Se sentir bien dan sa peau

(suh sawn-teer byeh(n) da(n) sa po): to feel comfortable in your own skin

The idiom in French, as in English, is most often used to describe one's self-esteem or mood, but is equally applicable to descriptions of one's physical well-being. The two are, after all, linked, right?

 

Me, soaking up the glorious springtime sunshine at the théâtre antique d'Arles in March 2011. I had just bought this skirt and felt oh-so-glamourous in it so I struck this pose in a few photos. (Photo by my friend and travel-buddy Emily, read her account of our trip to Arles here.)







 

When I got back from France almost two years ago, I realised that I didn't feel bien dans ma peau. I surprisingly didn't totally gorge myself on all the delicious cheese, bread and pastries.  I don't think it was until January that I bought a baguette and chèvre for dinner one Friday. For this reason, I don't think it was due to overindulging in France (although it would have been strange to come back from France without a few extra pounds), but rather different factors that had accumulated for almost a year at that point.

Caesars

The Caesar is a Canadian cocktail similar to the Bloody Mary. I actually didn't realise it was Canadian until Peter and I took a roadtrip to San Francisco and found them missing from the menus. Both Calgary and Edmonton lay claim to having invented the Caesar, but that may just be intercity rivalry. The main difference between the Caesar and Bloody Mary is the clam juice. That may not sound tasty, but the clam in clamato is a subtle taste--that noticeably lacks from a Bloody Mary.

Homemade Caesars are one of Peter's specialties. Usually we just buy Clamato, mix it with vodka, touch up the spices, and garnish with spicy beans. Lately, however, Peter's been tossing around the idea of making our own clamato from scratch. Tonight we tried just that.

To make the clamato shake together:

• 2 14oz. cans of claim juice
• 28 oz. tomato juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 5 dashes each celery salt, garlic powder, crushed red chili powder
• 2 "medium drops" of your favourite hot sauce (we used red El Yucateca Picante Habanero)

To make the Caesars:

• Rim a tall glass with celery salt
• Pour 1 oz. vodka (or to strength) over ice
• 2 drops "more than you feel comfortable with" of Worcestershire sauce
• Fill glass with clamato
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• Sprinkle 2 dashes garlic powder, and freshly ground black pepper (Montreal Steak Spice is also a good addition at this point)
• Garnish with spicy pickled beans 
• Remember to stir

These Caesars are a lot fresher tasting than using the store-bought mix that is chock full of salty seasonings and unpronounceable ingredients. Reading the label of the store-bought mix, you could add molasses or sugar to get an ever so slight sweetness. Making Caesars from scratch is more expensive, but considering the fourth ingredient is MSG, I think the few extra dollars you spent is worth it. Ultimately the Caesar is a drink you can adapt to suit your taste for spicy, Worcestershire-saucy, etc. I think for us the next step might be crazier garnishes.

Cheers!

Carte postale d'Athens

Shortly after I received Kathleen's postcard from Reims, Emily's from Athens, Georgia arrived in my mailbox. Loving travel trivia, I was delighted to receive this postcard about the Tree that Owns Itself. I meant to share it sooner, but instead it sat propped up against a teapot on a shelf in my kitchen. In the spirit of out with the old, in with the new, I am sharing it now.

According to the caption on the reverse, the Tree that Owns Itself is a "White Oak at the corner of Dearing and Finley Streets, the Tree was owned by the University of Georgia Professor William H. Jackson, who deeded it (and the surrounding 8 feet) to itself sometime before 1835."

Emily adds:

Alas, this postcard was the best Athens has to offer--no pretty cathedrals or striking monuments here:) The caption is actually a bit false--the original tree died 70 years ago, so this is theoretically one of its offspring.

How quirky!:)

Hiver optimiste

Funny how the turn of a calendar page can make such a difference. It's January, and I am filled with optimism for the year to come. I think it's because as soon as December transforms in into January, I get into spring mode. Or spring-is-coming mode. In spite of all the complaining remarking about the rain, Vancouver has the mildest winters in the country. It tends to lack snow, so once Christmas has gone, it doesn't feel wintery anymore. Above is a photo of white hyacinths that I instagrammed 51 weeks ago.

Out with the Old/In with the New

Better late than never? "Head of a skeleton with a burning cigarette," postcard from the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.



I have neglected to post anything for months. Suffices to say that I became side tracked. But with the close of one year and the beginning of a new one I am feeling reflective.

The last year went by at an unbelievably fast pace. Like a snowball rolling downhill, it ended bigger and better than I could have thought (kick-ass New Year's Eve party included). I hope this momentum continues.

Highlights of 2012 included:

• A visit from my friend Jacky, with whom I taught English in France;
• A trip back to Europe, to Madrid, Barcelona, and Amsterdam;
• See Helen and John get married;
• Leaving the job I got when I got back from France for one I absolutely LOVE and is related to my degree(!)

I more or less kept to my 2012 resolution to exercise. I fell in love with ballet barre, ran outside (in preparation for a non-competitive 5km race), did Saturday morning yoga occasionally, and had a gym membership that I at times got in the routine of using. The gym kind of fell by the wayside when I got stressed out just before switching to my new job and when another personal project that swallowed me whole.

Blogging also seemed to cease around that time, and as a result I never finished sorting through my photos or posting about my trip. I've thought resuming those posts, but I'm not sure I will. I think Kathleen worded it best when she described a similar situation regarding her trek through Eastern Europe:

I just have too many demands on my time and am too excited about sharing what's happening right now to dedicate a chunk of time to retelling a story that's already happened.

Except I didn't continue to share anything on this blog.

My resolutions for 2013 are still swirling around in my head, coalescing. Some of these are probably not worthy of being "year" resolutions, but in 2013 I would like to:

• Finally get a handle on stress management;
• Be more gracious and grateful;
• Make a Black Forest cake from scratch with the kirsche syrup David gave me when I hosted him for Helen and John's wedding;
• Do a 3-day juice cleanse and transition to either a fully paleo, or at least mostly wheat free diet.

Happy New Year!