Economeals: Mixed Veggie Couscous

Hi guys!

Since being in France, I have had the opportunity to try so many new foods, including alternative grains and cereals that I never gave a second look to in The States. Among them: barley, risotto, brown rice and couscous! From this point forward, though, I'm making a point to vary my daily diet. Here's how I made a fantastic vegetable couscous to include in my lunches this week (for under €1 per serving!)

Couscous is about €0,80-1,00 per box, and a box makes a ton of finished product. It's fast easy to make: just add boiling water, or broth, to a pan of grains, cover with plastic wrap, and wait five minutes before fluffing with a fork. I used chicken broth, because I had bouillon cubes on hand. 

For vegetables, I used spinach, tomatoes, cucumber and red pepper left over from what I bought at the open-air market on Thursday, all of which I diced into morsels. I also added some lemon juice to tang it up. Any veggie can be added, and there are even raisins in the "Oriental" couscous I had been buying at the grocery store, so it's a pretty versatile base.

Being as I had never made couscous before, I overestimated and made 2/3 of a box. I gave half to my neighbor, and STILL had enough for 3 lunches worth, and some to eat hot. Before assembling my salad, I allowed the couscous to cool on the counter for a little while. Then, I simply tossed in the veggies, and mixed in lemon juice to taste.

Hopefully this will inspire you to shake up your lunch routine with something out of the ordinary. For €1 a box, couscous is worth the risk!

Thanks for reading!

Cheap and Cheerful Snack: Blenderless Avocado Smoothie

Coucou à tous! 

With the weather being so warm, an avocado smoothie had been sounding good all week. Finally, I gave in to making one despite not having a blender or even ice. It was really simple and inexpensive to do, with only 4 ingredients. Here's a look at the recipe:

I really like the way mine turned out: smooth, rich and sweet. With some whipped cream, it would have been out of this world!

What do you think of this off-beat treat? Would you give it a try? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Today's Way to Save Episode 6: Salvation in a Cup a.k.a. Cheap Coffee

Between my early morning classes, and all of the running around I've been doing, I have developed a special relationship with liquid caffeine in the form of frothy, delicious, creamy, smooth French coffee. Unfortunately, every good thing has a down-side, and the cost of espresso, café crème, and the occasional cappuccino splurge can add up quickly. To avoid this, I employ 3 methods:

1. Savor the CEA "Happy Hour": 

Every Monday at 7pm I can join my friends at Carrefour Bar for a complimentary drink grâce à CEA. Instead of opting for a delicious kir, I sip away my case of the Mondays with a frothy café crème even if it is a faux-pas after 11... 

Final Price: FREE

2. Make Nespresso à la maison:

If I wake up early enough, I can make an espresso or coffee using the Nespresso machine at home. The little capsules, similar to K-cups, come in many flavors and intensities, so it's easy to shake things up. Plus, I figured out that I can a) make an espresso by running the capsule once b) run the capsule through twice to make a coffee or c) mix in a huge glob of Nutella to make a fabulous mocha in about 35 seconds.

Final Price: About €0,20 per capsule, included in my complementary home-stay breakfast

3. For caffeine emergencies only:

If I feel excessively sleepy during the school day, and must make the choice between a nap or a coffee, I hit up the vending machine at the university. Though it's not barista quality, the cappuccinos are actually quite decent, and they come with a stirrer. Plus, the size is about that of an average café beverage here in France: think Dixie cup.

Final Price: €0,50 - €0,80 depending on which building I'm in

Conclusion: It is important to savor the little things in life and, with prices like these, I'm happy to savor coffee a little bit more.

Thanks for reading!

Today's Way to Save Episode 4: Market Chai for Cheap!

Bonjour tout le monde!

Today, I'm excited to share with you a fantastic market-spice recipe for chai tea syrup! Making this at home can help you avoid paying café prices for chai lattés or pre-made mix. Here's how I went about it, and how you can do the same:

At Aix's 365-day market, and especially the tri-weekly "grand marché", there is usually at least one spice vendor, and tables for honey, fruit and veggies. All around, the prices for fresh, fragrant ingredients are extremely reasonable, even considering the exchange rate.

