You guys, I made crepes for the first time! Or should I say, hubby and I did.
I have been wanting to try making crepes ever since I had my first taste as a kid. My mom would
whip
up a batch on a Saturday morning and add fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream – so
delicious. Fast forward a few years later and I took my first trip to Paris, France where I
tasted
crepes fresh from a stand on the Left Bank. I was hooked. Now I seek them out everywhere and
have
found multiple options in Cleveland, Ohio. One is the West Side Market crepe stand, where the line
often
wraps around the other stalls with eager anticipation. The other is Brewellas in Lakewood, where you can savor
delicious sweet or salty options in a beautiful space. Recently, I learned of a French tradition
La Chandeleur, a Feb. 2 religious
holiday
sort of
like Groundhog’s Day in the US but centered around crepes! I must celebrate next year. So I
needed
to know how to make them! Off to the kitchen I went…
As I examined the tiny figurines curious to learn their story, the seller exclaimed “la fève, la
fève, pour galette des rois”! I thought to myself “beans for cake”? My French leaves much to be
desired, so luckily a fellow shopper noticed my confusion and explained in English that these
figurines were small charms used in a traditional cake called Galette des Rois or King’s Cake.
We were in France at the vintage and antiques market in Aix-en-Provence where the vendor we
discovered had hundreds of these darling pieces.
To be honest, I’m not sure when I learned of Shakshuka for the first time. I’m sure it was
probably through social media, and it was several years ago. But when I saw it on the menu at
one of my favorite places in Boston, Tatte Bakery , I knew I had to try it. Let’s just say, I
was hooked! With that delicious, spicy tomato base topped with over easy eggs, I eagerly dunked
my hearty bread in and ate every bite. I had to learn more and try to recreate at home.
Anyone in the room who is a chocoholic, please raise your hand! Folks, I am guilty as charged.
Whether it’s a gourmet chocolate and peanut butter candy bar or a mint chocolate chip ice cream
cone, I can’t stay away. But I’m always trying to eat healthier, so I’m on the hunt for ways to
have my chocolate and eat it, too, so to speak. I don’t think dark chocolate on its own is
inherently bad in moderation, but oftentimes it is accompanied by all kinds of oils, sugars, or
unrecognizable ingredients. And those who are trying to eat paleo, gluten-free, etc. often have
a hard time finding good options. Plus, if you make your own, you can save money! So it really
is time we get back to the basics and indulge our chocolate addiction with ridiculously simple
no guilt chocolate fix ideas like these. Come along!
If you have followed me at all, you know I am not the best cook or baker in the world. I don’t
like anything super complicated and I’m generally afraid to try some things. But one of the
reasons I started this blog was to push myself out of comfort zones, to try new things, and to
write about it! And I have been wanting to try canning for a long time. I could schedule some
time with friends or family who have experience with canning, but I kind of liked the idea of
tackling it on my own. So here we go!
Ahh, travel, wanderlust, seeing new places, revisiting the old… love it all! But packing for
Europe can be a very stressful, time-consuming process when agonizing between comfort vs style,
unlimited space vs carry-on, etc. In America, you can throw some sneakers and flip-flops in your
bag with some T-shirts, jeans and shorts and be good to go! Europe is a little different. They
tend to shy away from white sneakers, shorts (you may see men in capris), and flip-flops.
