Gone Fishing

Last Sunday we bought Rémi his first full season fishing permit, available in all public lakes anywhere in France, and all for 5€ (must be under 12yrs)!!! Now this I thought to myself, with visions of the Trout we caught on a trip to Italy a few years ago with big cousin Clement, could be the source of many a healthy, cheap BBQ.

Val Ferret, Italy

The permit in Italy is 40€/adult and 28€/child for the day only!, with a maximum of 5 trout per person (unless you have a wink wink nod nod agreement with the fishing warden, but I wouldn't know anything about that)

Alas you get what you pay for! In this case not much!! well nothing at all actually.

A fellow fisherman mentioned that we, and obviously him also, might have a little more success if Oban was constantly jumping in the water! - do you really think so?
Oh well never mind (lucky I bough some chicken that morning) if all else fails there's always bananas or chewy logs to be found!

Despite this, Rémi had a wonderful time, and is enthusiastic about going again.  Fine by me! I got to sit and knit (yes, in public no less) and Tino amused himself pulling faces and playing in a small stream near by.
Unfortunately 3 garden worms perished for our efforts!

Vegetarian Week

For the past few weeks I've been so inspired by Courtney's A Life Sustained CSA posts and her amazing cooking skills that I decided to make vegetables the star of the show for a few days.  We always have veg with our meals but this week it has been the main attraction, so to speak.
Rémi chose the menu mainly from River Cottage Veg Everyday
and it went something like this...

Chick Pea Pasta with Mint and Almond Pesto

I have tons of mint in the garden so this was a much cheaper alternative to using basil - which I will never have lots of as it wilts and dies when I go near it!

Green Beans & New Potatoes in Spicy Coconut Milk and Dhal

No close up here as I managed to overcook the green beans thus giving them that pale green canned veg look, very un-appetizing!  Then to add insult to injury I carbonized the caramelized onions in the Dhal!!

Pizza

No particular theme, just using up bits from the fridge - red pepper, spinach, chestnuts, feta, parmesan...

Leek and Chestnut Risotto

Sweet Potatoe & Peanut Butter Gratin with Couscous Salad

This was a big hit!! yummy and colourful, with enough left over for lunch the next day!

Friday evening, after no comment all week from Richard, I asked him what he thought of this weeks dinner menu- 

"no meat, I need meat!"

AHH!!

So armed with my 'savings' (I spent less on groceries this week!) off I went to market to buy a BIG chicken.

"Farm chicken or chicken?" asked the vendor

"Farm chicken or what"!

No, I'm not that naïve.  I know perfectly well that the 'or what' was a battery hen.  But am I the only one who finds it a sorry state of affairs when you have to specify that you want a bird that actually has had a farm life - you know, eating bugs, walking in the grass etc etc? 

I also popped into the supermarket for some chipolatas as Richard wanted to have a BBQ, but resisted the urge to ask the butcher guy details of the former living conditions of the pigs, as I knew I wouldn't like the answer.  Richard did a fairly good job of semi burning the meat but despite this,with every mouthful made 'yum yum um this is so good' noises.   Ok I get it, no more completely vegetarian weeks!

Oh and this was much appreciated by everyone, even if it was meat free

Pumpkin Teabread & Cheese

Hide and Seek

Linking up with Soulemama today for

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Getting to the church on time!

Linking up with Ginny today for a Yarn Along...

It was a close call, but I finished and blocked my Aestlight Shawl Friday night for the wedding on Saturday.

Not that I really needed it as it was a boiling hot day.  Lots of lovely ladies looking pretty in strappy summer dresses while the men folk all trussed-up suits and ties got a little 'hot under their collars', (but at least they got to wear flats!!)
I accesorized with my beautiful mothers day gifts of a hand painted bag & bracelet and a few roses from my mother-in-laws garden, and made a mental note to myself to remember that when putting flowers in your hair it's a good idea to have put your dress on first!

Whilst I'm waiting for my copy of Taproot to arrive, I'm re-re-reading a collection of short stories by John Steinbeck (Tortilla Flat, Of Mice & Men, The Moon is Down, The Red Pony, The Pearl, Cannery Row), and will probably read it again in the future. I've had this book since I was about 18 and never tire of it!
So to finish here is a picture of Emline, who made a most beautiful bride

and my two little monkeys, clean (ish, someone gave Tino a chocolate chip cookie 5 minutes before we left for church), with freshly cut hair and wearing ties!!