Joie de Vivre

I really love to make my house, my garden and my life into something beautiful. Surrounding myself with pretty things and really enjoying my life is a pleasure I take very seriously.  Why?  Because I'm a firm believer in what the French call "joie de vivre".

It's little things that mean a lot.  Like fresh flowers, straight from the garden.  Or cooking a meal with something you grew yourself.  Perhaps sharing a glass of good wine and a slice of chunky terrine de campagne with someone you love.

One of the things that brings me great joy is to play around with my house's decor.  In the summer and spring, I like to add soft, sweet colors to the house. Lavender, dusty rose, cool shades of blue.  I especially love the moment when I can harvest a bunch of lavender and hang it all over the house. What a treat for the senses!

I love buying pretty, feminine things.  Like new plates! There's nothig like the thrill of finding that special plate.  I couldn't imagine having everything match!

 

Sometimes I bump into something so gorgeous, it makes my heart flutter.  Like a beautiful cafe au lait bowl at an antique market in the south of France!

And then there are those things that hold a lot of sentimental value.  Like my mother-in-law's tartelette molds.

Little thing bring me great joy. Like a happy, welcoming sign on my front door.

Spoiling myself is an everyday necessity!  Imagine if life only consisted of busy agendas and unpleasant meetings! That's why there's nothing quite like starting the day off properly.  Give me a toasted baguette, good butter, fruity jam and a nice paper- I'm a happy woman!

Isn't it fantastic when you can enjoy a cup of tea in a lovely place?  And from a lovely cup?

So what are you waiting for?  Go start adding a little joie de vivre to your life as well!

In the meantime, you can find me (and a good book) right here!

Deliciously Rounding Off A Busy Workday

I adore sundried tomatoes!  They magically seem to add color (how vibrant can you get?!) and taste (doesn't get more sunnier than this!) to just about any dish.  I am especially fond of them in my couscous salads and savoury cakes, but they also feel right at home in many of my pasta dishes.
This next recipe is truly a delight to eat as a weekday meal.  Not only because it's so quick to make, but also because it feels like a special treat!  I love how the sundried tomatoes add a little bit of an extra kick to the dish.  Served with a soft, round Merlot, it's really the perfect way to deliciously round off a busy workday.

Pasta with Sausage and Sundried Tomatoes
Serves 2-3
1 tbsp mild olive oil
2 small shallots
2 fat cloves of garlic
pinch of dried chilli flakes
300g sausage, rolled into little balls
10 sundried tomato halves, cut into strips
good squeeze of lemon juice, plus zest of half a lemon
2 tbsps roasted pinenuts
chopped parsley, to serve

Heat olive oil, add shallots, garlic and chilli flakes and gently sweat for about 5 minutes.  Take sausage out of casings and roll into little balls. Add the sausage to the pan and brown for approximately 10-15 minutes. After that, deglaze the pan with a squirt of lemon juice.  Meanwhile cook your pasta.  Add the sundried tomatoes and cook for a minute or two.  Toss with the cooked pasta, the roasted pinenuts and the lemon zest. Serve with the parsley.

A Meal to Celebrate the Sun

It's been a dissapointig return to reality since I came back from my beloved France.  A very gray, rainy and dreary reality called 'Dutch summer'. You see, here in the Netherlands we are a seriously sun-deprived bunch.  If we have a sunny day (or two) we are then punished with a long row of utterly depressing dark and wet days.  I kid you not when I tell you that you might just see people walking around with coats in mid August.
That's why we have to take advantage of those days when the sun finally delights us with its warm rays.  You'll usually find me gardening, going for long walks (and stopping to pet the goats at our local animal farm), visiting the garden center for some new plants or cooking light and delicious meals that make me feel all smiley and summery.
Here is one of those 'celebrate the sun' meals.  It's so easy to make and boy does it go well with a perfectly chilled rosé!
PS:  And yes, what can I say? Perhaps I'm Dutcher than I want to admit, complaining about the weather like I do!

Citrusy Shrimp Salad

Serves 1

-2 good handfuls of mixed salad leaves

-1 large, juicy orange, peeled and cut into chunks

-1/2  avocado, cut into chunks

-100 gr pink baby shrimp

-chives, chopped

-1 tbsp white truffle oil, or extra virgin olive oil

-squeeze of lemon, to taste, plus lemon slice (to serve)

-dot of grainy mustard

-salt and pepper, to taste

Add one handful of salad leaves to your plate.  Top with half of the orange chunks, half of the avocado, half of the shrimp and a sprinkling of chives. Make a dressing by whisking the oil, lemon juice, mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with the dresssing.  Top with the other half of the ingredients.  Serve with the lemon slice.

Unforgettable Duras

It's been a week since I left my beloved France, and yes, there have been a few moments when I had to sob or choke back tears (like right now, as I write this post).  I've always referred to France as "my heart's home" and that's because in France I blossom, come to life and really discover what joy is.
This year we headed back to Duras.  Mostly because we really enjoyed our vacation at Le Cabri last year- a small, family-run campsite where we rented a chalet and where Kirstie had the time of her life.  Everyday included swimming, playing with other children and hanging out in Duras for an ice cream or a drink at Cafe La Paix.
It was also an ideal vacation for us because we could savor quiet dinners at the local restaurant or walk into town (5 minutes up the hill) for a drink.  And of course, this was wine country!  We were right in the middle of the lush vineyards of Duras and not far from some of the most grandiose Bordeaux vineyards.
During these two magical weeks we visited local markets, felt like royalty while enjoying long, relaxed lunches (complete with amazing wines) in the warmth of the French sunshine, took drives along the vineyards and hills of bright sunflowers and shared drinks and jovial conversation with people we'll never forget.
We've always talked about a possible move to France and one thing which became very evident during this vacation was that Duras was definitely at the top of our list. This beautiful, friendly town has won our hearts. We felt it when we marched through town with the locals during La Fête de la Bastille. We felt it whenever we had a drink at the local bar and we felt it when the day was done and we went to bed with smiling hearts.
This truly was an unforgettable vacation.  Unforgettable  because Duras has stolen our hearts in a way we never thought possible...


For a collection of some of our photos, please check out the following links:
http://petitefleur-paola.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hans-westbeek/sets/72157624455553175/show/