Monday, 28 March 2011

TUMMY BUGS

Ben and I have had tummy bugs although I think mine is just cheating on my medical diet and whoopsie.  Benjamin on the other hand has not had a good day which started at about 3am and ended when he finally went to bed at 8 tonight.  Off course Manu woke up this morning wondering where I was ( I was sleeping with Ben) and even said gee you were up early.  O the joys of married life sometimes. 

Anyway Manu is off on Friday now for three weeks and it will be my first time in France alone with two children and no translator, mmmm lets see. Manu still full of flu and I received an email from my mom via a friend via a friend that in the OLDEN days they used to put a peeled onion out to gather up all the germs in the air.  Yes Dr Roux I can hear you laughing from here but I have given up on telling my man to go to the doctor and I'm also sick of listening to him hack away at his delightful smokers cough so I have now put peeled onions all over the house and given in to the OLDEN DAYS.  Apart from smelly what harm can they do. 

Here's the email about onions......hope you are all speed readers 'cause it's long

ONIONS
PLEASE READ TO THE END: IMPORTANT
In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that
visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu.
Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it and many died.
The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very
healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different
the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the
rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't
believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under
the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu
virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping
the family healthy.
Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ. She said that several
years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were
many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions
around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must
work..  Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.
Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who
regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this
most interesting experience about onions:
Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmers story.. but, I do
know that I contacted pneumonia and needless to say I was very ill.. I came
across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put it into an
empty jar...placing the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the
onion would be black in the morning from the germs.. sure enough it happened
just like that.. the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.
Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around
the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful
antibacterial, antiseptic properties.
This is the other note.
Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame.
Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions absorb bacteria is the
reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu's and is
the very reason we shouldn't eat an onion that has been sitting for a time
after it has been cut open.
LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS
I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of
mayonnaise.. Mullins is huge, and is owned by 11 brothers and sisters in the
Mullins family. My friend, Jeanne, is the CEO.
Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned
from a chemist.
The guy who gave us our tour is named Ed. He's one of the brothers Ed is a
chemistry expert and is involved in developing most of the sauce formula.
He's even developed sauce formula for McDonald's.
Keep in mind that Ed is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone
asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always
worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you. Ed said
that all commercially- made Mayo is completely safe.
"It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but
it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at
a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked
about the quaint essential picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on
the table and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick.
Ed says that! when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials
look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came
from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as long as
it's not homemade Mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's probably the
onions, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.
He explained, onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked
onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion.. He says
it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your
refrigerator.
It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit,
that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you
put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!) Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'! ll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.
Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.
Please remember it is dangerous to cut an onion and try to use it to cook
the next day, it becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and
creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess bile secretions and even food poisoning.
Please pass this on to all you love and care.

HAHAHA THE END.  I'll let you know. 

Thursday, 24 March 2011

FULL OF THE JOYS...

I just had to blog to say how amazing it is to experience seasons.  Today it was 18C with snow on the piste but the sun was shining.  So I put on my t-shirt and dragged the kids to the park.  Everyone was there.  It's really great to see people enjoying the sunshine, when you live in Africa you take it for granted.  Boy it really has an amazing effect on people.  Mom's who have never spoken to me are saying Bonjour.  I feel like snubbing them just because but I was also taken with the sunshine.  I'm sure it will snow in a couple of weeks and everyone will be trudging up the hill with there kids on the way to school in the foulist of moods but for now it's heaven.

I can't believe how I've settled, sure I have my down days, and I have literally no friends, but I think having my husband around most of the time and being a full time mom really suites me.  I don't feel guilty anymore just sitting down with a cup of tea and doing nothing.  When I think back over the past 10 years of owning a restaurant and working lunch and dinner till I dropped, leaving my kids with a maid, missing story time, bath time, dinner time, I deserve this and I am enjoying every minute.

SPRING IS HERE


Well spring has sprung, and the days are so lovely and warm we decided to go for a picnic with the boys along the river just behind our house.  It was about 17C which is strange considering people are still skiing.

The boys don't have school on a Wednesday and it really did feel like the weekend.


Tuesday, 22 March 2011

ALPINE SKI

This week is Samuel's turn to learn how to ski.  In January he learned Ski de Fond which isn't considered real skiing by the professionals.  He took to this much better than ski de fond.  His teacher is from his school and so lovely and encouraging.  I was a proud mom.






The lift they use is on a pully system just to take them up to the gentle slopes.  As you can see we are running out of snow.  Such nice warm days, Samuel even took off his jacket it was so warm.


