RSS Feed

Posts Tagged ‘food’

  1. Life essentials

    April 25, 2012 by Audrey

    I am a big fan of Joy The Baker. Not only I can’t wait to have a kitchen to try her recipes, but I also thoroughly enjoy reading her quirky personal posts. One of them, Life Essentials, lists a few (ahem) things that, to her, are essentials. A list… of course, my heart skipped beat and it inspired me to make one of my own.

    So, from totally whimsical to absolutely serious, here is in a complete lack of order what is essential to me…

    Freedom: The ultimate luxury. Freedom to move, freedom to love, freedom of speech – there is no flavor of freedom that I don’t find essential.

    My iPad: Because it replaced my books, my magazines, my CD & DVD collection, my planner, my notebook… Because it keeps me organized, alerts me when something needs to be done, entertains me when I travel, allows me to chat with my friends around the globe or to splurge on a new pair of shoes, keeps me connected with my social networks and let’s me work remotely without weighting a ton.

    My iPhone: See iPad. Add make phone calls and tells me how to get where I need to go.

    My nail polish collection.

    Sunshine: Since I moved back to France I saw very little of it. It has been cold, rainy, windy… A perfect November weather. I am digging deep into my willpower savings not to get depressed. That’s when I realized how much sunshine is important to me.

    Hugs: French people don’t hug. It’s sad.

    My family: I see a lot of sadness around me lately and it reminds me how much I cherish my family and how important it is to give them my time.

    A French Press: There’s no better coffee in the morning.

    Yoga.

    Chanel #5.

    Jazz music: In the large sense of the term. There’s a really great radio station around here, Frequence Jazz; it reconciled me with listening to the radio.

    Peanut Butter: But of course, if you know me, you know that.

    Cats: Hearing them purring under your caress is the best and most relaxing feeling in the world. You were wondering about that photo, weren’t you?

    Black patent leather stilettos: Because they make pretty much anything look sexy.

    The Internet: Without it, we wouldn’t be here, chatting, would we?

    I’m sure I forgot things here and there…

     

    What are your life essentials?

    Category Lifestyle | Tags: ,,,,,, | 2 Comments

  2. Tea Time!

    April 17, 2012 by Audrey

    It is common to hear that the longer you live alone, the more habits you develop. I’m also starting to realize that, when you’re living with another person, you tend to hold on to habits as  a way to define your own identity and your own rhythm in the cohabitation. I don’t know if it really works this way for couples (my experience is limited at that level) but I can guarantee that’s the case in a roommate situation. Especially when the roommate is my 84 years old, very opinionated, grandmother.

    According to my grandmother:

    Breakfast should be sweet, and it should be light. Hers: a coffee and a little brioche; mine: eggs & veggie omelets. She cringes.

    Lunch should have at least an appetizer and an entrée. Hers: salad + meat or fish + vegetables + cheese and/or fruit (on a light day). Mine: salad or soup and 1/2 sandwich. She cringes.

    Soup at lunch is a blaspheme. Soup is made to be eaten at dinner.

    Doors are made to be closed. I just can’t seem to remember that rule.

    The washing-machine is HER territory. If I want to do my laundry, I need to ask her first how to use it.

    Wet clothes go on the drying rack a certain way. In a certain order. With a certain distance between them.

    Washing dishes (by hand, we don’t have a dishwasher) is and art. I’m not allowing her in the room if I do it (when I find a way to sneak in during her nap time and do it) because she’s getting palpitations seeing how I do it.

    Vegetables are made to be cooked “au gratin”. I bought microwavable steamed veggies one day and when she realized they were steamed, she ended-up putting them back in the freezer and making a zucchini gratin instead.

    TV is made to be watched 2 networks at a time, skipping at each commercial break. Of course, there’s a schedule (and Monday’s Cold Case always make me home sick but I can’t tell her that).

