I went through my photos, trying to find a photo of the finished yogurt cake. This one, above, isn't typical–it's a marbled version (add chocolate powder to remaining cake batter after emptying part of it in the pan. Pour over the top and bake). Pictured: a roof tile from our home. You can see the handwriting which records when the tile was made, the 30th. … Continue reading Yogurt cake recipe
A woman's work is never done. Personally, I'll take the job of hanging out laundry… and let my husband patch up the concrete! (Photo taken in Croatia, a few summers ago…) se tromper (seuh-trom-pay) : to be mistaken, to be wrong tout le monde peut se tromper = anyone can make a mistakesi je ne me trompe = if I'm not mistakense tromper d'heure … Continue reading se tromper
"Raw Paws" – or the Society for Mutts that Don't Do Meat or Cooked Veggies. The group is only a fictional one–for Mr Smokey R. Dokey (pictured) won't be giving up his viande vittles any time soon. But, being the gentle cohabitant that he is, he respects certain members of his family that are experimenting with a new way of eating… read on. cru (kroo) … Continue reading cru
A good place to glander… in a cozy room, flowers on the windowsill. Photo taken in Villedieu sometime last fall. glander (glahn day) : to loaf about, to do nothing (especially when you should be working) Example Sentence On se sent un peu coupable quand on glande, n'est-ce pas? We feel a little guilty when we loaf about, don't we?. A Day in a … Continue reading glander
le badinage (bah dee nazh) : bantering, repartee Also: badin, badine (adj: lighthearted, playful) and badiner (to banter, to jest) sur un ton de badinage = in a bantering, or jesting, toneJe ne badine pas! = I'm not joking! Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce these French words: (Download MP3 or Wav file) Le badinage ou la taquinerie – c'est bon pour la santé!Bantering and teasing … Continue reading badinage
Quelle chance! We have a story and a recipe and photos–including the still life, above–for you today by guest blogger Lynn McBride.
chance (shons) noun, feminine
: luck
une chance = a stroke of luck
avoir de la chance = to be lucky
Bonne chance! = Good luck!
French Tartes or Southern Pies? Oh, the dilemma…
by Lynne McBride
Here’s a favorite quote from Michelle Obama. When asked what it was like to suddenly live in the White House with an army of staff, she admitted it was great, then said, with wonder: “If you want pie, there’s pie!” Hey Michelle, that’s my idea of paradise too.
OK, so what about French pies? Well, the French do things a little differently, no surprise there. Bye-bye American pie. The difference? In addition to the sloping shape of the edge of the dish, an American pie is plump and indulgent, and can be piled exuberantly high with whipped cream or meringue, or topped with a decadent crust or crumbs. Is that American or what? A French tarte, alternativement, is in a dish that’s shallow with straight, fluted sides. It’s thin and refined, understated and elegant, most often just a divine crust topped with beautiful fruits. Oh so French.
Must we choose between the two? Oh let’s not. I’m proposing two recipes this week, the best of both worlds.
As you may know…
Continue reading “How to say “luck” in French + recipe for Lucky New Year Pie with Grand Marnier”
Photo taken in Nyons, land of the olives and more! être rouge comme une tomate : to be as red as a tomato (avoir honte, to be embarrassed) A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse After writing about Harvester Lou, yesterday, I received a bucket of fan mèl for the blue-eyed bachelor. One of the lettres d'admirateurs came from a self-defined "matchmaker", … Continue reading etre rouge comme une tomate
I heart lonely chairs. More pictures of Nyons in an upcoming Cinéma Vérité. affolement (ah-fol-maohn) noun, masculine : panic, perturbation, unsteadiness verb: affoler: to cause panic and s’affoler: to panic.. Sound file & Example Sentence Download MP3 or Download WAV Pour l'instant, l'heure n'est pas à l'affolement.Now's not the time to worry. A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse Affolement, it is … Continue reading affolement & Recipe for Zucchini and Potato Gratin
A room with a view or, if you like, une chambre avec une scène. Read on in today's story, by guest blogger Lynn McBride. Yabla French Video Immersion.The fun way to learn French Lié, e (lee-ay) adjective : to be friendly with, close to, attached to Exercises in French Phonics is… " a great book for learning French pronunciation""useful and practical""high quality material, good value for your money" … Continue reading lié
For the purposes of this edition, and so as to remain neatly "in theme," we'll call the little guy in the lower left "Frank." franc, franche (frawn, frawnsh) adjective frank, true, free, exempt …and the verb "franchir" : to cross, step over (out), overcome :: Audio Clip & Example Sentence::Hear our son, Max, recite today's quote: Download franchir.wavSans franchir sa porte, on peut connaître le … Continue reading Olive Cake Recipe! Savory cakes and Cake aux Olives
