No matter how many times I have tried, I have come to the conclusion that I simply am not great at making baked goods. I have a hard time accepting defeat (I have a framed quote of “Anything is possible!” on my desk…), but baking and I have never been friends. And I have tried everything! When it comes to desserts, it’s just not my thing. I am a believer that foods made with love simply taste . . .
Archives for April 2015
Tiny balcony renovation
When I moved out of my tiny 30m2 Parisian flat to move into my then-boyfriend’s (now-Husband's) 110m2 suburban mansion (anything over 40m2 is a mansion by Parisian standards), I was thrilled with all the space… and get this: there was a balcony!! Any Big City dweller can appreciate the rarity of such a thing, so that was just icing on the cake! After almost 10 years and 5 different apartments in . . .
Jonathan’s spaghetti bolognese
Sometimes I have to take a step and just be thankful for the lovely little French family I somehow got lucky enough to marry into. We have been relocating from Paris to London for what feels like an eternity (okay, it’s only been about 5 weeks of back-and-forths, and there are much worse problems to deal with…). Last week, we had to return to Paris for yet another formality: my French . . .
Brined rotisserie roast chicken
The “Rotisserie Roast Chicken” is an institution in French culture. At least, in Paris that definitely seems to be the case! I will never forget my first few months of living in Paris, and walking past the rotisseries with their chickens roasting away outside, filling the neighborhod with the delectable aroma of a perfectly-roasted chicken. You see, French rotisserie’s have a certain savoir faire . . .
Ikea Bygel cart makeover
I have been wanting to create my very own bar cart DIY project for months, so I’m very excited to reveal our version of the Ikea Bygel makeover! If Hubby weren't around to stop me, I probably would have spray painted everything in our house gold. Seriously, I’m obsessed with it! It all started when I was looking into theme ideas for our wedding last summer, and I fell in love with everything . . .
Homemade Ranch dressing
After moving to France, there were a few things that I missed sooo much food-wise that I would really stock up on during my visits back home to Detroit. Over the years, I got used to French products and relied less and less on my precious stock of American goods. I remember once during my first year in Paris I literally came back with an entire suitcase of American goodies like peanut butter, . . .
Perfect-every-time caramel cream sauce
I’ve been trying to enjoy this Fall-like weather as much as I can, and nothing reminds me of Fall more than a rich and creamy caramel cream sauce. This is one of those recipes that I like to use when I don’t necessarily have time for a big fancy dessert, but still want an impressive end to a meal. Almost everyone loves caramel sauce, and you can serve it over fruit for a very simple snack or . . .
Crockpot Beef & Broccoli
Okay so, I have a confession to make: when it comes to making anything from any Asian cuisine other than plain rice (and even then, I use a rice cooker..), I am definitely challenged. When I decided to try this recipe I knew there was already a pretty big chance of failure. I didn’t let that stop me though, and I’m so glad I didn’t! I’ve tried to make curries, stir fry’s, noodle dishes, soups . . .
Homemade shake-n-bake
I must be craving a taste of home these days because most of the recipes I’ve cooked up in the past few weeks have been my own homemade versions of some of my favorite childhood treats. One of the easiest, most-delicious ways to make chicken is shake-n-bake! The flavour is where it’s at, it couldn’t be easier, and is a sure bet to having deliciously moist baked chicken. And it’s fun to make, so . . .
Ikea Bekvam stool makeover
Updated February 2019 Click here to skip to the tutorial If you’ve been reading my blog, then you know that I relocated from Paris to London for work. When I decided to move to London, I gave away or sold most of my furniture, and only brought a few things, almost all from Ikea. Apartment hunting in London was significantly easier than in Paris: I ended up choosing the first flat I . . .
