipes lately, "Food" is our current topic in my English Conversation Atelier...

23 November 2019

Pomegranate Ginger Snaps

I'm giving my new oven a workout! Last night, rotisserie chicken and roasted veggies, today... Cookies!

I had given up on finding molasses, when a friend gave me a jar that she had special-ordered. I tried it in my ginger-snap recipe, and let's just say it's very different...

Then, some time ago, wandering the aisles in the grocery store, my eye was caught by Pomegranate Molasses! Hmm... I couldn't resist! And, today, I made these...

They are tangy, rather than molasses-y, and could probably stand up to more ginger. But the texture is *exactly* the same! Crisp, then chewy - mmm mmm!

Pomegranate Ginger Snaps

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup colza oil (not strongly flavored)
1 large egg
zest from one clementine
1/3 cup pomegranate molasses
2 cups flour (T55)
2 tsp baking soda (levure chimique)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Cream sugar and oil. Add egg and zest, stir well, then stir in molasses. Mix dry ingredients and add. Refrigerate if necessary (easier to roll).
Make into small balls (about 2 teaspoons), and roll
in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees F (177C) for 10 minutes. Remove
cookies immediately to cool (they will be soft).
Makes 3 dozen +/-

21 November 2019

Cereal Grains - Score!

Score! I've been looking for various cereal grains here in France, for... Well, it seems forever!

But the other day, I finally got to the semi-local* Bio store, and scored! I had hoped for bulk, but no.... But I kept looking, and in the cereal grain section, I found (almost) all I'd been searching for:


