Happy Holidays!
So here we are and what a year it has been. I don’t even have the energy to comment.
Let’s hope 2021 brings some measure of normality back.
Christmas Menu tomorrow night:
I’m in the mood for Kir Royale these days which works perfectly well with Freixenet black label (at just 6-10€ a bottle!). It’s also a bit sharper than champagne which balances out the cassis very nicely.
Salmon en Croute (Delia’s recipe)
And a shop-bought (Picard) chocolate fondant, which is sublime.
I’m setting up a little bistro table in the red room and it’s us, Maya, Morgan and a lit fire.
The weather was lovely yesterday, a balmy 18º C and sunny. Today’s not bad either, but the cold is coming next week.
Have fun and BE SAFE!!!
My Mazamet 
Sounds like a delightful evening!
These carrots en crout caught my eye. They’re reminiscent of “pigs in a blanket”, a classic Americana app. (A few tweaks would make them vegan.)
https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/carrots-en-croute
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What a wonderful idea! And spicing them could make them a bit Indian 🙂
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Happy Holidays!
Let’s all hope that the next year will be better for all of us
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Yes, but especially for me!!!
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Of course, Pink.
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Cheers, Edouard. A perfect menu. All the very best to you and Mike and dogs.
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Thank you! How are things going in your tier?
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We’re in tier 2 in Shropshire, and people in our village pretty relaxed all in all, though the very elderly continue to be cautious. I have been v. glad of my sanity space at the allotment with other gardeners. Nothing like sharing a resort with people who enjoy getting horribly dirty.
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Things are fairly relaxed here too. The southern Tarn has one of the lower contagion rates in France which is comforting 🙂
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That’s good to hear. Keep up the good work 🙂
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The meal sounds delightful. I bought cassis and cava yesterday with the same thing in mind!
Let’s hope we can put this appalling year behind us soon.
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We’d accidentally left cava behind when we left Spain and it’s time for a resurrection! 😀
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I used to use Saumur .methode traditionelle when living in the area, but can’t find it here, So cava is was, Freixenet, and at a reasonable price, at which point one could have knocked me down with a feather!
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Merry Christmas, my friend! And, like the great Luca Brasi once said, “may all your children be masculine children.”
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LOL! Those Italians… 😀
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Happy Holidays sir
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To you and your partner as well. Are you in lockdown or free?
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Kind of more of a purgatory between them. We’ll go into more of a lockdown Dec 26th for at least 2 weeks. Gotta get those last minute super-spreader holiday sales in first
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Sounds a lot like here!
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Happy New Year, Pink! I know your posts will be a bright spot in mine!
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To you and your wife as well, Steve! Hope things aren’t too bad in Chicago.
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Food & Drink are the most important traditions for the holiday season. If that’s all one partakes in this year, then that will be enough… So says all of us.
(Had to go research your recipes and such. Blackcurrant liquor and champagne, salmon in puff pastry and celery root soup. Sounds like a worthy feast.)
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That’s most of what I did this year. That and washing my hands!
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Well said! Have a good one. 🙂
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-hugs- Your Christmas is sounding a lot like ours – me, the Offspring, Mogi, Golli and Harry. No fire though! The weather is lovely and cool at the moment but it’s still summer. 🙂
We’re having two Five Spice ducks. We’ll eat one hot on Christmas Eve and we’ll have the second cold as Peking Duck on Christmas Day. I made the chocolate mousse last night and it really is the best I’ve ever made – silky smooth with just a tiny bit of bite from the aromatic rum… Ahem.
I hope you and Mike and the furkids have a delicious and safe Christmas.
Much love from DownUnder!
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Ditto! We’re planning to relax and take in the notion change is coming 🙂
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Hear, hear! I shall raise a glass of non-alcoholic Shiraz in your direction this evening [Christmas Eve]. Salut. 🙂
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Sounds delicious! Happy holidays to you both (and the furry ones)!
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To you guys too! Hope things are calm in the centre!
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Be festive!
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Is that possible,? I’m not sure I’m built for such a thing. How are things in your part of Brazil?
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I’m not sure I’m built for such a thing.
Never in even my wildest imagination did I dream I could ever hear a gay man say those words!
Our part is fine’ish. Vale do Paraíba has been spared the crap boiling away in SP (one end) and Rio (the other end).
No fed plan for vaccination/distribution, but the SP governor thankfully took control of everything months ago.
Southern France fairing OK?
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I’m a pre1980 gay, which is a special kind with a much darker mind 😀
The southeast of France is bad, here in our part of the southwest we’re under control, fortunately. Also, we’re in the countryside which makes control easier. No crowded apartment blocks and such.
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Merry Christmas.
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To you too, Clare! I’d make a tiers joke, but I imagine you’re all tired of it 😀
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All we can do is hope the vaccines work.
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Merry Christmas!
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To you and your family as well!
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Have you seen this, Edouard? Dr Gabor Mate: first episode free:
https://www.wholehearted.org/title/healing-trauma-addiction/
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No! I hadn’t seen it. Thanks so much for thinking of me 🙂 As you know, I’m a huge fan of his. is work has rocked my world in the best possible ways.
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He is an extraordinary man yet so ‘understated’ in demeanour. Just opens one’s brain up with every word. Tx
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Dear E. I’m remembering an email exchange we had a long time ago about you writing your memoirs… I have an ancient email address and phone number for you, could you drop me a line. Sending you both love.
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Just sent you an email
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I know that I’m not really wordpressing these days, but I wanted to pop on and see how you are doing. I hope you’re well, and that you find a little joy every day. I’m not sure what direction I’m going in, but I seem to be working with a lot of past traumas these days, with varying degrees of success. It’s hard to dismiss the protective barriers I’ve put up in order to hide the trauma from myself. I think it was you who recommended The Body Keeps the Score — it was a great book. x’s / o’s.
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I’ll email you this evening 🙂
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