Princess Grace and the Smoking Ham

No, this is not the title of a children’s book—but maybe one day it should be!

For now, this is simply the title of today’s blog because it just so happens to encompass my day from start to finish.

Since a natural (obvious) connection doesn’t exactly exist between Grace Kelly and du jambon, I’ll try to make things a little more clear. Let’s walk through the day together!

After helping the kids off to school, my day began at 9:00 a.m. with a ride into Monaco on the back of one of these:

Needless to say, every dream that Passport to Paris sparked in my heart came true this morning.

Apparently, Friday is market day! Vendors were scattered all around Beausoleil and Monaco this morning selling bright produce and fresh flowers. Under each tent, boxes of prickly pears, apples, figs, nuts and sweetbreads were crammed snuggly against one another. Between the candy-colored shops, the painted walls, the cobbled roads and the market stands, the entire day was full of color. Love that!

 

Et voila, the view from the palace! After walking through the markets for a bit in Beausoleil, I decided that today was the day I was going to do something super-touristy—it’s important to get those things out of the way early, before I start convincing myself that I’m a local and therefore too cool to do things like pay 8 euros to visit the only five rooms of the palace that are open to the public. Whatever—the truth is, I love museums, I love tours, and I love pretending that I’m a princess. So what better place to combine all of those things than in the palais in Monaco?

  

It took a long walk (and a steep climb) to reach the palace, but it was so worth it. I mean, at one point on the tour, I was standing in the room where Princess Grace got married. I’m sure that my little hand-held, tape-recorded tour guide had many more historical facts to share, but you know…it’s the important things that stick.

She was so beautiful.

Après the tour I toured the grounds surrounding the castle for a bit. It’s surrounded by tiny alleyways stuffed with tourist shops, a beautiful cathedral, cobblestone roads, an oceanic museum that I didn’t feel like paying 10 euros to see, and the jardin exotique—a manicured Japanese-style garden.

On a scale of 1-10, I am a solid 12 on the tourist measurement system in that photo.

Once I left the castle, I made a beeline for Rue Caroline—a street I passed through on my way to the palace that’s lined with shops, benches, and croissant-and-coffee breakfast cafes in Monte-Carlo. Favorite shop of the day: Morgan de Toi. So darling. Filmy blouses, printed tees, striped sweaters, faux-fur capes, Chanel-inspired jackets and tinkling charm bracelets. So French, so chic…and surprisingly, so cheap! (Code for: I bought a sweater).

With my purchase tucked under my arm, I headed for another market intent on purchasing an apple. The man I approached laughed when I asked for the price of just one apple, then smiled and placed one in my hand. “Un cadeau,” he said with a smile.

Merci beaucoup, Monsieur! It was crisp and it was perfect. Oh la.

Tonight, I went to La Carrefour with Valerie. It’s a French grocery store where everybody steers their shopping carts the same way they drive on the roads—careening in and out, cutting each other off, swooping in for a parking place (or the last bag of tomatoes). It’s like bumper cars!

The butcher was quite amused when I clapped my hand over my mouth as he sliced off the heads of a few birds that still, uh, had their feathers on. And their beaks. “She’s American,” Valerie explained with a laugh. “Tell her they’re already dead,” he said in French.

And finalement, the smoking ham. While Valerie was picking up some lunch meat for a picnic we’re going to have on Sunday, I noticed a package that read “du jambon fumé.” In French, jambon is ham, and fumer means “to smoke.” As in, a cigarette. So of course the first thing that comes to my mind is a pig with a cigarette dangling out his mouth.

Thank goodness my first trip to the supermarket was with a French person. Valerie kindly explained that the pigs in France do not smoke, nor do humans smoke the ham in the package. It’s simply…smoked ham.

Like, the same kind we have in America.

Got it!

Loving this crazy language thing and all the laughter it brings. :)

xox

A Very Busy Wednesday

Today was a very busy day, and if you know me at all, then you know that I love being busy. Which means that I had a wonderful Wednesday!

Relaxing is nice, don’t get me wrong—yesterday I spent the day lounging poolside (you’d never guess it was October here), unpacking my second suitcase (reclaimed from my Madrid mishap), and skyping with my parents (bonjour, mom and dad!). But you can only take so much tranquility. So today, I hit the ground running—literally!

