Mon Petit Plaisir

Mon Petit Plaisir 

~ My Small Pleasure ~

Hyacinths for the Soul 

is about the extras in life, 

the little pleasures, that feed my soul. 

 Petit Plaisir ~ the French attitude 
that one should occasionally indulge in 
a small extravagance from time to time.  

Here in the states, I treat myself to a 

Starbucks
Coffee Frappuccino Light

~ While in Paris ~ 

Angelina's  Le Chocolat 

a Ancienne Dit "L' Africain"

~ Angelina's Salon de Thé ~ 
226 Rue de Rivoli, Paris, 1st

"Much more than a simple patisserie or tearoom, 

Angelina is a luxury brand with a prestigious

 image that symbolizes the French way of life."

This legendary tea room offers the perfect indulgence. 

~ Thick, Rich Liquid Chocolate, Like No Other ~

~ A Light Afternoon Snack ~

For Monsieur

 ~ Tri Colored Quiche ~

For Moi

~ Club Sandwich ~ French Fries ~Mesclun Salad ~

~ A Mont Blanc to Share ~

An Extraordinary Cake 

~Meringue ~ Whipped Cream ~ Chestnut Cream Vermicelli

On the Way Out ~ An Assortment of Gifts

For Mes Amis Stateside

~ Chocolat ~

Oh La La, Paris in the Spring!

 The winner of the 
Paper Blossom giveaway.

Congratulations to Christine!

Christine's Home and Travel Adventures

Please contact me with your addy, and this beautiful book and box of note cards will be on their way for you to enjoy year round.  Thanks to each who entered the giveaway.  I wish I could send each of you a copy of this beautiful book.

Celebrate France with 

Anita and others who adore all things French.

France Simply Irresistible @ Castles, Crowns, and Cottages

Also Joining

Oh, the Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper
Festive Friday Fiesta @ The Home Girl
Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings
Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House
Blue Monday @ Smiling Sally
Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage
Pretty Things @ TwelveOeight
Tuesday Treasure @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Your Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With An E
The Scoop @ Cedar Hill Ranch
Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

THE MATCHMAKER OF PERIGORD

THE MATCHMAKER OF PERIGORD

by Julia Stuart

Available here on Amazon

A book review for Food for Thought,

a delicious blog for readers with

an appetite for the written word.

This light quirky novel is full

of both humor and culinary delights.

The cuisine of France is

certainly not lacking in this whimsical read.

Yes, there are many delectable treats

among the pages of MATCHMAKER OF PERIGORD.

Just as there is an abundance of

romantic mishaps in this village of Amour.

Guillaume Ladoucette, the successful village barber, suddenly finds that his clients have grown older and balder, and it becomes apparent to Guillaume Ladoucette that he must pursue a new profession. Set in the small French village of Amour-ser-Belle (population 33) "despite its name, love was something that Amour-Ser-Belle was sorely lacking." To alter this village status, Guillaume Ladoucette takes on the task of village matchmaker.

"Guillaume Ladoucette wiped his delicate fingers on his trouser leg before squeezing them into the glass jar. As he wiggled them around the cold, slippery fat he recognized what he felt was an ankle and his tongue moistened. He tugged it out and dropped the preserved duck leg into the cassoulet made by his mother thirty-one years ago and which had been on the go every since."

My first inclination for a FFT connection was to make a cassoulet. So I went straight to Julia's MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING. Clearly this recipe was a bit too adventuresome for moi. The ingredients alone made me feel as if I were taking inventory at la boucherie.

So instead I settled on a fishing trip picnic.

"For whilst the two men were fiercely competitive when it came to fishing, their unspoken rivalry was not over what one another caught, but the contents of their picnic baskets. And the barber, who had been labouring in the kitchen since five that morning, was convinced that victory would be his."

~ Baguette ~ bunch of tomatoes-on-the-vine ~

~ jar of cornichons ~ bunch of pink radish ~

~another baguette ~ duck paté ~ vichyssoise ~

~ potato salad w/ lobster tails ~

~goat's cheese tart ~ walnut and apple cake~

"No, thanks, otherwise I won't be able to manage this! ' the baker announced, lifting a walnut and apple cake out of his basket with a flourish. But they both knew it was useless: nothing could have beaten Guillaume Ladoucette's caprine masterstroke."

Guillaume Ladoucette's goat cheese tart couldn't be topped.

So Goat Cheese Tart it is for FFT!

I used an Ina Garten Food Network recipe found here.

Instead of using garlic-and-herb soft goat cheese, I opted for Montchevre fresh goat cheese and then added fresh chopped garlic in with the saute of chopped shallots.

"Mmm, really goaty! Fancy some?"

I might add, I even impressed "the chef" with this one.

This recipe is a keeper!

Click the links below to see more

Food For Thought reviews of

MATCHMAKER OF PERIGORD

Jain @ Food for Thought

Mary @ Home is Where the Boat Is

Maggie @ Just Books

Rocky Mountain Woman

Also linking to

Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm

Potpourri Friday @ 2805

On the Menu Monday @ Stone Gable

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

"Normandy Life"

Many of you know Maggie,

the author of the delightful blog

Normandy Life.

Maggie and her husband live in the beautiful countryside of Normandy, France, in a charming 16th and 18th century Prespbytery that they lovingly restored 15 years ago. We have been friends through the years, having first met in 2000 while attending an Annual Meeting of Quimper Club International. This past October "the chef" and I had the pleasure of experiencing Normandy Life in real time.

Each morning we woke to the most

incredible views just outside our windows.

In the quiet hours of early morning,

the fog gently rose, and the rosy pink sky

ushered in the sunshine of a new day.

All about us were pastures of fresh green grass and herds of gentle Normandy cows grazing about. Every view offered a photo perfect scene that one might find in the quintessential landscape of a pastoral setting.

Normandy cows, prized for both their

protein rich milk and quality beef,

are characteristically brown and white.

Not far down the lane is a Romanesque style church built on the site of an old chapel. The fishbone pattern, still visible in the choir and the nave, shows that it was built in the 11th century. The churchyard with its ancient tombstones and grave markers is often the subject of Maggie's magnificent images for Shadow Shot Sunday @ Hey Harriets.

More delights are found wandering

the beautiful lawns and gardens.

A perfect sunny spot for two friends to sit and chat.

Inside one is inspired by the awe of living

in such a beautiful, historic treasure.

There are wonderful pieces of Quimper.

Special touches of French symbols and . . .

Sweet Mr. Ben

Along with the frisky M'selle Fleur.

Every morning there was fresh

French bread, croissants, and pain au chocolat.

Always served on Emma Bridgewater's

pottery from the classic Black Toast Collection.

This dishaholic was totally smitten!

One morning Maggie and I drove to nearby Bayeux

To visit the famous Bayeux Tapestry

and walk through the magnificent

Bayeux Cathedral

that was consecrated in 1077.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch of a Normandy crepe

filled with fresh greens - a perfect ladies lunch.

While the girls were away,

the husbands were back at the

Presbytery reading, visiting, and lunching

alfresco on the lawn in the warm sunshine.

Delicious evening meals were prepared by Mr. B, dining on Chicken Divan one meal and another on the best Boeuf Bourguignon we've ever tasted. The mosaic above features a meal we enjoyed out at a local country restaurant. I think the photos speak for themselves.

Our four days in Normandy were a highlight of our trip.

Good friends making memories together.

As we drove off for more

adventures in the French countryside,

we bid our farewells to good friends

who live an idyllic life in Normandy.

You can find Normandy Life here.

Stop by for a visit and sign up to follow along

as Maggie shares her life in Normandy.

Joining the following:

Mosaic Monday @ Little Red House

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

A Return to Loveliness @ A Delightsome Life

Outdoor Wednesday @ A Southern Daydreamer

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

French Inspiration @ The French Cupboard

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Potpourri Friday @ 2805

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

T is for Tins, Souvenirs de Bretagne

T is for

Tins, Souvenirs de Bretagne

Galettes from St. Michel

Join me as I share a collection of delightful souvenir tins. I'm recycling this post from one I published as guest blogger for Quimper Club International last September. A special "Thank You!" to QCI members Diane, Gay, Judy, Doris, and Barbara for sharing photos of tins from their collections as well. All you pinkies here for Pink Saturday this week will find lots of pink used in the designs on some of these tins.

Group of Tins Filled with Galettes

If you are like me, you like to take home small gifts from your travels to family and friends.

I've discovered the perfect gift from Brittany is a tin of galettes. Designed for the tourist trade, one can easily find tins filled with the traditional Breton butter cookies: the flat"glaettes," the thick shortbread "palets," or the rolled crêpe cookie "crêpes à dentelles". Of course the charm for me of a souvenir of this sort is the gift tin in which these cookies are packaged. Often these delicious French butter cookies come in hinged tins decorated with Quimper faience designs. So once the cookies are gone, the charming little tin box can be reused for any purpose. In our home one is usually filled with fig newtons, while another may have fresh baked brownies. Several are home to tea bags, odd buttons, or anything that needs to be stored on a shelf. A friend in France says they are the perfect size for a box of sugar cubes.

No wonder these are so good. They are made with lots of butter!

This tin shows the typical decor of "Décor Mistral".

This one is in the "Décor Soleil".

One of my favorites is "Décor Le Coq Ancien".

Another of our feathered friends, "Décor Jardin d' Eté".

Here we have another version of the "Décor Jardin d' Eté" with a "Décor Mistral" .

This tall cylindrical tin shows the same HB-Henriot décor as the large square tin show in the header.

It was produced in recent years and often used to store spaghetti once the cookies were gone.

The beautiful floral design is also found on the sides of the square tin of this design.

This tin shows a painting by Philippe Lalys in the tradition of Porquier Beau.

This unusual tin with handle shows the décor of Jim-Emile Sévellec.

Another tin, Galettes de Pleyben, is from the 1930s and is also a design by Sévellec.

Each side is decorated with additional scenes.

Notice the detailed borders

And of course this identifies the contents.

This vintage tin is possibly a design by Fouillen.

This tin shows the Modern Movement work of artist Mathurin Méheut.

Obviously this tin held the curled crêpes dentelles. The delicate lace border mimics the lace of the coiffe, a traditional Breton headdress.

Looks like these young ladies are having a good time!

Oh, the Breton crêpes are the best!

Vintage tin from Le Croisic

Yet another vintage tin with typical Breton scene.

This is the colorful border on the tin pictured above.

Contemporary tins typical of those found in the souvenir shops of Brittany.

Another tin with a scene of celebration.

This one shows the beloved Bretagne character, Becassine.

These two contemporary tins show typical seaside scenes from Brittany.

This delightful tin depicts a celebration along the river bank.

If a trip to Brittany is not in your near future, this charming "Décor Mistral" tin filled with Galettes de Bretagne is just a click away here in the US at Frenchy Bee. Click here to order your tin today.

Click here to buzz over to Mrs. Matlock's class for more about the Letter T at Alphabe-Thursday. I'm also linking this post to Le Chateau de Fleurs' French Obsession Party for June and the following memes this week.

Suzanne's Vintage Thingie Thursday @ Colorado Lady

Pink Saturday with Beverly @ How Sweet the Sound

A Few of My Favorite Things with Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie

Blue Monday with Smiling Sally

Three or More Tuesday with Tam @ Gypsy Corner