In your case, you may consider shopping a similar outdoor market, or visiting an ethnic store in your area. Bulk spices tend to run much cheaper than pre-packed ones (besides being fresher and more flavorful)!

My favorite part about Aix's market, next to practicing my French, is that every vendor is more or less willing to budge on prices with a little small talk. I was able to work out 2 delectably scented Madagascar vanilla beans for €1, and a mini-pot of local forest honey for €3 by just explaining what I was going to make with them.

In total, I bought everything I needed for around €12, including excess spices, tea, and more unrefined sugar than I will -ever- use in 3 months. Even if I don't make another batch, that's €0,60 per serving!

For tea, I used €2 Lipton vanilla flavored black tea from DIA. Granted, plain black tea would likely provide a more authentic chai flavor. For sugar, I used unrefined cane "cassonade" that is sold in small inexpensive bags all over Aix.

Also, I opted to add extra peppercorns during the second boil-down because my mix didn't smell spicy enough for my tastes. Feel free to be flexible and make your own special recipe! Here's mine:

Making this recipe with some my CEA friends was great fun, even though we didn't get to finish it the first time; the whole house smelled fantastic! The finished syrup tastes even better than it smells, mixed with warm or cold milk. I highly recommend you give it a try.

If you do, it won't last long! (Depending on how fast you can drink 20 lattés) ;)

What are your thoughts on chai? If you're a fan, would you ever attempt this recipe? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Pretty Little Details: Aix-en-Provence

Now that I have survived the orientation process, met all kinds of students, and (kind of) gained my bearings in Aix, I can finally take pictures without feeling like an over-zealous tourist and/or getting turned around (for the most part!)

Here are some of the lovely things I've seen thus far:

View from our living room balcony

Poppies and tulips - two of my favorites!

Impromptu gâteau de soirée with the girlies - Béchard, Cours Mirabeau

Une croissant, s'il vous plaît

Cours Mirabeau contrast

Star confetti - Cathédrale Saint-Saveur

La Crèche - Cathédrale Saint-Saveur

Place de Quatre Dauphins

Spice Vendor

Provincial olives at the market 

Occadeco antique store

Café crème - CEA happy hour

Surprise carousel

Seems familiar...

I'm really lichen this place

I hope you enjoyed this visual spread. If so, let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Aix-en-Provence: First Impressions

Salut mes amis, 

I've made it to my temporary home in Aix-en-Provence! It's been less than 5 hours, but so far so good! Here's what I've been up to since leaving the City of Lights:

After a sleepy TGV ride from Paris, and a short connection in Marseille, Ash and I arrived into La Gare Routière here in Aix right on schedule. Tout d'un coup, a spunky-looking women jumped out and asked if I was me, to which I said "oui!?", before being whisked away in a whirlwind of French. I hardly had time to say goodbye to Ashlynn, let alone find the restroom! 

In my head I was sure that this woman was probably my host mother but, according to my phone call with the program coordinator, I was supposed to be picked up by a student. I don't even know how she recognized me so quickly, having never seen a photo of me (except for perhaps the red-headed I.D. photo I sent the university)! Either way, this confusion mixed with adrenaline stacked with fatigue made it hard to say much of anything at all; I didn't even catch her name the first time. Despite everything, my new mère d'accueil was cordial and smiley, and helped me wrangle my bags into her haphazardly parked vehicle.

Once in the the car, she explained gingerly that she had been having computer problems, and was unable to receive my email until that morning - she was pleased to see how much effort I put into it, was impressed with my level of french and was sorry to have not gotten back to me. The drive was short, so not much else was said before we dragged my luggage to her 3rd-story apartment. 

After monuments, the metro, and this apartment, I never want to see another stair again!

The next steps run together a bit: the tour, the smalltalk, but it was all positive. The apartment itself is beautiful, and very comfortable. My room is spacious and cozy, with plenty of storage! Most notably, Cathy is an absolute delight.

She served up a lovely quiche after letting me decompress, unpack, and take a much-deserved shower... Last of all, we went across the hall to meet Amanda, a fellow CEAer and my new neighbor! 

