A Walk in an Alpine Meadow (10/02)

We didn't find an open place for lunch, but went further up the mountain to a lovely meadow. While it was starting to cloud up in the distance, it was sunny and warm where we were at. Here are some of the images from that walk:

This was beautiful, past bloom but still stunning. I can't remember what this was called, but will post it when I find out. If you know what it is, please leave a comment.

Having a Wild Thyme in France! An obsession of mine is identifying edible plants in the wild. As you would expect from any Ricola advert, wild thyme is growing all over the Alps: Swiss or French!

The FBI in Forclaz (10/02)

We also spotted the FBI. No, not the Federal Bureau of Investigation - the Flying Best Instructor. For 125€, the FBI will allow you to jump (tandem) off this ramp for approximately 35 minutes of gentle gliding down to the valley.

FBI - Pascal Piazzalunga

41, bis avenue de Genève
74000, Annecy

E-Mail: info@tandem-fbi.com

Phone: 06.09.76.50.40

Spotted: Voltron ~ In France (10/02)

On our way to our Alpine Meadow Walk, we spotted this little fixture... I was very excited as I was certain that what appeared before my eyes was Voltron himself, and was slightly disappointed when I was informed that it was only a French fire hydrant.

Coming Soon to a Cinema Near You: Transporter 3

While I have serious issues with there being a Transporter 3, I am happy to see it coming to the big screen on November 26. You see, for several years now, I have fancied myself as Transporter 3. I completely envision myself driving through (mostly) France in a black Audi - complete with my own theme song picked out. The news was broken to me this evening that they have gone behind my back and have made another one. As much is it hurts me, sniff-sniff, I will put on a brave face and support the competition. Besides, I'm sure people would rather watch Jason Statham fight the evils and unjust than to watch me. Only by a few though, certainly. The fact that it starts out in Marseilles is a small saving grace since I was just there last month. That has spurred me on to sort out some more of my photos. Speaking of which, I took over 200 in Marseilles. What can I say? I saw a helicopter in the Mediterranean and I got a little too excited and started snapping away. To my defence, it was hovering over a boat and people were abseiling down - not unlike something that could have featured Sylvester Stallone in Taxi 3!!! Did I mention that 3 was my favorite number? So maybe I will like the new film after all, once I finish nursing my bruised ego...

Creative Use of Left Overs: Panko- Couscous Chicken with Blue Cheese Gratin Potatoes

We interrupt the regularly schedule travel blogging to bring you TONIGHT'S DINNER... With the current economy suffering, you don't have to break the bank to have a really nice meal. Nor do you have to spend hours slaving over a hot stove. For the following two recipes, all of the ingredients were already in my kitchen - with the exception of 2 chicken cutlets and 2 Idaho potatoes.

I had a basic idea on how I wanted to prepare the chicken: the final product was a combination of a Delia Smith recipe along with my step mom's chicken cutlets and Audrey Sweeney's much raved about chicken bites.

• I first marinated the chicken in 3 eggs with a sprinkle of salt and a good pinch of herbs. My choice was Herbes de Provence, but anything you have on hand will do. After 30 minutes, coat in bread crumbs. This is where i got creative: I didn't have enough panko for the chicken, so I had a look around my fridge. There was some leftover couscous from the weekend, so I decided to give that a go. I mixed equal parts panko to couscous, added a small pinch of salt and some more herbs. Once the chicken was coated, i fried in a shallow amount of olive oil for 6 minutes each side. Once finished cooking, let sit on a paper towel for one minute to absorb oil.

• While the chicken was marinating, I went on to the side dish... My side dish was a creative use of leftovers to make one of my favorite dishes: Gratin Potatoes. We had some leftover Roquefort cheese sauce. As this came out of a dried packet, it was very economical. If you don't have (or like) Roquefort cheese sauce packets, any sort of cheese sauce will do. I mixed the left over sauce with some whipping cream, left over blue cheese crumbles, and a little milk just to thin it out a bit, all in a sauce pan over medium heat. I then added the two potatoes, thinly sliced, and let simmer for 10 minutes. This all got dumped into a backing dish and baked in the over for 35 minutes at 350F.

It didn't tale a lot of effort to make, not did it take a lot of money. Instead of cooking vegetables, I decided it was a good idea to use the little bit of salad that was left over. You know that stuff, that little bit that gets left in the bag that you forget about and end up throwing away? I then drizzled a little of my homemade vinaigrette (also made from cupboard staples) over the lettuce and grabbed my fork.

Yum! Not only was it a satisfying meal, it was satisfying to know I was using things up in my kitchen, not letting them go to waste.

When in France, Phone Before Driving Up Narrow Roads for Lunch, But Not When Walking in Alpine Meadows (10/02)

Our agenda for the day was to have lunch once again at Châlet la Pricaz and the have a nice leisurely walk through Alpine meadows. We drove all the way to Forclaz, up the steep and narrow mountain road, only to discover that they were closed. Despite the fact that it wasn't their scheduled week day to be closed. This is a valuable lesson my friends: while in France, if you don't like steep and narrow roads, please do phone and check an establishment's agenda for the day before making the trek up.
I was gutted, but it gave me time to visit the Cows.

The Tarentaise cows are one of the breeds whose milk is used to make Reblochon cheese.

We also spotted this, Montbéliard. This is a well known dairy breed that is mainly used for making cheese.

The cows were lovely, and so was the location, so we decided to move on for our Alpine Meadow walk in hopes of finding lunch on the way.

What to Eat After Walking Through Alpine Pastures (10/01)

After a long, high altitude walk through Alpine Pastures (in which I've spared you from the photos), we were ravenous! It was my turn to make dinner that night, so I went for an easy classic: steak, sauteed mushrooms, and salad.
The steak was cooked à point, and served with Sauce béarnaise, from a jar I'm afraid, and not made by my own fair hand. Though making it from scratch is yet another thing I'd like to attempt in the upcoming year. I've never made béarnaise sauce before, and am somewhat terrified of ending up with scrambled eggs.

The steak was followed by a cheese course. We had some lovely cheeses: (clockwise from the top) Comté, Bleu des Causses, Reblochon, and Epoisses.

We finished with a box of Bonne Maman Lemon Tartlets, which were surprisingly good. They were nice and tart - not too sweet.

Stomach full, legs tired, I was ready for bed. Another good day in France...