Valerie and I left the house to join a few of her friends for a jog around 8:45 this morning. The jogging route we took began in France, cut through Monaco, and finished in France once again.

Actually, I lied. It finished at a private beach club, where Valerie and her friends ordered espressos, I ordered an Americano (fitting since, you know, I’m American), and all of us went swimming in the Mediterranean.

 

Valerie told me that there’s nothing like the Mediterranean. She’s right. The water is beautifully clear; the most amazing mix of turquoise and indigo, depending on how the light hits the surface and on the color of the rocks at the bottom.

See what I mean?

Other highlights of the day included:

1. Eating Indian food for lunch

I don’t think I’ve ever actually had Indian food until today, but it was amazing! Lentil, saffron rice, spinach and tofu, chicken with a bright red sauce and pita filled with cheese. Um, delicious! Since my only prior exposure to Indian food was via Along Came Polly (if you haven’t seen it, imagine Ben Stiller, curry, a bathroom, etc. etc.), I’ll admit that I was a little nervous to try it. But I’m so glad that I did! Tres bon :)

2. Purchasing a beautiful new shirt from Addict by French designer Istella Forest

Y’all, the shirt inside that bag was a little expensive. But here’s the thing: I spoke in French with the darling shopkeeper (elle s’appelle Beatrice) for 20 minutes! And to be honest, I was so proud of myself for conducting such an extended conversation that there was no way I was leaving the store without a souvenir.

Is there irony in the fact that the store was called Addict? Don’t answer that…

Why I feel that I have to buy things to prove my competency in French, I don’t know  (ahem…see this post). But, it’s gorgeous…just wait. You’ll see!

3. Stopping to say a prayer in this cathedral (no, dad, I wasn’t repenting for shopping)

4. Taking a beautiful walk by the sea after lunch

5. Baking cupcakes 

I followed the recipe below, but substituted the Nutella with melted 70% dark chocolate (much to my chagrin, the little girl I nanny for is not a Nutella fan). Still, we both highly recommend this recipe. In fact, it was so good that we have been banned from baking for at least one month to allow everyone in the house sufficient time to recover from the chocolate induced coma they are now in.

Good thing I remembered to pack my p90x DVDs

Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes

1 cup flour 

1 tsp. baking powder 

¼ tsp. salt 

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

½ cup Nutella

2 eggs, room temperature

½ cup whole milk

2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (or 175 C, like if you’re in France or something)

In a bowl, whisk the dry ingredients to combine; set aside.  Beat the butter with an electric mixer until it is soft, then add sugar. Add hazelnut spread and mix until smooth.  Add the eggs, one at a time beating until they are well combined. Combine vanilla and milk. Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with dry.  Beat just to combine. Divide batter among the muffin tins, filling each no more and 2/3.  Bake 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting. Makes 14-16 cupcakes

Nutella Frosting

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup nutella

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 - 2 tbsp cream (if needed)

In the bowl of a large mixer, whip butter and nutella until creamy. Gradually add in powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. Add cream or whole milk if needed, for creamier consistency.

Bon apetit, mes amis! xox

Lemon Tarts and Bottled Water

Qu’est ce que c’est? Physical evidence that I actually ordered something successfully «en francais».

Why is “Lemon Tarts and Bottled Water” the title of today’s blog? Because aside from being intriguing (personal opinion), lemon tarts (une tarte aux citron) and bottled water (une bouteille d’eau) have officially become my personal symbols of success.

Usually lemons get a bad wrap: like, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Or, “that car is a lemon!”

Well, my lemon represents confidence. The meringue represents nothing, except maybe calories and goodness. One day I will look back on my pride at saying “Je voudrais une petite tarte aux citron” and laugh. A., because I probably said it wrong, and B., because I mean…it’s a really short sentence. But when the cashier answered in French, took my euros, and handed me a lemon tart smartly wrapped in patesserie paper? I honestly think I beamed at her.

I’m overcoming my fear of speaking imperfectly, one lemon (and bottle of water) at a time.

And now for a few pictures!

At the beginning of the day—the jet lag’s at bay.