Sunday, 20 March 2011

BRAKE BRAKE BRAKE



THE WEEKEND

So we started off the weekend with a friend to stay.  Fred is a childhood friend of Manu and Chris (Manu's brother) from their home town of Pace.  He was off to ski with his cousin for the weekend not far from here so we invited him for the night.  It was great to catch up and it gave me an excuse to have a fondue.  Fondue Savoyarde is the local fondue dish here done with Cheese and bits of stale bread.  Fondue  bourguignonne is the meat fondue.  I cheated and bought the already melted cheese in a packet.  It was delicious if not a little heavy.



Fred and Manu with a little fondue thief on the left there and of course TEDBEAR is
 trying to get in on the act


Feeling rather full I went off to bed fairly early compared to Manu and Fred who turned in at 3am.  Saturday it rained all day long so we had play dates in the form of Joe and Eve.  All were happy with pancakes for gouter at 4pm.


It worked out well, Joe is in Samuel's class and Eve is in Benjamin's class and they happen to be brother and sister. A nicer playdate you couldn't wish for, lovely easy kids.

Sunday it finally stopped raining so we went for a drive to a ski resort about 20 minutes from here called La Cluzas.  It was packed but fun to see snow as we have lost most of ours.  The kids luged a little but mostly we just enjoyed the morning out.  Coming home everything was melting and formed huge waterfalls or CASCADES as the french call them.


The road to La Cluzas 
Very ski resortish


I don't know if you can see these idiots but there are 6 skiiers in the valley coming down what we call (we because I am now used to the ski lingo) Hors Piste.  In otherwords OFF PISTE and not on the piste they are meant to be on but illegially skiing down a dangerous piste.  On Wednesday 8 skiiers were killed by avalanches in the Alps because they were all skiing Hors Piste

Cascade


Just a pretty picture of a chalet in the snow.

Thursday, 17 March 2011

DAILY GRIND

Back to the daily grind.  It's taken a couple of days to feel normal and poor Samuel now is in bed unwell with something, I'm not sure what.  The Alps are very grey and the snow has melted.  It was 17C when I got back so the boots I wore all the way home on two planes were absolutely no use at all.  A bit cooler today with a considerable nip in the air.  It's been threatening to rain for two days but still nothing.  Still nice to be back home with Manu, I didn't realise how tiring it is to look after two kids on your own even if it is a holiday.

Benjamin and I made Chocolate chip cookies from a book Manu's mom sent me.  I seem to have no luck with the South African recipes, these worked and they were delicious.
 Today it was still grey and raining, so I set off on a craft project inspired by my friend - Heather - who has also moved but to the States, she is always busy with art projects.  So I painted up some wine boxes and used them as book shelves.  Look pretty good I think.

Ben's bookshelves

Sam's bookshelves

Who needs IKEA?

Monday, 14 March 2011

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Well the reason you haven't heard from me for the last two weeks is because I was in SA for the holidays.  Firstly apologies to all I never managed to see, it was go go go and you know how quickly 14 days fly by.  Got a lot done, I went mainly to sort out my storage and send the rest of our belongings over.  We only sent a small shipment the first time and now we've decided to stay the rest can follow.

It was funny to be in South Africa and miss home as in France, but I really did, there's something cozy about living here.  But in saying that the beach, the braai, Silvermine dam and warm weather really does something to soothe the soul. 
Silvermine Dam

William and Luke with Samuel and Benjamin


Swimming with Jessica and Georgia

Swimming with Peter and Isabella

Swimming with Big Jessica

Samuel has categorically stated that he thinks it's a better idea to live in South Africa, shame he has not settled in as well as the rest of us.  He's definitely a warm weather kinda guy.  So today is not bad 0C with beautiful blue sky, the snow has just about gone but in saying that Benjamin has a week of skiing starting today.  They create snow with snow guns on the bottom of the slopes so the little ones can still ski, there is quiet a lot on the mountain still and snow forecast for Wednesday so we'll see.

Sleeping with the local wildlife
 A visit with Aunty Linda

Uncle Guy

I am very excited to get my own things a month or two.  We live in a fully furnished apartment but a girl still needs her stuff.  Manu spent a week at his mom's in Brittany which I think managed to pass the time.  Typical he wasn't needed to work so that plan went a little awry.  He's off for three weeks to Florida at the beginning of April, and good timing for once because he gets back right at the start of the kids holidays.  So hopefully we will spend time together then.  No work for now though so lots of sorting and packing up to do to make way for our STUFF.
Leaving on a jet plane