Monday, March 05, 2007

Things I'm not ready for

1. Spring.

There are pink blossoms on fruit trees all over the place. It was in the 60's yesterday. I don't like spring that much, as it announces hay fever - a nightmare for both Boy1 and for me - and my least favorite season of all, summer. I tolerated summer in Seattle. It was mild. No mosquitoes. It never stormed. It never got too hot. (Ok, last year, but I wasn't there.)

But here, it's like being back in Illinois or North Carolina. Hot, stuffy, smothering heat that only ends with a storm (in Illinois) or the arrival of late September (North Carolina).

I muddle through summer only after having enjoyed a cool, brisk fall and a cooler winter. Haven't had anything like that this year. Except maybe one week of winter-like temperatures.

2. Making kouglof by hand.

I do not have a stand mixer (collective oh-poor-Nicole moment...now). My food processor is a cruel practical joke. But I adore kouglof and Joy of Cooking made it sound do-able so I tried. And met with success. But it was a total pain in the ass and a sticky mess and it took forever and I think I'll just buy it at the bakery until I get better kitchen equipment or master one arm push-ups.

On an up note, I saw two more rainbows today but decided to keep my mouth shut and enjoy the view.

I made this soup (scroll down to butternut squash soup) yesterday and it was delicious. I used leftover pain au chorizo from saturday night's fondue to make the garlic croutons and they were excellent.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

i like spring. it's my fave. i also like fondue, so why don't you hop on a plane and come make me some?

speaking of...any news on the US vacation front?

Nicole said...

Christina - I would love to. Re trip home, might happen.

Diane Cransac said...

I felt like I was reading something I would have written today, Seeing as I'm sitting here in Seattle, and talked to my sis today in Illinois...I know exactly what you mean about the summers in Illinois, and North Carolina is just as bad. Seattle is a wonder isn't it? I think that is one thing I will miss when I get to france.

Nicole said...

Tigue, I think you'll miss, like me, a lot of things from Seattle. But there are enough wonderful things here to make up for it. I moved here from Seattle 9 years ago and I still miss Vivace coffee...So sorry about your paperwork hell, I had similar misadventures with the consulat in San Fran and a quack in Seattle for the visite medicale, and a visa that arrived the morning of the day of my flight here. My nerves by then were totally shot.