At the end of the day, my eyes are as droopy as a cocker spaniel’s. (that didn’t rhyme, but whatever.)

Here’s everything that happened in between those two pictures:

1. Apparently French people really do hang clothes off of balconies! C’est charmant:
 

2. These motorbikes reminded me so much of Passport to Paris (yes, the Mary-Kate and Ashley movie) that I had to take a picture of them. Remember when MK&A hopped on the back of those French boys’ scooters? And had a sword fight under the Eiffel Tower with baguettes? And danced on a rooftop illegally, and ran from the police despite the fact that they were only what…12?

Good times…

No explanation necessary for the pictures of Chanel and Louis Vuitton. J’adore.

3. Moi and the famous Monaco casino; street shots.

4. Colors! So breathtaking. It’s like gingerbread land, but French and not made of candy.

5. Une place a cote de la mer.

6. This hotel (Hotel de Paris) was in the movie Monte Carlo. It’s famous for a lot of other things…but Selena Gomez, y’all.

*Bonus* Meet my new friend Bounty, pronounced “boon-tee”. The sweetest, smartest German shepherd in the world (or so I’m told). Isn’t she a doll? Those eyes…

There are a million more pictures I could post, but I think you get the point: my first day exploring Monaco was a success! Not to mention beautiful.

Thank you so, so much to everyone who is reading, praying, and keeping up with my new adventure. Your comments, messages, and words of encouragement truly mean so much to me, and I’m so excited to keep sharing with y’all!

Take my word for it; next time life gives you lemons…turn them into a tart, top it with meringue, and bon appetit.

bisous, xox

French Connection, pt. deux

Bonjour mes amis!

It’s official…I’m in France! Or to be more exact, I’m in Monaco. Which means I’m surrounded by palm trees, pretending I’m Grace Kelly, enjoying 80 degree weather and looking at this:



That’s what I saw while flying into Monaco. Tomorrow I’ll post a few that I took from the balcony of my new home. Merci beaucoup, God, for sending me here. I am in awe!

But getting to this view didn’t exactly come easy. Actually, let me re-phrase that—getting to this view involved a semi-nightmarish, that-doesn’t-seriously-happen, C-list movie-esque airport experience during my layover in Madrid.

But we’ll have to come back to that later (great teaser, right?) Because today, my first day in France, is the day I finish the story of how I actually got to France in the first place.

Yes, I met a boy (the boy we’ll refer to from here on out as French Connection). And not just any boy—a french boy who was working for his uncle at a bakery I’ve been going to since middle school, who happens to have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen dans ma vie.

Our conversation went like this.

FC: “Eer iz your chick-un sand-weech.”

Me: “Vous etes francais?” (I feel very cool at this point for eeking out a coherent sentence in French. Nevermind that it’s potentially the most basic intro-to-french phrase out there…)

FC: “Oui, lblashdgldshglsdhgilsdhg.” (He’s a native speaker. I can’t keep up with the speed. I sit there, mesmerized by the beauty of the language, positive in that moment that I will never, ever become fluent.)

Me: Silent head nod.

Based on that, you’d think that this friendship would go nowhere, right? Thankfully, my language skills (please interpret that loosely) eventually kicked in, and I was able to come up with another reason to talk to him ask him for a “croissant chaud.” That literally means “hot croissant”—I wanted to say “I’d like this warmed up in the microwave,” but you know, I took whatever my mind could recall at the time and ran with it.

After he brought me my croissant chaud, we made plans to meet up and help each other with the respective languages we wanted to learn—me, French (and also basic American social skills), and him, English.

Long story short: what was supposed to be one coffee-based cultural exchange meeting à la Starbucks turned into a whirlwind tour of Dallas. Even though I was born and raised in Texas, FC somehow knew of embarrassingly more cool dining locales, wine-tasting venues, picnic sites and dessert destinations than I could even begin to name. It’s like I was reintroduced to my own city by a Frenchman. And did I mention he brought me flowers and boatloads of carbs every time he came to see me?





Anyway—after meeting him, I met his uncle (the owner of the bakery) and his wife. Shortly thereafter, I began babysitting occasionally for their daughter. When they found out I had graduated early from school and still hadn’t found a permanent position in Dallas yet (aka that I was jobless…), they asked if I would be interested in working as an au pair for family they had living in France.

