On Sunday March 2, Benjy turned 7! To celebrate, I had a few friends over to share some homemade goodies (for recipes, see Comments section): a berry crumble, a ginger chocolate pear cake, and scones; I served the latter with some honey bought at my local farmers' market from a passionate beekeeper (who drives down to Provence every summer, beehives in tow, to bring back some fresh lavender honey come fall...). Among the friends who dropped in was Mademoiselle Green with some champagne!My ipod played upbeat jazz standards by Blossom Dearie and Billie Holiday, tangos by Carlos Gardel, hits by Blondie, The Smiths, Madonna, The White Stripes, Björk, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris (whom I have worshiped since childhood) and more, as well as some swinging baroque music and Bollywood's catchy Kajra Re.
And today, March 3, I celebrated another birthday, that of my dear sister, Céline!
Emily Dickinson
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RECIPE: A FOOLPROOF CRUMBLE
With this recipe, you can't go wrong!
Preheat oven.
1. In a buttered pan, place some FRUIT (apples / pears / berries / peaches...); optional: pre-cook the fruit in a little butter and honey/sugar and vanilla.
2. In a salad bow, mix 12R GR. FLOUR and 125 GR. SUGAR with 60 GR. BUTTER with your fingers until the mixture feels sandy; optional: add some chocolate chips or powdered cinnamon.
3. Spread the mix over the fruit.
4. Place in oven and cook until golden.
Enjoy!
Thank you to my dear friend Mariam, who is also my inspiration always, and a first-rate cook.
RECIPE: (SPICY) CAKE
This is a very versatile and light recipe (no butter!).
Preheat oven.
1. In a buttered pan, place some peeled and diced APPLES/PEARS (I have also used homemade rhubarb 'compote'); optional: add some chocolate chips and/or fresh grated ginger.
2. In a salad bowl, mix: 2+1/2 CUPS FLOUR, 1/2 CUP SUGAR and 5 TSP. BAKING POWDER; optional: add some spices (grated nutmeg, powdered cinnamon, clover...)
3. Beat 1 EGG into the mixture.
3. Heat 1 CUP MILK; optional: add some vanilla to the milk.
4. Pour the warm milk over the mixture and beat until smooth.
5. Pour the mixture over the fruit.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
Enjoy warm!
Happy Birthday to Celine!
Hope you enjoyed each other very very much. We should (try)to live everyday like a birthday; ask Benjy!
ooh nice little party! and so many yummy things too! and another year..so benjy what are your plans for your 7th year? if you can fit anything in around le foot, and looking so immaculate!
Hapy Birthday Benjy and Happy Birthday Celine (chronological order)
Happy Birthday Benjy and Celin ( you have the birthday the same day like my sister)!
Benjy you are a grown up boy, so now you can do whatever you want :-)
mary-laure that sounds like a perfect party - good music and good food!
What! The Oracle had a party and didn't invite me, his four legged friend?
I did hear about your yummy cakes. My mistress says she particularly enjoyed the scones. For her birthday (where I was invited this time!) we had chocolate cake. Très très bon!
Andrea, Benjy can certainly NOT do whatever he wants! No eating my yoghurt, no peeing in the room, no gnawing on my sweaters, etc!!!
Taocito, I know the chocolate cake was delicious: I just finished it for my breakfast this morning...
Marie, for his new year, Benjy plans on napping more, having fun with other dogs on the streets, jouer au foot, blogging here, and... being adorable always!
Mansuetude, I must to try remember what you wrote and live every day with the joy of a birthday (but I should avoid eating cake every day lest I become HUGE)! It's a very good motto, thanks.
yes, cake has its resulting"cakiness"! if you indulge two bites of joy and two bites of cake--you will be too full to bursting! :)
O.K mary-laure, please don´t read him the part of my comment :-) But I think Oracle always knows...
happy birthday to the adorable pup!
and your sister is so pretty--you two have the same smile...and the same sailor top!
xoxo joanna
Happy Birthdays all around! It sounds like a wonderful evening and thanks for the recipes they seem de-lish.
mmmm.. berry crumble.
Happy Birthday to your sister and to Benji!
The party sounds... delicious!!
Great recipes! Thanks for sharing them.
And I agree with you... Juno is totally a must-see movie.
Great blog!
Your recipe and picture .. in my website at
http://www.aworldinapan.com/mostrar.php?id=129#recipe
Thank you!
Quite the soiree! And recipes! Yay! Thank you again for letting me experience it from afar!
What yummy recipes! I will try them both, as they look simple and delicious. Happy Birthday to adorable Benjy and to lovely Celine! It sounds like you had a wonderful party. :)
Joanna, thanks for your compliments, I'll pass them on to my sister who, for reasons obscure to me, finds she's not pretty on the picture! I think she has beautiful eyes and a wonderful smile...
Isa, I'm eager to explore your blog, too.
All - We had a great time indeed and I wish, my blogger friends, you and been around to share the food, the music and the fun!
Happy birthday everyone! Did Benjy get bites of everything?
Dear Lisa, I did certainly NOT get bites of anything (dogs shouldn't eat sugar, I'm told), but my assistant's dear friend Charlotte brought me special treats from a Parisian doggie bakery.... Yum yum yum!
Give your Dorine my best regards.
I thought your sis was wearing your sweater, but no, tis not the same ...
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