Mommy and the Muffins in La Selle Sur Le Bied

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Dr. Karen Stephen

Mommy and the Muffins first destination last summer was La Selle Sur Le Bied, a beautiful rural community 110 km southeast of Paris, where they had a 10 day visit with very dear forever French friends Christian and Chantal, who have chosen this lovely community for their retirement.

The Muffins learned that basil comes from a garden, not from the grocery store and that it becomes part of very tasty dishes.

That there is nothing quite so interesting or charming as a stroll down a French country road.

That the portable travel high chair that Mommy brought along and which straps securely to any chair works just great to eat those delicious meals.

That there is a poule around every corner.

That Christian knows exactly just how to put on your shoes.

And that relaxing with Chantal creates the perfect ending to another beautiful day in the French countryside.

Provence and Quimper on a Table

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Dr. Karen Stephen

My collection of Quimper china comes from the Quimper factory, from Paris flea markets, from eBay, and even matching petite dejeuner platters from my ancestral home in Maine, a gift from my beloved Aunt Midge. I loved seeing the artists at work in the Quimper factory. Amazing how each of their marvelous patterns is created with only single brush strokes.

Adding just the right ambiance to my table setting is the delightful musical petite poupée I bought at my favorite boutique on Île Saint–Louis.

And speaking of La Vie en Rose, here is my daughter’s recording of the Edith Piaf classic which was played to her guests’ delight for the last dance at her wedding (click below to play).

Le Prieuré Restaurant

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Dr. Karen Stephen

When my daughter and I arrived in the off-season at Le Prieuré, astunning chateau on the Loire river just a few kilometers from Saumur, we were surprised to be offered an upgraded room gratis. Imagine our delight and amazement when we entered this spectacular room swathed in roses and graced with antiques and a huge marble bath, with its French doors opening right onto the rooftop overlooking the river. The breakfast served in the room was exactly as in this photo. My own non-digitalized photos are off in a album buried in my shed. You can see the flat rooftop of the dining room in the center right of this aerial view of the chateau and our French doors that opened onto it.

In the restaurant that evening we decided to splurge and order the Gastronomique menu which at the time (1999) amounted to $200. We started with an amuse bouche in the salon, then moved to our table, where for the next 3 1/2 hours we were treated to course after course, eleven in all, including three appetizers, three full main courses (filet mignon, lobster tail, and duck), and three full-sized desserts, with a palette refresher of grapefruit sorbet in between, plus 5 different wines. When the waiter arrived to ask about coffee, we looked at each other and graciously declined. Not another bite or swallow was going into our bodies. We decided it was the most grand meal we’d ever had (or have had to this day). So even when we discovered to our shock when we paid our bill the next morning that it was $200 EACH, we felt it was well worth it for an unforgettable memory.

Traveling in Corsica with my daughter

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Dr. Karen Stephen

Here we are, coming in by ferry from Nice to L’Île-Rousse. One of the perks of traveling with my grown daughter, besides the fact that she is very outgoing and fluent in French, is that we are in complete sync as traveling companions. No squabbling over when to get up or when to go to bed. And with her encouragement, I see many sights that would have passed me by had my “old bones” been making the decisions. Her theory: if we’re here we should see everything! So, armed with our favorite travel book, a DK Eyewitness Travel Guide we set out to see every nook and cranny possible during our scheduled days in Corsica.

Top on the agenda was to see many of the places that serve as locations in my novel MOTHER TONGUE which included Bonifacio, the Citadelle at Corte, the Restonica Valley, and L’Île-Rousse. Even made a few stops to capture roadside graffiti scrawled by FLNC sympathizers.But one of my favorite memories was dinner on the beach at L‘Île–Rousse, the western port where we had arrived by ferry earlier in the day.

Joyeux Anniversaire ~ Gâteau de Château

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Dr. Karen Stephen

Betty Crocker’s Castle Cake took precedence over our family’s usual name-your-crepe celebration as my granddaughter celebrated her 4th birthday. The ad said it’s as easy as building with blocks...not! But the birthday girl and all her guests were delighted with my daughter’s creation. And, of course, Happy Birthday was sung in both English and French. Many of her little friends were from her French for Fun preschool.