S + D + d + p + d: For the Foodies

Before we get to the photos which cause people to salivate, let's talk about poop. During the past few months Douglas has been coming to us to let us know that he has a poopy diaper and needs it changed. Sam used to remind him not to touch his penis (or anywhere in the nether region) while he gets his diaper changed, but we no longer need to remind him. He now comes to us with his hands up (see above photo) saying, "Mom/Dad, I have poopy diaper. I no touch my peepee." Cute little man, and very helpful.

This is for my nephews/niece. I want to know which of you can figure out why this leaf is floating.

Tuesday night was our "all-American" night. We visited Buffalo Grill for dinner, where I ate a hamburger with 100% French beef and Sam ate fish and chips. Okay, maybe not so American. Then we attended a portion of the Vichy-Clermont basketball game. Vichy-Clermont is part of France's national basketball league. I met two of the players' wives at a playground one day and they told me about the games. Two or three of the players on the team are from the States. They bounce around (Taylor, there's another pun for you) from country to country in Europe playing one-year contracts with various teams.

Douglas liked the mascot: a big, red and yellow dragon.

I was happy to leave after the first quarter. Those drums are made for massive soccer stadiums, not small basketball arenas. Loud!

Looks like the terrorist group really is targeting the youth. They have a toy store in Vichy! They offer a wide variety of toys and games. Some of their favorite games are Guillotine, Cards Against Humanity, Uno Attack, Exploding Kittens, Risk: The Game of Global Domination, Tigris and Euphrates, The Invasion of Canada, Taboo, Diplomacy, Operation, and Acquire. Do I need to put a smiley face after this paragraph, or does everyone understand that I am joking? The store is real. The games mentioned above are real. But I'm pretty sure the English acronym "ISIS" is not the same in French, so it doesn't carry the same meaning here.

Okay, now that we've mentioned poop, floating leaves, European basketball, and terrorist entertainment, let's talk about yummy French food. These photos are a sampling of the different goodies through which we have delighted our taste buds over the past month. Above you see a chocolate-hazelnut pastry.

Lemon meringue on the left; some kind of strawberry puffy thing on the right. They weren't so great, but they look pretty.

Pistachio macaroon

Fluff. Again, it looks pretty, but did not produce the desired gustatory experience.

Most mornings I would walk five minutes to this bakery to obtain the items you see below.

Pain au chocolat, quiche, pastries with some kind of potato filling and sour cream on top, and croissants. I probably ate an average of two croissants per day......in between meals or middle-of-the-night snacks.

This one is from a fabulous Italian restaurant (Michelangelo's). Thin cookie on top, sweet white cheese (similar to cream cheese) in the middle, apple sauce and mini apples on the bottom.

Strawberry fruit tart

Saint Honoré (said with a French accent)

Large cookie with strawberry filling and powdered sugar on top.

Apple tartlet

Sam loved her cheese rounds with various spices on top. She put them on her salad each day.

Crepe filled with veggies and a delicious cream sauce.

Crepe filled with cheese, potatoes, and strips of ham.

Crepe filled with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream.

I really enjoyed the goat-cheese and spinach galette (a crepe made from buckwheat) with honey drizzled on top, which is offered at the Creperie Saloon (see photo below).

Menu at the Creperie Saloon

Inside the Creperie Saloon. Notice the photos on the wall?

Mint-chocolate crepe

Goat-cheese and spinach galette (with honey drizzled on top)

Douglas is a very considerate child. He knew that Mom would complete her study abroad course today, so he asked me to take him to the store to buy her some flowers and chocolates. He woke up from a nap five minutes before I took this photo......and he still gave me a semi-cheese. Superb.