Simply French Living November 2021 Issue 3

SIMPLY FRENCH LIVING Your monthly dose of all things French, written

by the community, for the community

FREE Stress Free Christmas With the Simply Prep Calender

Hostess with the Mostest How to make your side dishes shine

Bonfire Party Nostalgia Recipes that shout November

Spotlight on Bayeux A beautiful part of Normandy

Apero Anyone?

Your guide to French Apero

Cosy Home How to get that cosy feel ahead of the festive period

A Day in The Life of An Artisan Cabinet Maker

The Man Cave Why a man ‘needs’ one

Your Dream Kitchen We talk all things kitchen

CONTENTS NOVEMBER

06 SPOTLIGHT ON BAYEUX

ach month we give an insight into a different town or region E of France

08 REMEMBRANCE DAY TRIBUTE 12 FRENCH KITCHEN ENVY

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TOP KITCHEN GADGETS OF 2021

All the best gadgets you can’t live without.

19 THE HOME BAR 20 WINTER DRINKS - HUG IN A MUG 22 URBAN SKETCHING

Doe Evans sees France one drawing at a time.

24 FRENCH - POLITE SOCIETY 26 PARLEZ FRANCAIS

Phrases that will help you through car maintenance

18 MAKE YOUR HOME MORE COSY THIS WINTER.

Studio Lawson give design and accessory tips to give your home that cosy touch.

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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF..

an Artisan Cabinet Maker

Johnathan Turner of ‘My Tailor Made Kitchens’ walks you through a day in the life of the trade..

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JET SET PETS

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DONT BE SAD

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WORKING FROM HOME

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HISTORY OF THE CLOCHE

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FASHION & BEAUTY

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MENS HEALTH MONTH

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THE MAN CAVE

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SIMPLY GARDENENING

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From skincare recipes to a personal shopper we have it all this issue.

articles from the Market Gardener and how to wrap the garden up for the winter

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CLIMATE CHANGE ON WINE

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SIMPLY WINE

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SIMPLY KITCHEN

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KIDS CORNER

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SIMPLY BUSINESS

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EDITORS PROPERTY PICK

Wine culture, Apero and the lowdown on Rose with Pam Gagiano Christmas prep recipes, Bonfire Nostalgia and more from the Travelling Kitchener Autumn crafts

How to make TicTok work for you Business Insurance A Selection of Manoirs across France

STRESS FREE CHRISTMAS

Get ahead and organised with our December prep calendar and 60 things to do.

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THE HISTORY OF THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS

The party season is upon us, its time to break out that trusty LBD.

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Hello and Bonjour!

A warm welcome everyone to our November issue, from my home in the Vienne, southwest France. Where do I start with my introduction? At the beginning of my French adventure I suppose. I have lived with my husband here in France for twelve years and I can quite honestly say, France is indeed home now. There’s really nowhere else I’d rather be.

When we first moved to France we bought the prerequisite ‘cheap as chips’ renovation project in Limoges and life was pretty rosy indeed. That was until we realised the dream house was collapsing into the basement! Stabilising the building wiped out our meagre savings and we suddenly realised it was time to earn a crust and soon! So we got busy applying for various jobs in the hotel and catering trade and landed a great position as a couple at a beautiful chateau in the Loire. We continued working there for 8 years until we had our son Alfie, who is now 4 years old. Of course having a child changes everything but we still had to make a living and we did!

Being a bit of a closet mechanic, I bought a vintage 1971 Renault Estafette, affectionately now known as ESTA the ice cream van! She happily attends weddings and events driven by yours truly of course! My husband runs a removals company and I still dabble in that fabulous French pastime of ‘truffling for treasures’, in other words ‘Brocanting’. I also have a penchant for make up and of course community building and social media marketing.

I particularly love exploring the French countryside and of course sampling every cuisine France has to offer. We’ve recently sold our French Wreck and are waiting to see what the future holds for us post pandemic. Like many reading our magazine, our personal businesses suffered during covid and we are now trying to recover financially.

With Christmas and winter approaching at lightening speed, in this issue we are celebrating that month before all the madness happens! I hope you enjoy our 3rd issue and I hope your festive season is perfect for you and your family!

