what's for lunch - few photos from the cuisine

I love cooking. I might not be the best in it, but I truly love it. And baking. 

cakes. muffins. chocolate, you name it. 

It has been a good season of avocados, I think I haven't ever eaten real avocado before I came to France.

Yes, I'm ashamed.

I used to buy ready made guacamole in Finland, avocados were quite more expensive than here.

But then, i got the groove. 

I started to buy these everytime I went shopping.. spiced avocados eaten with spoon are great.. homemade guacamole is excellent.

So yes, I have now my favourite recipe of guacamole, eaten with fresh spinach or salad. 

(not with nachos anymore..)

I love cooking so much that I even brought my Jamie Oliver mortar from Finland to France.

You know, it weights a ton. luckily it came by car with my parents.

And I have thing for lemons too. Now I buy 4 lemons a week, just for cooking. If I don't cook it, I drink it.

Love the bitter taste of lemon.

Guacamole getting ready.

It was so delicious that I din't have time to take picture when it was ready.

I did put some french spinach leafs on the plate, and guacamole in the middle. 

Sprinkle with olive oil, (good) vinegar and lemon juice.

Guacamole 

for 2

1 big ripe avocado

small shallot (or half of small onion)

pepper,salt,chili pepper, rosé pepper

olive oil and lemon juice

mix all together and leave it for half an hour to get all flavours

The other day, I cooked first time some stuffed zucchinis, it came out pretty well and delicious

 round zucchinis with spinach salad

I cook everyday, from scratch, mainly lunch. We eat everyday together lunch with R, as in France 

most of the people has 1,5hour lunch break. As R is working pretty near our home, he walks here and we have lunch together. That's excellent! 

Most of the nights we'll cook together. 

what's on your menu, mes amis?

ps. Adele - Rolling In The Deep

Spring garden

Today when I woke up, I felt good. Sleeping in our bed is good. 

We spend the whole weekend at the parents, helping to pack everything into the boxes, 

the big house renovation project is about to start.

There we slept in R's old bedroom, in a sofabed, I didn't sleep good at all.

My back was aching, so I'm glad to sleep in our bed again.

 Saturday was great, sun shining and so warm. 

After lunch I napped in the sun, getting little bit color to my arms and legs, 

and few freckles onto my face.  And I had time to snap few spring garden pictures.

Sunday we had only rain, we used the whole day for packing. 

Quite dull weather, specially after amazing sunshine and then can't step outside at all.

I would love to be more outside, have my own garden, but we don't have that option, yet.

 someday.

We came back home late at sunday night, tired. 

Dinner and few old episodes of the King of Queens

and we were ready to sleep.

These little snails are everywhere, every plant, every wall. 

I finished few books, The Kite Runner and Daughters of Shame, 

I recommend these both for everyone.

Khaled Hosseini - The Kite Runner

Jasvinder Sanghera - Daughters of Shame

me + juju

We also visited our friends who had their first child,

little baby boy, Jules.

Have a great Monday!

getting fit

I have been wanting to write about one subject for long time, but didn't find the words. 

I'm not a writer, I make mistakes and everytime I write longer story

It gets deleted anyway. But this time, I want to share this one with you:

Since we came back to France from Finland, I changed my life.

I get sick from eating food with high carbs and

I overate all the goodies in Finland. 

And I was sick all the time..

So 1,5months ago, I stopped eating the products my body can't take, 

 it did change my life!

No more belly aching, no more looking like 6months pregnant after lunch!

I lost 8cm from my waist (3.14inches) and 5kg (11 pounds) just with this change of eating habits. 

I know, healthy life needs healthy ways of living and also sports. I'm not naturally sporty type, so I need to force myself to do something. I got myself a Wii, I know I know, it's funny, but it helps with my balance problems.

Because I have had 2 accidents with horses, first one a horse stepped on my lower back and second one, I broke my neck when I fell from the horse, I have hard days with the aching back. Doing regular yoga and stretching helps and makes wonders!

So the first time in years, I feel pretty good about how I look. More important, how I feel.

I don't know if this change of life will fit for everybody, but for me is been the best thing ever.

I'm not that strict with myself than some people, not doing any Atkins diet or other,I'm listening my body and getting everything that fits for me. My big no's are pasta,rice,potatoes and then everything with flour and high in sugar. I do eat vegetables everyday, I eat some fruits what doesn't make any allergies to me.

So living in France, middle of all these sweet bakeries and lovely bread, croissants and everything, it felt like slap in the face. But I got used to it and I don't have the cravings anymore. 

I stopped sugar candies, I changed to dark chocolate.

Hardest part is eating out and having dinner/snacks at friends place.

What can I eat.. only thing what they serve is chips and snacks, maybe pizza later at the evening and beers.

Last time we had evening like that, I ate little bit earlier at home before we left and luckily, my friends did understand and I got omelette instead of pizza! And it was fine, wasn't hungry after, didn't feel like eating pizza and the best, we didn't have to leave to home because of my sick feeling!

So until I figure out what to keep with me when we go out, or order at restaurant, I try to eat before we leave at home.

Like the restaurant the other day, Fou de Fafa, they were so sweet to make a special plate for me without the potatoes. 

But then I cracked, and ordered tiramisu ;)

How about you, 

trying to get to summer shape or changing the way of living? 

