Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Happy 3rd Birthday, sweet Harriet!



Today is our youngest daughter Harriet's 3rd Birthday! We wish you the best birthday ever, sweetheart, and we are so proud of you and amazed by everything you do! We love your sweet little personality, and we can't wait to see what's in store for you for the future...we love you so much, darling. Happy Birthday.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Scent Association

I just pulled a lovely white cake out of the oven, and the fragrance OVERWHELMED me. Freshly baked cake has got to be one of my all-time favourite smells in the kitchen, right up there with chocolate chip cookies, freshly brewed espresso, or a loaf of homemade bread. It just evokes such wonderful childhood memories for me, ones in which I arrive home from school to find that my mom had been baking for someone's birthday, or maybe just because she craved something sweet (I think I inherited that gene-thanks, mom). Now, don't get me wrong, we didn't eat cake all the time, it was definitely a special treat to have a yummy cake once in a while, but I guess we tend to associate the smell of a delicious baked good with a happy memory or two. I think maybe my desire to bake has something to do with reliving happy memories...wow, I think I just had a Freudian moment!

Sunday, November 4, 2007

History and Landscape






I know that this has nothing to do with CakeChic, however, I said I'd post some pictures of my trip for those of you who are interested. (for those who aren't, you can wait for some cake-related posts, alright?!?) We stayed just outside of a beautiful fortified town called Carcassonne, which has been recently restored to it's former glory. It was constructed in the 1200's, so I'm sure you can appreciate how amazing this structure really is. It was the home to the Trencavel family, a noble family and his entourage. We also visited many wineries and vineyards, including the Ligniere family winery, who welcomed us most graciously into their vineyard and wine-making facility to taste their most exquisite wines. I will certainly make a concerted effort to get some of their wine shipped here, as I have found a wine I truly enjoy while sampling their wines!

Joel and I travelled independently from the group we were with, and discovered so many amazing places I never knew existed in France. For me, this trip was entirely about the landscape and the history, and not about the shopping (for once in my life!). We scaled mountains, valleys, and gorges. We sampled the local goods. We enjoyed our surroundings to the fullest. What a great trip it was, indeed.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

What time is it in France???

We're home, and we're tired...sooooo tired! What a difference 7 hours can make to a person's internal time clock! We had a WONDERFUL trip, and I will certainly post some pictures and blog a little about our trip very soon. I need to recoup first, though. Sleep is good...