Tia 4

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Meet this issue’s Contributors

Pamela Gagiano Wine Culture Columnist

Diana Phillips Lifestyle Columnist

Philippa Gratton The Travelling Kitchener Columnist

Doe Evans Art & Craft Columnist

Studion Lawson Sophie Howard Interior Columnist

Ingrid Burling Hosting & Entertainment Columnist

Leanne Broadhead Market Gardener Columnist

Johnathan Turner Artisan Contributor

Rebecca Claridge Health & Beauty Columnist

Kerry Delphine Artisan Milliner Contributor

Danny Perkins Pet travel Contributor

Simon Kellow-Bingham French Lifestyle Columnist

Are you a member of our social media groups? @Simplykitchen @Simplyfrenchlivingmagazine Join today and get all updates regarding supplement release dates and issue previews. As well as more French lifestyle and cuisine posts to keep you going all month long.

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SPOTLIGHT ON BAYEUX 0

ur family holidays to France really should have been named ‘The Holland Family Normandy Holidays’, the neverending sequel, as we rarely ventured over the border and so we feel an intimate bond with such a wonderful region in the North of France.

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vaguely recall visiting Bayeux several times over the years and frustratingly never managing to see the Bayeux Tapestry for many innocuous reasons. The lack of visits to anything remotely cultural could have been to do with my then young children not being interested sadly!

Fast-forward, to March 2020 and him and I were suddenly living very close to Bayeux, how fortunate and this time without children in tow because they were all grown up. Of course we had barely unpacked our boxes in the tiny rental cottage when the pandemic struck. Still, I remember visiting the old hospital in the city during the first lockdown and the streets were completely deserted, very spooky indeed.

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Bayeux felt so very familiar and we would go on to spend most weekends visiting for one reason or another, either pleasure or pain.

Bayeux is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy, northwestern France.

As I’ve already mentioned Bayeux is most famous for being the home of the ‘Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England. It is also known as the first major town secured by the Allies during Operation Overlord. Charles de Gaulle made two famous speeches in this town.

Founded as a Gallo-Roman settlement in the 1st century BC, under the name Augustodurum.

Bayeux was built on a cross roads between Lisieux and Valognes, developing first on the west bank of the river. By the end of the 3rd century a walled enclosure surrounded the city and remained until it was removed in the 18th century. Its layout is still visible and can be followed today.

The citadel of the city was located in the southwest corner, and the cathedral in the southwest. An important city in Normandy, Bayeux was part of the coastal defence of the Roman Empire against the pirates of the region, and a Roman legion was stationed there. The city was largely destroyed during the Viking raids of the late 9th century.

Bayeux city is of course a major tourist attraction, best known to British and French visitors. The large Norman Romanesque and Gothic Cathedral Notre Dame de Bayeux, consecrated in 1077 and arguably the original home of the tapestry, where William’s half brother Odo of Bayeux (represented on the tapestry weilding a wooden club at the Battle of Hastings), would have had it displayed.

Sadly, I’ve never quite managed to spend time at Le Jardin Botanique de Bayeux (botanical garden) dating from 1864. Still on my to do list that one but I have wandered the streets of Bayeux, eaten at the fabulous restaurants, visited museums and shopped at the markets, of course.

My favourite thing to do is, spend an hour or so paying my respects at the graves of the fallen soldiers.

The Bayeux War Cemetery with its memorial includes the largest British cemetery dating from the Second World War in France. There are 4,648 graves, including 3,935 British soldiers and 466 Germans. Most of those buried there were killed in the invasion of Normandy.

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LEST FOR

Armistice Day N 8

T WE RGET

November 11th 9

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ON THE E HOUR O ELEVEN

WE SHALL REM

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very year, we remember military and civilian sacrifices made during conflict with a National Service of Remembrance.

The Armistice, an agreement to end fighting in the First World War as a prelude to peace negotiations, began at 11 am 11 November 1918.

The tradition of Remembrance Day evolved out of Armistice Day. The initial Armistice Day was observed at Buckingham Palace, commencing with King George V hosting a “Banquet in Honour of the President of the French Republic” during the evening hours of 10 November 1919.

Remembrance Day (sometimes known informally as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of the remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states.