Have a great thursday, everyone! 

sunday walk: Chateauneuf du Pape

We had nice saturday, lunch at Fou de Fafa, in the heart of Avignon 

super good! We got salmon with red pepper sauce, A and R made me a special plate without pomme de terre,

served with huge salad. And dessert, tiramisu. Their specialty is banoffee pie..

That i'll try next time! 

At evening, we went to see Avignon - Cambrai volleyball game.

It was reaaaaally close, but Avignon won!

Today we went to vide grenier (garage sales) in Chateauneuf du Pape, but it was really bad.

We just walked around, snapping photos and had coffee at the terrace (and desserts...) 

+18,5 degrees! it's spring!

With body and mind full of sunshine

I wish this lovely weather will continue forever!

Early Easter Eggs.

Hello everyone. 

I noticed there is new readers, would be nice to get know you little bit more.

So please leave a little note, your name and what you love.

 

 

Last week I decided that it's time to do changes, I started by simplifying our home.

I started by kitchen, taking away the dishes and things we don't use.

I hate having too much stuff around here. 

Simple is better.

My wardrobe got cleared too, I took one huge bag of clothes away. 

I have the feeling I have so many clothes, and nothing to wear.

I'm trying to have simple collection of clothes what I like and not getting new ones until I really need.

This cleaning is not ready yet, but it's a good start.

Last friday was S's birthday, it was held in A's restaurant, Fou de Fafa. A's husband had made delicious gluten free chocolate cake, unfortunately even this small piece was too much for me and I ended having pains. 

It was totally worth of it ;)

girls and glasses of Prosecco,

if I remember right the name of the sparkling wine.

 

After 2 and a half glasses, it was getting to my head. We had more drinks at another S's apartment and then I left home - drunk, I needed to eat something else too that the cake.

Saturday was quite windy and raining, we spend the whole day inside. 

I found funny easter egg idea from Deliciousdays.com, to make some cake eggs.

No need to say, that I wanted to change the recipe, 

 as the original one was sponge cake and I wanted muffins.

Muffins.. inside the egg. with chocolate pieces..

disaster!

Firstly, if you try this at home, don't put any chocolate pieces..

these won't fit from the small hole you made. 

Or if it does, it will make the batter spill all over the place.

Then, take your time. Don't think this is easy peasy, it takes a LOT of time.

My neck and back hurting, I think it took me whole afternoon until evening to make everything ready.

And the last advice, don't fill even 2/3 of the egg, it will spread out all over the cooking pans.

Maybe half would have been enough. Maybe it depends of the batter, mine was raising like crazy.

Use the rest of the batter, if left, to make muffins or cakes.

Ready!

Cleaning the eggs is the part what takes the most of the time. Emptying, cleaning with running water, salty water and then running water again.. leaving to dry. Loads of work.

what a mess... but delicious! 

Pity I can't eat much of these since it has flour inside, R has a quite many to eat.

Today is still bad weather, 

and I don't want to be stuck at home another day so we could see friends and hang out.

Have a great sunday!

Ps. I am truly sorry for the catastrophe in Japan, we are following the news and hoping eveything will be soon better. 

inspiration

I have been stuck in my mind for a while.

inspiration. and lack of it.

I have million ideas on my mind, what I would like to share and get ready.

I know why these just turn around my mind, and finally disappeares into the empty space of lost thoughts.

I feel incompetend to put my ideas to the paper. I see ideas as images, but not able to draw.

I was feeling quite bummed yesterday evening, I spend whole day inside while it was sunny.

Today I decided to fix it, after my lesson and lunch I drove to Île de la Bathelasse, wanting to take some photos. 

I drove until the stables, but when i saw it was full of people, 

I got timid and did turn car around and drove away.

Only picture I got from my trip, was this.

Pont Saint-Bénezet, known also as Pont d'Avignon

I get my inspiration from my home, Finland, and from France. My family. 

Nature. And some bloggers listed here.

Just need to let go, free my mind.

café for gourmand.

Where you get your inspiration?

sunday, lazy sunday

Lazy sunday, I love you. 

Nothing is better than sunshine, chocolate and relaxing.

Since I changed my habits to more healthier way, I can enjoy dark chocolate. specially this orange flavoured one is super good.

What is happening to me? 

First I started to like olives, then olive oil, then fish and now dark chocolate!

I think it's pretty good change.

My succulents are now in the growing phase, it's spring definetly.

I just don't know what is wrong with the one in background, it has tiny red spiders(?) running around the leaves, I cleaned to poor plant but it's dying. What can I do?

Since I moved to France, I have been missing fresh berries much. In south these doesn't grow at all, except strawberries. I took few bags of frozen ones, it makes yummy breakfast or afternoon snack.

As talking about the moving, Brenna from Le Fabuleux Destin de Brenna, asked me to write a guest post about living in France. Have a look!

 Testing home made bokeh filters

We had nice weekend, friday our friend N (Tirfoto Lwilaba) had a photo expo event.
Saturday evening we went to see Avignon -Dunkerque volleyball match, as my (finnish) friend M's boyfriend plays in the team Avignon as a pro, they got us guest tickets.
Avignon won 3-0, nice one!

Have a nice and lazy sunday, everyone.