If you do not want to buy the pie crust

Seriously, I saw Jamie Oliver explaining why make when you can buy

whenever he unrolls the piece of dough from a blue freezer bag on TV. I buy too, except I don't have to explain to anybody. I knew it could be frustrating making one.( Or explaining )

This is dedicated to my friend Susan (DH Germany) who is a perfectionist(I think her name should be Bree instead of Susan) . And of course, for a perfectionist you have to make a pie crust from scratch. No explanation needed.

        There are many ways to create a look for the crust.







I have made this once and abandoned this recipe after I found them in the supermarket freezer. But I should make it from scratch, one day, just to justify to myself.
It is not that complicated, is it?

watching cooking shows

After I watched some cooking shows I feel like I shouldn't go to a restaurant. Poor thing, the chefs, souz chefs, kitchen helpers and waiters are so stressed. 

Meanwhile, is this a cooking show?

moelleux

I was told without Moelleux au Chocolate a restaurant is not a French restaurant. Moelleux literally means mellow in French. And I always thought it is something like a Chocolate Marquis but really it isn't. 

                 It takes 15 minutes.

     I have to say team with cherry ice cream , it is the best!

       It really is  soft, tender , sweet and moist.
       (Imagine this combination...)  

               Love the gooey melting middle.

               Melting middle oozing their way out.

                    For chocolate lovers only.








Recipe courtesy of Lucinda (DH France).

Boudoir

 The ladyfingers or biscuit ala cuillere. Some people called ladyfingers, some biscuit and other cuillere. I was told cuillere is refer to snacks for babies in French. And biscuit is just another cookie. I am suppose to called it the more poetic name boudoir. I use them for Tiramisu and Charlotte. 

Anyway making it is simple. As simple as running to go to the store and just grab some.

These are biscuit rose de Reims. I don't see them at the store here so I did grab some while I was in France not long ago.

Lemon Meringue/ Tarte au Citron

I like the taste of lemon. I was about to call my daughter "Lemoni" after I watched the movie Captain Corelli's Mandolin in 2002. The movie is about a love triangle among characters starring Nicholas Cage, Penelope Cruz and Christian Bale. Lemoni was a name of a little girl in the movie. Everyone objected to the name. No! She will be teased, protested everyone. Why? I said. BeCAUSE it sounds like lemon!!! 
Then I thought why not "Moonlight"? Everyone disagreed(!?).

My husband named our daughter after an Indian princess (from another movie/book). Recently my neighbor named their boat Pelagia , the character played by Penelope Cruz in the movie Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

Recently, I am thinking if I were to have another daughter now maybe I'd like to name her "Vanilla"! My daughter thinks it is a cool name and I could name her Vanilla whenever I want she says :)

Oh! I almost forget I have to thank my sister for this recipe. I am not allowed to reveal her name here. Thank you!

To Live

My friend Lynn posted some nice sayings on her FB again. I thought I would jot it down to keep it and draw something to visualize it to myself and post it here to remind myself. 

Poef , Pouffe or Footstool

I have been thinking of getting a foot stool or "poef" in Dutch or  "pouffe" in French I believe. Nothing feels better than sitting in the evening next to a fireplace, with a book, a cup of tea and of course, my feet resting on to a "pouffe".

A poef with rose motives on it would be sweet and romantic.

On the other hand, a brown rugged looking with soft leather pouffe

would be nice too!

Or a different shaped leather stools. I just ripped these images out of a magazine VTWonen. Forgive me.

Why not a denim pouffe?

I love these! Made out of cork. Very close to nature and it has humour in it.

A bit too close to nature?

I love these too, they are gorgeous.

My friend Ayse (DH Turkey/ Dutch born Turkish) made this. A stool that looks like a cupcake! She is selling this under the name Nyce by Ayse ( Her website is under construction by DHinHolland, coming soon.....). She also makes gift hamper that looks like a cake filled with little boxes of giveaways, chocolates and goodies.

I have not decided on which pouffe to get. Meanwhile, my husband said to me recently "You know what we REALLY need? We need a good reading chair!"  (!!???)