  • Whole wheat
  • Spelt
  • Oats
  • Barley


I'm in soup heaven!

~~~
* If you're in Sète, the "semi-local" bio store is at the commercial center in Balaruc.


The Kitchen Junk Drawer

The Kitchen Junk Drawer...

 Is there a single house in the entire world that *doesn't* have one?!?

You don't plan it. Eventually, after enough moves, you specifically plan *against* it! But. Still. It happens...

Well, here it is. In France. There is just no escaping it...

Ingredients:

  • Tape
  • Superglue
  • Manuals for every appliance
  • Basic tools
  • Non-basic tools
  • IKEA tools
  • Velcro on a roll
  • Water filters
  • Weird things, like sticky pads to keep chairs from making a racket
  • Etc



13 November 2019

Champagne Lesson

Today I got a lesson in pouring champagne, or any sparkling wine. Tilting the glass while pouring champagne is *forbidden!* For beer or cider, OK, but not sparkling wine!
The acceptable method:

  • Pour the champagne, and let the bubbles (mousse) form to about 2/3 of the glass. 
  • Wait until the bubbles start to dissipate. 
  • Then pour more champagne slowly - the liquid will increase, but the level of bubbles will stay the same.

Voilà, you have a full glass of bubbly!

09 November 2019

Filling In the Holes

We went appliance shopping today!

We spent yesterday afternoon at the laundromat, hopefully for the last time (here, anyway)! We did 3 loads for 17€, brought some home wet - the soap was automatically dispensed, so we couldn't use our unscented soap...
Washing Machine
I've been doing dishes by hand - not my favorite thing, plus, they take up too much room!
Dishwasher
I won't be able to bake anything in time for our monthly lunch next week, but I have the whole Winter ahead! (I promise, I won't go crazy with cookies, but I have a new ingredient I want to try!)
Oven

Of course, we needed a cabinet for some of this stuff - it's nothing special, but we got a put-it-together-yourself kitchen cabinet - that's on for tomorrow (if I'm up for it...)

06 November 2019

Rainbow Season

It's Rainbow Season here in Sète ! Nice to know we aren't missing much in our new place...

If only I had been a little bit faster - this scudding rain, just 2 seconds before, created a fantastically brilliant rainbow!

05 November 2019

Hot Showers and a Table

More furniture came this morning! We now have a bedframe (we had been using air mattresses under our regular mattress, so the week wasn't too bad) and a table!
Look! A French Table!

And! This afternoon, the gas guy came! He turned on the gas line, checked for leaks, and showed us where to turn off the main if necessary. Then he checked each burner on the gas stove, lit the water heater, and made sure we had hot water - everything works!
Next? Hot showers!
Heaven!


Moving in France - The Move Out

Moving in France - The Move Out
Our Last View from Old Place

October 1 - Our "move in" date is set! But the move-in is only part of moving. We also had to deal with the move-out!

October 2 - waiting until our new-apartment dossier was accepted, we mailed (registered letter) our current agency our notice that we would be moving out. We picked November 4th, knowing that the required 1-month notice doesn't begin until they *receive* the letter. It worked out ok, but in retrospect, it would have been less stressful to add a couple of days.

October 14, 15 - received mail from our current agency, with information on whom to contact about our move-out inspection. Since they are selling the apartment, they said they didn't need to arrange any viewing times with us (yay!). We made an appointment for the inspection and key-exchange.

October 16 - our chauffagiste came to check the heating system. There's a problem, but we aren't sure if the owner will have it fixed, or try to sell it as is. We expect to have hot water problems until we leave...

October 31 - our internet moves - Rick is in the new apartment for our morning appointment. We had a little drizzle while loading the car in the morning, but then it cleared up!
Rick somehow got even more address changes done:
Changed our bank information online!
Updated Rick's voter registration
Changed our address for the US state department
I got stuff ready to move, then picked up our van. Lifesaving Friends John and Susie arrived, and we loaded the van, drove a whole 3 kilometers, and then unloaded - whew! We gassed up, then returned the van (15 minutes to spare), and I felt like collapsing... I walked back to the now-old apartment, got a lovely hot shower, then picked up Rick to go shopping for our dinner. I saw ONE roast chicken left! BUT! It was opened (I guess we know why it was left!). OK, on to pâté and salami :-)
Back at our now-new apartment, we finally collapsed, feet up in our new recliners, wine glasses in hand.

November 1 - it's a holiday! for some... Back at our old apartment, we packed up some odds and ends, cleaned some (but not all), cooked lunch and showered (wow! remember? no gas at the new place). Then we shopped (yes, more shopping!). Picked up a microwave and a roast chicken (yes! we beat the crowds!). AND! got to use a holiday coupon!

November 2 - shopping, laundry, and hours of cleaning - I'm pooped!

November 3 - we took a holiday from moving! We got our showers at the old place, then went to a friend's birthday party. Afterwards, we came back, did a final walk-through, and then went Home, ready for our checkout tomorrow.

November 4 - Move-out Day! We met the inspection fellow at the old apartment a little before our 10:30 appointment, and he got started. What an incredible difference compared to our move-in inspection! We had a short discussion about what he was going to do; he said it would take at least 3 hours, and that we didn't have to be there - he would call us when he was done. Great for us; we bought more things for the new place, returned our hotspot, and had lunch out. It did indeed take more than 3 hours! Then we showed him the garage...
We started reading his report, and he pointed out each area that really mattered, in terms of getting our deposit back. He said to tell him if anything in the report was a shock. We were concerned because our entry état des lieux had not been completed, and the initial report had discrepancies - he phoned the agency, and they assured us that they well remembered our situation, and not to worry; we would get our deposit back :-)
Well, we were all done looking through the report he had created - it was very slick, and well documented with photos - when... his tablet died! His battery had run out! So, he plugged it in, and we waited - we chatted, and enjoyed the view for the last time, and eventually there was enough charge to let us sign the état des lieux - we left about 4:00.
This fellow was very professional - the rental agency hired him shortly after we told them about how our entry inspection went (or rather, how it *didn't* go!) He was brought on to clear up all the various messes that had been left.
At home (!), we emailed photos of our electric and gas meters to the company for our final bill.
And had soup for dinner!