I’m pretty sure I didn’t even let them finish their pitch when they asked me about it for the first time. And now, here I am! FC is still in Dallas, but he’ll be here to visit in a month. And his aunt is coming next weekend, which means I’ll see a familiar face soon.

But you know what? I’m not even relying on that like I thought I would. For maybe the first time ever, I am totally okay with everything being such an unknown. Tomorrow, I’ll probably still be sleeping off jet lag (and filling you in on my Madrid misadventure). But come Monday, I’m walking to the nearest village and trying out my French on some other unsuspecting person who will probably expect me to be way more fluent than I actually am. Maybe I’ll freeze up—or maybe I’ll make a new friend in the process.

Mais c’est la vie, non?

xo

All I'm Askin'

is forrrrr a little respect!

Just kidding, I’m actually asking for your follows, likes, questions, comments, shares, support, encouragement, and prayers. But that didn’t match with Aretha’s lyrics, so you know, I thought I’d list them second.

Y’all, this is going to be me soon!



I mean, I won’t be Selena Gomez. And I won’t be brunette. And I won’t be in Monte Carlo, exactly…I’ll be about 20 minutes away, in Monaco. But I definitely could be wearing a boots & ballgown combo. And I definitely WILL be going on all sorts of amazing French adventures!

In reality, I’ll probably look a little more like this:



Yep, that’s me! Holding a glass of wine, pretending I know what the heck I’m doing when I swirl it, blonde…

I will be leaving from Texas on September 30th, and will arrive in Monaco on the 1st of October. So soon, right? I can’t even handle it!

Originally, I created this blog as part of a school assignment while at Pepperdine. (Read more about that here). Since then, it’s become a very exciting way for me to share my recipes, thoughts, inspirations, fashion ideas, and DIY projects. As I begin this new journey, I’d like to take this post to ask a few things of you.

My beautiful followers, friends, and family:

1. Keep reading. It’s an easy, fun way for us all to “stay in touch” while I’m overseas. Plus, I plan on blogging every day to document everything I’m seeing/learning/experiencing. From coffee shops to open air markets to embarrassing admissions of failed attempts at communicating in French, you’ll find my stories and pictures here.

2. I literally covet your prayers and words of encouragement - please send them my way! They were a lifeline for me while I was in California, and I know they will be the same while I’m discovering France.

3. As a writer, blogging is an amazing way for me to get some practice in “publishing” and to start building a following - and by reading, liking, sharing, and commenting on my blogs, you can help me do that! Pass on the link to my blog, or encourage your non-tumblr friends to follow it via bloglovin! (see the fun eiffel tower link over there? —->pass him along)

The easiest way to become a “follower” of my blog if you don’t have a tumblr is to make an account with bloglovin.com. This is a GREAT website—it’s how I stay *updated* on all of the blogs I read! Plus, it’s free! To become an official follower of my blog, register an account at www.bloglovin.com. Once you have made an account, search “decaf and dessert” in the search bar at the top of the website’s page. This will take you to a page that showcases my blog. Simply click “follow”, and you’ll be informed every time I post a picture or thought for the day!

And that’s all I’m askin’!

Since deciding to take this job as an au pair, I’ve had so many people ask me the same question: how the heck did you stumble into his magical setup?

Well, the answer is really very simple, and it starts the same way that every magical story starts: I met a boy…

For now, we’ll call him the “French Connection.” After all, if I hadn’t met him, I wouldn’t be going to France.
Mysterious, huh? Guess you’ll have to keep reading. :)

In closing, I’ve got one last request for you. (I know, right? I’m greedy.) If you would like to, please consider praying these specific things over me:

1. That I will go boldly into this new experience without fear, trembling, or self-awareness.
2. That I will be a light to this French family and their children.
3. That I will have confidence in speaking and learning French, and establish fun relationships with others my age.
4. That I will make the most of every opportunity.
5. That I will connect with someone—be it a person or a church family—that will encourage me spiritually while in France.
6. That I don’t wreck the family’s car when I drive it into Monaco to buy groceries (really though…)

Thank you all so much for always surrounding me in love. I am immeasurably blessed by each and every one of you!

xox