September 30, 2012

world, meet winslow. winslow, meet world.

This is Winslow. S/he is our new Bronze-winged Pionus.



I am so excited, I may actually burst with happiness.

September 18, 2012

tarte aux fraises.

Summer has come and gone my friends. It's September! In the last month and a half, I've seen friends and family from Australia, Holland, and the US. I have travelled to Binic, Toulouse, Andorra, Perpignan, Amsterdam, and Haarlem. I have applied for a job in Norway. I have wrote a journal article. I have started LSF classes and volunteering with Kiva.

In an effort to slow things down a bit, this past weekend Vincent and I went to our local farm and picked by hand some fresh produce: zuchinni, corn on the cob, yellow beans, green peppers, eggplants, red chili peppers, tomatos, red kuri squash, patty pan squash, and strawberries. I mean, lots and lots of strawberries.


We came home, and I decided it was high time I tried my hand at a tarte aux fraises (strawberry tart). I found this recipe on the kurryleaves blog. Thank you kurryleaves.

First, the dough (read: lots of butter and lots of sugar).
Then the yummy vanilla cream (yay, more sugar!)


After filling the tart with the cream, you top it off with a layer of strawberries!


I have to admit, I quite pleased with the result. I think Vincent is too. 

Yumnumnumnumnumnum.

Now back to it. Bec and Mark arrive in a few days and we have a week of F.U.N planned. 

I will also "graduate," have a language and skills assessment by French immigration, and submit a post-doc application I've been preparing for the last month (fingers crossed, as this position is actually in Paris). 

Then, Vincent and I are off to pick up the new addition to our family. Stay tuned.