My oh my...

...do I ever have a lot to catch up on! 

I've been neglecting the blog a bit lately. Well, I wouldn't really call it neglecting, more like, I've been missing it dearly and why can't I get by on only 5 hours of sleep so that I can blog before Smaug wakes up kind of neglecting. I've been trying to tweak my daily schedule and lately blogging has taken the hit. I could go all cliche right now with "there's never enough time" and "if only I had more hours in the day," but I'll spare you the doldrum pity party. Just know I've dearly missed this little page of mine, and all of you that do me the honor of stopping on by. 

So, while I slowly begin sifting through the hundreds of pictures I've taken over the last few weeks, which include Oswin's First Birthday, my parent's trip to visit us here in SwitzerFrance, a day in Chamonix, and the like, I'll leave you with some pictures from last weekend's Thoiry Sunday Market. It's been too hot for October/November, but the temperatures are finally dipping into the 50s and dare I say upper 40s, so we're finally get a bit of the leaf show that fall promises. I really miss my fall and winter coats, so if we could just hurry this show up mother nature I'd be much obliged. 

Until then I'll keep drinking tea and pretending that's it cold in our house. 

A la prochaine friends...

Honey 

Before the wine, there was the market.

This past Sunday, before ending our weekend of wine tasting at the Thoiry Salon des Vins, we spent time at our town's weekly outdoor market.

The Thoiry Market is one of my favorite things about living where we do, and we've been making an effort to get to it each week, as we did before I was pregnant. 

A few of the vendors have changed over the years, but most have stayed the same. The wicker basket maker still speaks to me in long and fast French while we barter, blowing smoke from her cigarette in my face, even when I tell her I only understand a little French (and not at that speed). Didier, the man with the chicken stand, sometimes offers us some wine while we wait in line for eggs. The flower lady never charges us enough, and sometimes not at all. Our olive guy is always busy but kind. The husband and wife who run the cheese stand have named us "The Lovers," and the husband often sings to us. The guy with the book stand always has an assortment of used Agatha Christie books in French, mixed in with some more scandalous fare. The guy who sells the nettle cheese will always try to get us to come over for a taste, though we never do. The guy who yells a lot has the best strawberries. He always always does. 

Every Sunday it's the same, and we love it. Thoiry's market isn't as large as some of the neighboring markets, like Ferney-Voltaire or Divonne, but it's our market. It's small, like our town. It's cozy, like our town. It's kind of like the "Cheers" of France: if you go enough everyone will know your name, or at least, your order. 

I'm looking forward to fall's upcoming crisp days at the market. I'd much prefer being bundled up for the 2+ mile walk to and from, to sweating while lugging back our groceries. There's something about coming home from the market with flushed cheeks, after following your breath for a mile, that makes my heart happy. Putting the kettle on to make some coffee while we prep brunch, opening up a bottle of wine to accompany it, while watching the chill grow outside, it's just my favorite way to celebrate a Sunday. 

What's your favorite way to celebrate a Sunday?

A la prochaine friends...

Honey 

Oswin's First French Market.

Last week, Oswin checked another first off of her list: her first French market. And what better market to be her first than our favorite and local market right here in Thoiry! 

With my parents in tow, we walked the mile into town, saying hello to the cows and mountain along the way... 

...and once there began to show Oswin the ropes. For starters, always take pictures, because as an expat, you never know how many French markets you're going to get. 

Second, always get the staples: bread, cheese, olives and flowers. And sometimes Vietnamese food. (It's true.) 

And lastly, always be willing to try new things. We've been here for almost 4 years now and we're still finding new things at our market. This week for instance, we got some dried peaches from our olive guy that were just to die for. Seriously, they were like little pieces of highly addictive candy. You just never know what you're gonna find, so always be open to try new things! 

With our wicker baskets full, we began the mile trek home to spend the day hanging out with family, eating the goodies we procured at the market, and watching American football - is there anything that screams more French Sunday than that? 

Ok, two out of three French Sunday things ain't bad..

A la prochaine friends...

Honey

Market Day.

 

I've been living for the weekends lately. Doc is so busy with work it seems that the only time I get him all to myself are Saturday and Sunday. We spent Friday night plotting and scheming for what fun things we wanted to do this weekend, and our number one pick was to head back to the Ferney-Voltaire market for the second week in a row.

 

{Yo Voltaire!}

 

I had found a bunch of recipes on pinterest that I had wanted to try, as well as to revisit a few of our own oldies but goodies, so we thought Ferney would be the place to find what we need.

 

 

In fact it was (as per usual), as the Ferney-Voltaire market is one of the few places I've found where it's possible to get beets with the greens attached (most French supermarkets, at least in our area, sell beets sealed in plastic, without the greens, and looking gross.), and they were bio (read: organic) at that. We also managed to pick up over 3 kilos (more than 6.6 lbs!) of assorted figs (purple and green), and over a kilo of what last week were the best black cherries I had ever eaten. However, it should be noted that yesterday Doc informed me that lately everything I've eaten has been "the best [insert food here] I've ever eaten," showing that my love of food is back, at least for now. Needless to say his confidence with cooking has been through the roof lately.

 

 

I was hoping to find some Mirabelles and Reine Claudes (called Greengage plums in the US), as well, as their season is quickly approaching, but none yet. Fingers crossed for next week...

 

{Family portrait: Mama, Papa and Homekid}

 

We also picked up some delicious bio apple juice (don't worry it was pasteurized), which I've been mixing with seltzer water lately. I call them spritzers. Mama likes her bubbly! 

 

 

We made some really great dishes this weekend, including some that we can affectionately call "Keep Mama Cool Or Else," so look for them this week as I'll be sharing some of my favorites.

 

 

And with my belly only getting bigger and the temperatures only getting warmer this week (31 C on Thursday, 32 C on Friday, and 34 C on Saturday!), I'm gonna need all the cool treats I can get.

 

{Voltaire was here.}

 

{27 weeks and 2 days}

 

Hope you all had a great weekend out there, complete with cool drinks and air conditioners.

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey