WINTER'S COMING

Sunday Morning.

 



 

Monday Morning.

 

Well whilst New York is in the grip of Sandy, we seem to be experiencing an early winter.  The leaves haven't had time to fall of the trees yet but after Saturday night it really seems we are in for an early winter.  Can't say I'm thrilled at the thought as this year the last of the snow disappeared in May and it feels like Summer was only a month long.  Anyway it makes for some fun days for the kids.  You feel alive when you walk in the crisp air.

 

Samuel building his first snowman of the season in our neighbours garden on Sunday.

 



Our woods are looking pretty and the sun was even out although it was 0C it made for a pleasant walk.

 

Snowball Samuel

A funny looking snowman more like a snow cow.

 



 

Transporting the snow man/cow.

 

We went off to Megeve to kill time.  It is the holidays for two weeks and Manu was working, we didn't spend too much time here as the wind was freezing.  They have set up the wooden games again in the square, the kids love them.

 

 

Emile Allais was the first person every in France to be crowned world skiing champion, and he is considered the first person to put skiing on the map so to speak in France.  He was influential in starting the great ski resorts in Meribel etc and he started the famous ski school ESF, he was the first ever moniteur de ski and the first Pisteur (ski patroller).  He was born in Megeve and he died last week at the age of 100.  He was buried in Megeve and the funeral was attended by hundreds of ski fans.  Here is the poster they put up above the Town Hall in honor of Emile Allais - Legend de Ski.

 

 

 

 



SEMAIN DU GOUT AND CROSS

So school was wrapping up for the holidays and we had Semain du Gout which this year was regions of France,  we had to go in (as mom's) to help the kids cook a traditional dish.  It was fun if not a little hectic at times with kids everywhere jumping to stir, cook, fry etc.  I made a cake from Brittany and savoury crepes with sausages.  All the parents are invited on the Friday to eat the eats.

The kids made homemade apple juice with an old fashioned press, and it was delicious.  The hoody is Samuel.

Look at all the plates we cooked.

So the last thing before the holidays was the Cross country race of Autumn. The kids did really well, it is done on a time per age thingy.  Samuel had to run for 8 minutes and Benjamin for 6 minutes and then all the kids get a certificate to say how far they ran, so no loser's, everyone is a winner and all the parents are there to spur them on.

Benjamin at his marker where he finished. He ran 1080m in 6 minutes

Ben at the back-middle in Red, you can just see his head.

 

Ben receiving his certificate.

 

On your marks.....................

 



Go Sam Go Sam

 

2030m in 8 minutes

 

GO BEN

 

 

A scanned picture so bizarre dimensions sorry.  We went to a tournament for Benjamin in Saturday in Faucigny which is a good 40min in the direction of Geneva.  It was well organized considering they were all 5 and 6 years old, not an easy task.  Benjamin scored two goals so very pleased with himself.

 

Manu coached the team - yip totally legal at this age and necessary.

Benjamin in Goal or Gardien as it's known in French.



 



GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Changing the subject this is what we ate last week discovering it in the supermarket, it was Manu who discovered it - of course he is always in the cheese section.  Similar to fondue but pure reblechon in a wooden barquet which you just heat in the oven.  Slightly sharp but delicious never-the-less.  Gosh my dad would have been in seventh heaven.

Benjamin was the guinea pig.

MORE MUSHROOMS, MORE CAKES.....

On a Thursday our kids go to canteen.  YAY.  Not actually because first of all Samuel hates it, secondly he is allergic to fish and what do they usually have on a Thursday - yip fish, so I have to prepare him a separate lunch, and pay the normal price and no sandwiches allowed.  Then we have the whole day to ourselves but there are only so many times you can go to the same restaurants.  So brilliant plan - go mushroom hunting.  Not knowing a thing about what you can eat and what you can eat only once - if you know what I mean - we were invited by Seb and Julien and off we went.

 Checking the book

 

Believe it or not make excellent eating material you just have to take of the mousse and you have a beautiful mushroom underneath.  Most that look like this are edible and the ones with gills like a brown mushroom or a button mushroom are not.  Or that is the basic rule but there is always the exception.

Mushrooms like mud

 A real cepes.  Fabulous stuff.

 



 

Washing and then..............

 



 .....................into the pan.  We made an omelet everyone enjoyed them and everyone I am pleased to report lived.

 

And these are the inedible ones................

 

Lots of magic ones in this lot - a little tea and whooohaaaaaa

 



 

Had to take this shot of the chalet in the distance, gosh what a dream to live here.  Manu looks bloody funny with his basket.

 

 

Well still practicing for my cake making spree for the birthday part of business.  This was for a friends son he wanted an American cake and ideally I should have covered it with an extra layer of ganche.  This is a blueberry and white chocolate ganache layered between 4 sponges.  Apparently was delicious so half way there.  The decor I made from homemade fondant also a little tricky to get the right consistency.

 

 

 



 

BUVETTE

So this is our Buvette, we are meant to be taking it over in December but will only open next year as we will be knee deep in snow by then, although we do have plans to open for the two weeks of holidays in February and just do Vin Chaud (hot wine), Chocolat Chaud (hot chocolate) Crepes and Gallette (Savoury buckwheat pancakes).  But we'll see.  Still lots to do before then - change the kitchen, get the licenses, buy the stock etc etc.

In the meantime I am practising my cakes and I never thought I would hear my family say - NO please NO MORE| cake.  Hahahahaha.  We are going to launch ourselves in the children party business.  There is absolutely no one  here who does this except Mac Donalds - UUuuugggghhhh.
So I am practicing my cakes, I did this 20 years ago in Hotel School and my goodness it is so frustrating to get the right formula.  I made the fondant for this cake but have decided to just stick to coating the cakes in ganache, which is frosting made with white or dark chocolate and cream as nobody likes the plastic icing anyway.

A bit basic, stuck to a Halloween theme.  Next week have an order for an American cake so keep watching this post and we'll see what happens.  Wish me luck.

ALL NEW

NEW JACKET - Manu seems to be getting more and more involved with the soccer team.  He is now taking our team (Benjamin's U7 team that is) on Saturday mornings to play their little tournament.  Usually in the rain the club dished out these raincoats to the dads' involved.  He is now feeling very important.

 

NEW GLASSES - The other new thing in our lives is Manu's failing eyesight - hahahaha, not really just an age thing, so we spent a fortune on glasses in order for Manu to read the ingredients on the cereal boxes when he shops for work.  Mostly they site on the table at home as he forgets them often - GREAT.

NEW BIKE - So we went in the pouring rain on Sunday to a Vide Grenier which is a flea market in English and found a lovely bike for Benjamin.  His is a little too small now as he is growing by the minute.

We went walking in the woods on Sunday when the rain finally stopped and the kids took these pictures of all the mushrooms.  Manu is so keen to pick and eat, me not so much, the difference between the edible and non-edible ones are not very obvious and as they say here - Mushrooms are delicious even if sometimes you can eat them only once.  Huuummmmmmm.