Archive | holiday

life in our chalet

March 14, 2012 at 9:22 am

During our trip to France, just as wonderful as speeding down the slopes and just as sweet as the boulangerie was the time spent with family. The little ski chalet was cozy yet accommodating and we spent many happy hours there cuddling Lena, making and eating meals, and playing games together in the evenings.

My mom and I traded “shifts” with Lena. I often skied in the morning while my mom was with her and then we switched in the afternoon. My sister Emily also enjoyed half days of skiing which meant Lena, Em, and I often had hours of quiet playing, reading, and napping time while the others blazed new trails on the slopes. I loved those quiet hours with two of my favorite girls!

Of course, being in France, there was a lot of emphasis on eating. We ate very well! We dined on local specialties, like this goat cheese that Elliott bought for me. (He knows goat cheese is my favorite food.)

We also cooked most evening meals in the chalet and ate together in the living room with our plates balanced on our knees. This was a spicy spaghetti with marinara sauce, compliments of my mom and Emily:

And another night we went out for cheese fondue, a specialty of that region of France. Lena enjoyed goofing off with her Poppy before the three-cheese fondue came bubbling and steaming to our table!

And then there were the quiet moments when it was just Lena and me, spending time together as we do every day. I never knew how much time a mother spends with her first-born child! There is a bond there that I can hardly imagine will be the same with the second, third, or sixth (?) child. I love these hours with my baby, whether we read books or explore pine cones, whether we cuddle each other or read/play side by side in our own separate worlds, whether we talk or not talk, for hours.

And lastly, here’s a photo showing that Lena can stand up all by herself! The week at the chalet you kind of had to trick her, like asking her to clap and she forgets to hold onto something, or helping her hold two toys in two separate hands and letting go of the chair or shelf. This week at home, though, I can set Lena down and she’ll stand there on her own for up to 10 seconds! Still hasn’t figured out the “taking steps” part, but we’re working on it.

4 :: in family, friends, holiday, Lena, motherhood, travel

Skiing in France!

March 12, 2012 at 1:43 pm

While this blog was so quiet last week, we were very busy. My family met Elliott, Lena, and me in France for a week-long ski trip! All the credit goes to the guy in red fleece in the photo below, our dear friend Daniel Roe.

Daniel went to school in England and took up skiing in the French Alps each winter with groups of friends. Daniel’s been telling us for years that we need to take advantage of his sweet connections and please come skiing with him. Finally he convinced us… and now the only thing we can’t figure out is what took us so long to get there.

Daniel’s friend let us use his ski chalet, a cozy little cabin located just a stone’s throw from a ski lift in the Grand Massif ski area. We were about an hour from Geneva and completely surrounded by the magnificent French Alps.

Every morning we found our ski boots warming by the radiator in the kitchen. (Thank you, Daniel.)

We ate breakfast and sipped mugs of coffee and then all bundled up for a day of skiing. Lena also bundled up for various adventures such as playing in the snow, visiting a local boulagerie for pain au chocolat, or going on walks around town. More photos of those activities later this week.

After that we headed for the gondola near our house which took us to the top of one of the ski mountains. My mom and her favorite son-in-law enjoy the ride:

Once on top, we snapped into our skis and prepared to hit the slopes. L to R: Elliott, Julia, me.

Look how beautiful it is! Elliott and I love to ski; we’ve skiied together since we first met in Boston and have covered many slopes in New England; Colorado; and Tahoe, California (on our honeymoon). Nothing we’ve seen compared to the quality and natural beauty of these slopes. One day my family covered a nine-mile-long piste that started in Switzerland and ran all the way into France!

We all agreed about that! Pictured below L to R: Emily, my dad, me, Elliott, Daniel, Eric.

It snowed twice while we were there, leaving behind a thick layer of fresh snow. All of us loved skiing “off piste,” or off the trails onto the fresh snow, like Elliott is doing below. We found a great green-level run that wound slowly down through the woods; the gentle slope and abundance of trees and snow meant we were blazing trails in the woods almost as much as we were on the piste!