    Now, there’s one habit where we ‘re getting along just fine: tea time! We moved it from the 5:00 p.m. traditional British way to our own 4:30ish p.m. It give me a little break from writing/answering emails/doing geeky stuff on the computer and it breaks her afternoon. It’s our time to chat (no TV games to watch), to reconnect and to recharge our batteries. It’s the time  where we’re not terribly matched roommates but we’re back to a loving grandmother/granddaughter relationship. And it’s for those moments that I am glad I made the decision to come back.

    Category Lifestyle | Tags: ,,,, | 8 Comments

  3. Bucket List | The 3 M’s

    March 18, 2012 by Audrey

    One before last weekend in Philadelphia, crossing more off the bucket list with a busy Saturday revolving around 3 Ms: Mutter Museum & Morimoto.

    The former happened in the mid afternoon (couldn’t believe the museum closes at 5:00 pm, seems so early). No one was better suited to join me in those creepy adventures than my friends J. & C. The boys were jumping around from skeleton to skeleton and skull to skull and I was trying to stay composed at the view of those deformed embryos, Siamese babies attached by the head, so on and so force. The story of the original “Siamese” twins (whom were actually Chinese), their 21 children and difference of character gave us the good laugh we needed before leaving the place. Two things I’ll take out of it: a new respect for surgeons (what’s in there is darn ugly and all looks the same to me) and a renewed gratitude for having a working body and no weird genetical disease.

    The later, was, well, later… I decided to take my BFF, A., for a celebratory dinner of our eight years of friendship. Cocktails, edamame, lobster salad, sushi combination… It was a feast of deliciousness. Was the dinner worth the price tag? Maybe. Maybe not. The friendship was, definitely. Not the best sushi I ever had (which was in a small Japanese restaurant in Park City, UT) but a serious freshness and variety of fish; and that lobster salad (with avocado & orange slices) was out of this world. I wish I had enough appetite to try one of the entree, where I’d think Masaharu Morimoto’s talent probably shines best but that will be for another time…

    Overall, very happy to have avoided the hors of drunk, green, leprechauns last night and to have had a very “grown-up” day instead.

    Category Culture | Tags: ,, | No Comments

  4. Winner announcement | You know you you’re from Philly when…

    March 17, 2012 by Audrey

    A couple weeks ago I launched the first ever OhLittleAudreySays contest, themed around my beloved Philadelphia. Up for grab: a fantastic goody basket from the Pennsylvania General Store filled with cupcakes, pretzels, chocolate… you name it.

    The sentence to finish was: You know you’re from Philly when…

    Random.org helped me pick a winner: Janet McGlynn.

    According to Janet: You know you’re from Philly when you travel and wonder why is there no scrapple on the breakfast menu??

    Love it!

    Janet – Please contact me at hello@ohlittleaudreysays.com to claim your gift.

    Everyone else – I encourage you to visit the PA General Store for all sorts of yummy foods (their cookies are famous all the way to France) and print the 15% off coupon below (redeemable online, with phone orders or at their Reading Terminal Market location)!

    Category Shopping | Tags: ,,, | No Comments

  5. Contest – You know you’re from Philly when…

    March 2, 2012 by Audrey

    If you’re a regular reader of this blog you already know that I will be leaving our lovely city of Philadelphia at the end of the month. I wanted to end that huge part of my life on a fun note; and what better way to part than with a bunch of goodies…

    Up for grab is a bountiful assortment of Philadelphia food favorites! An impressive basket of treats from the Pennsylvania General Store that includes Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets and Chocolate Cupcakes, Asher’s Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Melrose Diner Butter Cookies, Uncle Jerry’s Hard Pretzels, Asher’s Keystone Crunch, a Chocolate Liberty Bell, Society Hill Toffee Nuts, Pretzel Pete’s Honey Mustard, Anastasio Italian Market Reserve Coffee, a Philadelphia Love Mug, a Replica Constitution, Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews and a Replica Liberty Bell!

    Some good stuff right?

    The rules are simple: finish the sentence “You know you’re from Philly when…” in the comment section of the blog (comments left on Facebook & Twitter will not be taken into account). I will pick (random draw) and announce the winner on March 16th.

