November 27, 2012

trop mignon.


So. Winslow loves beans, and tomatoes, and spinach, and corn, and zuchinni, and well...she eats anything really. A really un-picky parrot according to the standards of parrot books and on the Internet. She also is ridiculously cute and curious. Although, I wouldn't call her a "morning parrot."


In the last week, we've taught her "step-up," and she loooooves it when we scratch her neck and under her chin.


Come visit. She loves new people!

November 14, 2012

November 3, 2012

chocolate pasta with creamy wine sauce.

Yesterday was Toussaint Day (All Saints Day), so of course France had the day off. To enjoy this mid-week break, Vincent and I headed to the big city to see the Salon du Chocolat. Yes, that's right. A chocolate festival.

People, I have never seen so much chocolate in my life. Pretty overwhelming. Vincent tasted his heart's delight, while I envisioned being stampeded by over-eager chocolate eaters. I did get a chocolate cookbook though and even met the author himself! Crazy British bloke who was enthusiastically explaining the art of chocolate making to any French person who didn't know English to walk by!



One of the best finds of the day was just too mysterious to pass by. Chocolate pasta. Those Italians really stretch pasta to the limits of imagination!

When we got home I scoured the Internet for what we could do with this food anomaly. When I saw this recipe for a creamy white-wine sauce I knew we had found something important, perhaps even life-changing. I mean it has cream, wine.... chili peppers. All the ingredients needed to make happiness.





Although it all took a little longer than expected to make (as usual, when I'm following recipes) the result was a pretty happy, creamy, wine-y dinner.The chocolate pasta didn't have as much flavor as I had hoped (or feared), but no matter. We ate, we drank (or I did, Vincent is such a teetotaler sometimes), and we were merry.