All things considered, I am extremely happy to be here. I have a feeling things will continue to move in a positive direction as I get accustomed to living with my new host IN FRANCE! For now, I'm just glad to have a web connection to talk to my family!

Thanks for reading!

Goodbye Paris, Hello Unknown

Bonjour tout le monde,

Last night was my last in Paris for the time being. It has been a blast, but it's time to move on to Aix for the impending semester of a lifetime! Here's a brief recap of our last adventures:

This morning, Ashlynn and I descended the spiral staircase of Thibaut's apartment, luggage in tow, and saw Thibaut off to work. We exchanged bises and American hugs, and went our separate ways.

Next stop, a nearby café to kill time and to wait for Samy to arrive. I could really get used to this idea of leisurely munching, people watching and chatting over coffee!

Samy helped us navigate the métro to the train station before noon.  Swimming up-stream against throngs of Parisians and tourists; up, down, and around stairs; stop after stop, I suddenly felt the real-world implications of packing a rolling bag and a duffle. Do I need 6 pairs of shoes?

After finally arriving, and going to collect my tickets, I had my first Euro-crisis: I MISSED MY TRAIN! SOME-FREAKIN-HOW, I misread my TVG confirmation email and was several hours late. JUST HOW?! We literally sat for hours in the warm café to avoid being too early. I still can't believe it, but I had to buy a completely new ticket for €99. -On the plus side, I got to book the same trains as Ash and was able to get ahold of our program director with Samy's cell phone to let her know my status.-

Coffee was needed to calm my nerves. Upon sensing my distress, one of the workers/good samaritan who was servicing the vending machines opened one up and made me a latté from the inside! What a dumpling!

It is just what I needed to remember not to let a minor incident spoil what has been a fantastic adventure, in an overall fortunate and happy life. My glass is hall full - just look at that foam!

But, honestly, I am very fortunate. This entire week was made possible incredible by people like Samy who seek to share their positive lives. Reconnecting is Paris is definitely on the agenda for later in the semester!

Soon we were zooming across France, just hours from our knew homes. Aix-en-Provence, mystery, here I come!

Before I Go: Custom Moncton Mugs for Paris!

Salut mes amis,

Since I am leaving for St. Louis tomorrow for New Year's Eve, and then to leave for Paris, I decided to finish up a project that I have been working on for a long time: custom sharpie mugs for my friend Paris!

The story goes that we spent last summer in Moncton doing the explore program together and, over just a few weeks of "Franglish", we developed many inside jokes. When she decided to move into her first apartment, I decided to immortalize some of our favorites on funny yet functional coffee mugs to give her as a gift; then life happened. So, now, several months later, I have finally gotten them finished and baked! Take a look:

I think they turned out just lovely. Also, I find that these inexpensive custom sharpie mugs would make great gifts for homestay parents, friends, family, or anyone, really! If you have the time, give them a try using this mini-tutorial:

SUPPLIES:

• Inexpensive (thinly glazed plain mugs, tea cups, plates, etc.
• Black Sharpies
• Cotton balls and swabs
• Rubbing alcohol
• Acetone
• Baking sheet

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash the dishes of choice with regular dish soap; dry with a towel
2. Using a cotton ball, along with plain rubbing alcohol, wipe them down again to insure they are free of pen-repelling finger prints or oils; let dry
3. Using a regular or paint sharpie marker, draw on the design of your choosing. I found it helpful to use paper stencils and/or tracing directly onto the dish. 
4. Re-trace your design with a second layer of marker; let dry. To erase mistakes, use a cotton swab dipped in acetone or rubbing alcohol; make sure to let dry before reapplying the sharpie.
5. Place finished cups on a baking sheet and place in a COLD oven. Turn to 425ºF and bake 30 minutes.
6. Turn off oven and allow cups to come to room temperature before removing them.
7. Enjoy your custom creations!

TIP:

• Wash only by hand with a soft cloth; avoid scrubbing the drawn designs

Let me know in the comments what you think, and whether or not you plan to try this quick and simply DIY!

Until next time,