Canal.

So this morning my fabulous friend Nicole in Espondeilhan sent me a link to the new Bikram Yoga Studio in Montpellier which opens on 1st July with the words "Now you really can come back!!" So I've been indulging in some serious reminiscing about the time when our family lived in France:

Thanks to my husband's pedantic diarising of the entire eight months we were away, I know for a fact that today, two years ago, we were cycling along the Canal du Midi:

We had lunch by the canal at Poilhes, at the picture perfect, restaurant La Tour Sarracine:

And this is what I ate. Scallop risotto with truffle shavings:

Followed by cuisse de lapin:

Et pour le désert, chocolate fondant with choc/mint ice cream:

I can still remember how it tasted utterly delicious. Sitting out in the Languedoc sunshine on a beautiful blue afternoon:

We went to the same restaurant at the end of our stay, for lunch the day before I checked into the hospital in Beziers for Camelia's birth. No sunshine that day as it was the middle of winter. So we sat inside and Tobes fed  bits of his steak hache to the restaurant dog:

This would never happen in Hobart as dogs aren't allowed to be within a one metre radius of the outside of any restaurant, let alone inside. It really is a long way between Tasmania and France. Especially as we now travel with not three but four children. Having previously negotiated all of the challenges that you face when you move your family to France for 8 months - visas, the language, schools, shop opening hours, bureaucracy AND having a baby - I would do it all again.....in a heartbeat. And I'm sure the rest of my family would too.

R

Manic.

Things have been manic in my house and unfortunately I've had the mood to match. Yet, I'm happy to report that this week I have been to Bikram Yoga every day and have finally managed to accomplished all of that tedious back to school palaver. Books...tick. Shoes...tick. Uniforms...tick. Haircuts...tick.

I have also done the hard yards in the boys bedroom going through ALL of their drawers and ALL of their toys - a job not for the feint hearted. In my quest I went here, not once, but twice today:

These boxes inspired  Felix to sort through ALL of his Lego - cheap at any price.

The result of all of this over the top domestic drudgery is that today I feel euphoric and haven't shouted at my children once...except for maybe when Tobes overfilled the handbasin which seriously fessed up the floor. Isn't it truly peverse that tidying up can be so therapeutic?

So tonight I am cooking a French dinner for six. My organisation is such that I have made the gougeres - to have with drinks:

A panicked call to my friend Mary, the ultimate pastry chef, assured my that they can be quickly reheated just before serving.

The Caramelised Onion Tart entree:

And Rabbit with Agen Prunes for main which I am going to dish up with potatoes that I have just been out and picked from the garden - lucky my children don't have a pet rabbit:

For dessert I have made individual chocolate pots which will go on a plate with a chocolate biscuit, fresh raspberries and double cream. You will just have to imagine this dessert spectacular in your mind's eye and hopefully I'll remember to take a photo if I don't get too tiddly and caught up in chat.

The chocolate biscuits are from Nigella's How to Be a Domestic Goddess. Seeing school starts this week I've made the dough which you can then leave in the fridge and bake in the mornings while you are feeding your children breakfast before you have to throw them and their lunchboxes into the car and race them to school. If you are looking for an easy packed lunch addition all you need to do is cream 250g soft butter with 125g caster sugar, mix in 300g self raising flour and 30g dutch press cocoa powder. Roll into walnut sized balls and then bake at 150 degrees for around 12 minutes....et voila recess snack sorted.

Last night I went out to dinner here:

I wouldn't rush back - we were the only people in the entire restaurant and I understand why. The occasion was celebrate Kim's big brother's milestone birthday. He's not letting age get him down - he was sporting a mohawk.

I wore my new jacket that I bought at the net-a-porter sale:

What am I going to wear tonight? I'd better just peel the potatoes before I commit.

R