Sneaky daughter in Brittany

The 3rd Weekend of May is the Mother’s day weekend! I was going to go visit my mama on the Monday after Mother’s day, but decided instead to surprise her. I called my brother and told him that I was wanted to surprise my “Mutti” on Sunday morning instead of showing up on the Monday evening. So I drove all day on Saturday, arrived in Auray on the evening and went to hide for the night at my brother’s house. We went to my mother’s house on Sunday for lunch, and as my brother and his family got in, I stayed behind and called her from my cell. She answer and I started a conversation with her like, I was just calling her to say Happy Mother’s day! Then I opened the house and asked her on the phone what she was doing? And telling her that I’d rather have a hug in person. She saw me and started crying!! :-(Both my brother and I were shocked that she would react like that, but she was thrilled, and I was happy to have been a sneaky daughter!! ;-)

I then stayed all week to help her start with some project of sorting the family paper and archives. And those were just taken during our little break time!

Recreation Plaza in a French Junior High!

(The building is where the class are held) Catholic School (Vannes France)

One of the best delicacy in Brittany France. The Kouign-amann is a super buttery fluffy cake that you will die for! (Best to eat in Brittany warm with a nice view of the ocean!! )

Have some kids that don’t want to share their breakfast bowl with their sibling, a nice litte souvenir from Brittany is a Named one!! Love those!!

Celtic Harpist in Vannes France!

Paper Boat in front of a real one!! Just love the idea!

"Celebration" or "Code" flags??

Toothbrush?? Anyone??

And of course who could leave without eating the best of Artichoke in all of France?

De blog

Sailing Lesson Drama

We went to my mother for a week in August, and Damien was to take some Sailing classes. Well he did the first day, and the weather was so bad (wind, waves, rain) that he got scared. They were on a pretty fast sailing boat and the guy that was with him was an instructor decided to race the other boat. So it was a pretty fast first introduction to the water/sailing. It was too bad because he was really looking forward to be learning to sail, guess we'll have to go and visit our friend in Nebraska with the lake house and make him learn on the lake. (so much calm water) So Matt went for the rest of the week, as we couldn't "possibly" ask for our money back (even though they were the one scaring the crap out of him) And he enjoyed it a LOT!! See... All smiley!!

Brittany France

During our vacation in Brittany we went to the family farm. When I was a little girl, we went on vacation there, and spend a lot of time on this shoreline. The kids had some fun. Playing in the sand, Rafael was very couragious and went in the water on his own, walking all the way to the water up to the top of his arm.

Needless to say that I was kind of worried, but thought that since nothing ever happened with us children during all those years, there were no reason why something will happen to him!!

One evening we went out and took a little time to cruise the sea shore. You can see the town of Quiberon (oh, and I know it is blurry, I didn't have my tripod with me) This is honeysuckle, this remind me so much of my youth. It was always there around the farm, so this is always special when I see and smell those!

Far Breton Recipe

Another recipe from Brittany is the Far; it is a kind of Custard cake kind of like a Flan with dried Prunes in it. It is delicious (for those of you who like egg custard) I had several people asking for the recipe so here it is for you! ;-) Enjoy!!


Far Breton Recipe

1 liter of Milk
6 eggs
1 1/4 cup of flour
1 1/4 cup of sugar
Dried pitted prunes
Mix the flour, sugar and the eggs together, warm the mil for 2 minutes in the microwave and add it slowely to the mixture until you hava smooth batter.
Pour the batter in a pre-buttered pan. Add the pitted dried prunes so that it cover the bottom of the pan (you can put as many or as little as you wish (or none at all if you don’ t like the prune taste)
Bake for 40mn at 350F

Yummy Crepes

I am from Bretagne/Brittany the West part of France, one of the things that we eat in Brittany is Crepes (of course we eat lots and lots of different things) but Brittany is known for the crepes.

The famous one are Buckwheat crepes they are salted crepes made from Buckwheat flour and water. We eat them garnished with ham and cheese and eggs (that’s the traditional garnish) but also with cool stuff like mushroom or bison meat or tomato and even Goat cheese and Salad. For myself I love the “Andouille” or the Mushroom.

When you go to a Creperie in France you will also have the choice of sweet crepes, those crepes are made from regular white flour, milk and eggs. The garnishes for those are plain sugar or jam or for fancier one Pear with Melted Chocolate or even Banana… YUMMY!!!

Last year when I was at my mother she took out her “electric crepes maker” and I was amazed of how easy it was to make those. So when I got back to Iowa, I went and bought myself a crepes maker (I waited FOREVER to get it, but it arrived and I have tried to use it at least once to twice a month) mind you my kids are picky eater (funny cause they are not in France when we make those) but, they won’t eat the American Buckwheat crepes that I make (I guess I don’t have my mother’s hand for the recipe). But today I made some crepes. My husband missed the last time that I made crepes so I thought since he was coming home for the weekend I would make some for him and the kids (and ME of course) ;-)

So here is the recipe for the crepes and some pictures just to make you salivate with envies! (That will teach you to come and visit me more often he?) ;-)

Crepes recipe

For 18, not very hungry people

1.5 cup of Flour

4 tbsp of sugar

2 tsp of vanilla extract

1 stick of butter (salted)

31oz or 3.875cup of Milk

4 eggs

In a bowl put the flour and the sugar together, put a little whole in the center of it and put your eggs in it (obviously without the shell)

Start mixing those ingredients together and when the mixture gets heavy, pour the milk little by little until completely incorporated.

Melt the stick of butter and mix it with the batter. If the batter has “clot” (little pieces of dry flour surrounded with wet batter) pour the batter into a strainer until you have a smooth batter.

Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit for 1 to 3 hours.

Cook each crepe on a crepe maker or in a pan well buttered.

Enjoy it with Sugar, syrup or fresh fruits or just plain it is yummy too!