Hello

Bootie did some lip synching to India Arie at Camp Viva. I have her first CD, "Acoustic Soul" but lost track of her musical career the past few years. We've been playing her new CD "Testimony - Volumne One" all night. Alan has really taken to it. I would have loved to have seen my mom up on stage lip synching.

If you're not familiar with this musician, visit her website at http://www.indiaarie.com/

Trees

Here is a photo I took of Alan and I laying on the grass together in my backyard looking up at the sky. The view was so beautiful, I captured the moment so you could see how spectacular the trees looked against the sky. I was telling Alan about how the leaves will soon be turning gold and brown, and will be falling to the ground. "Winter's coming" he said, followed by "Mommy, what does February 8th mean?" But he promply answered his own question and said, "we eat birthday cake." I added the part about Dr. Beers taking him out of my belly. It won't be long before we're making snow angels in the ground!

French Cooking - Photo 1 - The Chefs

French Cooking - Photo 2

From Top to Bottom:

Yellow tomato salad with basil in a mustard vinegrette.

Oyster mushrooms in a cream sauce

Apricots sizzling in orange juice (for the souffle)

French Cooking - Photo 3

Lamb Persillade surrounded by oyster mushrooms and beets.

French Cooking - Part Two

You should come visit me tomorrow. Instead of coffee and dessert, you’ll have the opportunity to try some leftover Zucchini Vichyssoise and Rack of Lamb Persillade with French bread and goat cheese. And don’t forget about those oyster mushrooms in cream sauce and yellow tomato salad with basil. Out of this world. What an amazing meal at Edwards. A soufflé doesn’t have any flour in it. Did you already know that? I bet you did. Our soufflé had apricots that softened in sweet orange juice. Lots of courses to French meals with small portions. That’s what it’s about. Edward and I worked well together in the kitchen. His wife joked that Edward is the only person she knows who reads cook books in bed.

Roger stayed home to watch Alan so I could participate in this little adventure. I felt bad. When I came home, he was eating a plate of plain pasta with a cheese I couldn’t identify.

Photos hopefully posted on Sunday.

Tomorrow’s cuisine will definitely take a different turn with a tentative trip to the county fair. (deep fried Oreo’s anyone?)

Hope you survived the heat!

French Cooking - Part One

10:39 AM

Bonjour. Aujourd'hui j'ai commencé ma première leçon dans le français cuisinant de mon voisin Edward.

So far, I think I am passing. My first test was to get through the shopping phase without totally appearing like an amateur. I took his lead, and followed him around the farmer’s market like a lost puppy, purchasing vegetables, some of which looked like something from a science fiction movie. We picked up yellow tomatoes and the oyster mushrooms looked like they might bite me back (I think they have gills!). He was surprised to learn that I have never been to the famous local German butchers on Rt. 212 where we stopped for a rack of lamb. He said that we’ll start out with soup. Zucchini vichyssoise. I am not sure what the translation is, but it has a potato-leek base. Using his very expensive cooking knives, I chopped up the zucchini, potatoes and leaks and chatted with him and his wife who was knitting at the kitchen table. The soup needs time to chill as its served cold. I’m heading back over around 5pm to help with the rest of the meal.

Souhaitez-moi la chance!