    Ready. Set. Be creative!

    Category Lifestyle | Tags: ,, | 14 Comments

  6. Me Day

    January 23, 2012 by Audrey

    So, as I mentioned in my previous post, yesterday was my birthday. I wanted the celebration to be simple and sophisticated. And it was.

    First, I woke-up to a white Philadelphia. It made me smile. My “Indian name” is Birthday In The Snow… A long story for another post some day.

    Second, I treated myself to a movie: The Artist. And it was a perfect balance of beautiful picture and incredible acting. Just laughed a little bit when I was able to hear Jean Dujardin’s French accent in the only spoken line he has in the entire movie. Cute.

    Third, K. and M. took care of my birthday dinner: some tofu/pineapple/collard greens concoction (M. is vegan) that was a delight for the taste buds. Funny that I actually happen to really like Tofu, and I’m not sure they even knew that.

    Mr. J.J. was in charge of my birthday dessert, Creme Brulee. Second year in a row, I think it’s starting to become a tradition. I’m wondering he’s going to make that happen next year.

    It was a small dinner at home, just 5 of us, and it was wonderful. We cracked open a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, left-over from New Year’s Eve and had conversation about sex, death and nuclear pipes. What’s not to love?

    Next and final pit-stop was at R2L, and its fantastic view of the city. There, a dozen of my friends gathered around a dessert plate (playing second serving with desserts here, don’t tell anyone), gesture of the establishment and their adorable Sales & Marketing Manager.

    I realized several things last night:

    1. I couldn’t have been better surrounded than by the people that were there. They’re the friends that stuck with me through good times and rough patches.

    2. I have a LOT of girl friends… Gentleman, they’re such an amazing group of ladies… It you don’t snag the single ones quick someone else will!

    3. My tolerance to SideCars is highly improved – which I’m grateful for. The day my tolerance for brandy/bourbon/whiskey-based drinks will be directly proportional to my love for them will be a happy day.

    So, here we are, the beginning of another year. It’s going to be a fantastic journey!

    Category Lifestyle | Tags: ,,,, | No Comments

  7. Post Christmas Candy Canes

    January 16, 2012 by Audrey

    Candy Canes as a Christmas tree ornament is something I discovered when I moved in the U.S. They have not been very popular in France until the past few years. Even now, the “Candy Cane” look & feel might start to rise (see my sister’s Christmas tree on the picture) but the candy itself rarely makes it to the branch.

    I wondered about the idea of using food as an ornament and what happens to those Candy Canes after Christmas is over… Not really something you can nicely box and save for next year. Trash? What a waste! I love the idea of candy canes on my Christmas tree but I want to make sure it recycles in some ways…

    So I did some research. And guess what: it does recycle!

    Among the many ideas offered by Chef Sarah Mentzer on her blog At Home For Dinner, one seem to be a perfect continuation in the everything-red traditions: from Christmas to Valentine’s Day! “For Valentine’s Day, unwrap two mini candy canes and place on a baking sheet in the shape of a hear. Bake at 350 degrees F for a couple of minutes until the stick together. Cool and remove with a spatula. Cute on top of a frosted cupcake if you use the mini candy canes.”

    Many other ideas on her “Cleaning out the Fridge: Leftover Candy Canes” post!

    Do you put real candy canes on your Christmas tree? What do you do with them after Christmas? Please don’t respond “eat them all”…

    Category Eating & Drinking | Tags: ,, | 2 Comments

  8. Ode to Hot Cocoa

    January 10, 2012 by Audrey

    Heaven is for when your soft whipped cream touches my lips
    Opulent is for your rich texture and your spicy flavors
    Tasty are the hints of vanilla and cinnamon

    Crazy is how I feel about you on a cold winter day
    Optimistic is how you make me feel after I drink you
    Captivated by warmth, well being and childhood memories
    Of you deliciousness one more sip I will take
    And close my eyes in happiness.

    Category Eating & Drinking | Tags: , | No Comments

Older Entries