We spent plenty of time on the ski lifts and standing in line for ski lifts. And, in general, not holding up the ski lifts with our antics. In general.

L to R: Emily and then Emily, Elliott, Daniel, my dad

photo(22)

We also always looked forward to a long lunch break. Even our homemade sandwiches were fancier in France: fresh baguettes from the boulangerie, cured meats, and Camembert cheese. And chocolate. Lots of chocolate. For energy.

We pretty much always skiied together, accommodating everyone’s various ski levels. Along the way there was plenty of laughter, lots of skiing tips thrown back and forth, and exciting discoveries being made every minute as our skills improved with our knowledge of the mountains.

L to R below: Eric, my dad, me

Check back tomorrow for some photos of the boulangerie we visited religiously each morning!

5 :: in family, friends, holiday, Lena, travel

Skiing in France!

March 12, 2012 at 12:43 pm

Every morning we found our ski boots warming by the radiator in the kitchen. (Thank you, Daniel.)

After that we headed for the gondola near our house which took us to the top of one of the ski mountains. My mom and her favorite son-in-law enjoy the ride:

Once on top, we snapped into our skis and prepared to hit the slopes. L to R: Elliott, Julia, me.

We all agreed about that! Pictured below L to R: Emily, my dad, me, Elliott, Daniel, Eric.

We spent plenty of time on the ski lifts and standing in line for ski lifts. And, in general, not holding up the ski lifts with our antics. In general.

L to R: Emily and then Emily, Elliott, Daniel, my dad

photo(22)

L to R below: Eric, my dad, me

Check back tomorrow for some photos of the boulangerie we visited religiously each morning!

4 :: in family, friends, holiday, Lena, travel

Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom: taking down Christmas

February 6, 2012 at 5:39 pm

Elliott and I have only celebrated two Christmases together as a married couple. Last year over Christmas we were visiting Israel while Elliott was deployed to Egypt. No Christmas decorations on that trip! This year was the first we had a Christmas tree.

Of course, after the Christmas season is over, someone has to take down the Christmas tree, the ornaments, the garlands, the wreaths, the Nativity… it really can take awhile, can’t it? Usually even after all that’s done, there are still remnants of Christmas here and there. Such as jars of candy canes sitting on your kitchen counter. For weeks.

Fortunately, I had a plan for these sweet little leftovers. The idea came from my friend Joy, who is a fellow resident of Sicily and has a wonderful cooking blog that is well-stocked with true Italian recipes. With her permission, I’m sharing her own recipe for Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies. I made them the other day and we devoured them in much less time than I care to relate!

Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
12 large candy canes or 6 oz. peppermints crushed into pieces (make sure not to crush too much or it will become powdery)
1 (12 oz.) bag white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Beat butter and sugars at medium speed until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla, beating until blended.
Combine flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended.
Beat in candy canes and white chocolate chips just until combined.
Drop using a 2 tbsp. scoop onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake 10-14 minutes. I bake them 12 minutes).
Remove to wire racks and cool completely (about 15 minutes).

P.S. With the flecks of red-and-white mixed in with chocolate decadence, who says these can’t double as Valentine’s Day goodies too? Enjoy!

4 :: in arts and crafts, eat this, holiday

Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom: taking down Christmas

February 6, 2012 at 4:39 pm

Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
12 large candy canes or 6 oz. peppermints crushed into pieces (make sure not to crush too much or it will become powdery)
1 (12 oz.) bag white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Beat butter and sugars at medium speed until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla, beating until blended.
Combine flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended.
Beat in candy canes and white chocolate chips just until combined.
Drop using a 2 tbsp. scoop onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake 10-14 minutes. I bake them 12 minutes).
Remove to wire racks and cool completely (about 15 minutes).

P.S. With the flecks of red-and-white mixed in with chocolate decadence, who says these can’t double as Valentine’s Day goodies too? Enjoy!