Remembrance Day has been observed since the end of the First World War to remember armed forces members who have died in the line of duty.

The first official Armistice Day was subsequently held on the grounds of Buckingham Palace the following morning.

During the Second World War, many countries changed the name of the holiday.

Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations adopted Remembrance Day, while the US chose Veterans Day.

Following a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919, the day is also marked by war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. In most countries, Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of First World War hostilities. Hostilities formally ended “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” of 1918, in accordance with the armistice signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. (“At the 11th hour” refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 am.)

France commemorates Armistice Day with a national holiday, known in French as ‘Jour armistice’. Armistice Day is reserved as a day to commemorate the end of the first world war and honour the veterans of both world wars.

The First World War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919.

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The French do not wear poppies, rather on the day they buy a ‘bleuet’, a sticker of a cornflower as their symbol of remembrance.

In France, churches hold services in memory of those who fell, military parades are held and wreaths laid at war monuments and at a special tomb in Paris.

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ELEVENTH OF THE NTH DAY

MEMBER THEM

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French Kitchen Envy Donna Jones Holland shares hopes, dreams and the reality of renovating her future kitchen at “The French Wreck” in the Mayenne.

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he kitchen is the beating heart of any home, we gather, we graze, and we offload almost every emotion within its warmth, comfort and safety.

It’s where we congregate whenever we are hungry, thirsty or just to stare endlessly into the abyss of the fridge in hope of sustenance and inspiration.

We put a lot of heart and soul into our kitchens and rightly so, as often we spend most of our lives in there and the bedroom of course (wink wink nudge nudge). Of course, kitchens have evolved over the decades and are now generally open spaces connected to a lounge and diner.

Many families aren’t that bothered about having a formal dining room these days and see a separate dining room as wasted space, but many older French houses are set out traditionally for their build era with 2 or 3 formal reception rooms. This layout does not offer the open concept living we often crave, which of course presents many challenges when renovating an older house, but it’s not impossible to achieve with some imagination and brute force.

When I’ve been house shopping here in France, the French kitchens I’ve seen to date have really entertained me, often leaving me in hysterics. Kitchens in France can be a bit of an afterthought and definitely not that modern or welcoming. There are exceptions of course, but I really haven’t seen that many homes with kitchens I covet!

Of course, if my budget was endless, I’m sure I would have seen my dream French cuisine by now, a girl can certainly dream.

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Over the years I have been lucky enough to live all over the world and sampled many poor, badly designed kitchen lay outs, some good enough of course, but not that many of the ‘I can live with’ sort! Canada was the best and France remains the worst so far.

Our last French house hunting trip, just a few months ago delivered a hobbit like kitchen in a chateau no less!

It was absolutely bizarre! The great room had been partitioned off and the kitchen shoved in a dark and seedy corner. It was very much a DIY affair and orange/brown to boot! I have a real loathing for brown kitchens especially the orange pine variety! Not only was this excuse for a chateau kitchen lacking in cupboard and counter space, but it was also rather too short for anyone over 5 ft!

Back at our very own long standing ‘French Wreck’ the kitchen or where the kitchen would eventually be, caused many arguments between my husband and I over the years.

Eventually, we employed an architect who suggested an extension therefore giving me the possibility of a bespoke space to play with. There’s no doubt that his drawings solved many of my perceived problems. The house already has a large footprint but did not in my humble opinion lend itself to open plan living.

The original kitchen space was right at the back of the house in the centre, more of a corridor really. It was circa 1980 blue and orange Formica, just hideous! The proposed extension, Atelier style would go off the side of a coach house.

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It all definitely made sense. I really wished for a light, airy large open plan kitchen diner including a cloak room toilet and this extension would give me that and more. However, once we had a few quotes for the full renovation of the whole property, we soon realised we would have to cut our cloth accordingly and the extension was put on the back burner.

I made a few sketches of how it could be, and plan B didn’t seem so bad after all.

We’ve owned the house over four years now and we are just beginning to renovate again after losing beams, floors and period features due to damp (long story). Our Grandiose Wreck was in the midst of being sold recently but that all fell through, so we are now back to square one but definitely on the same page as far as where the kitchen will be. The main house kitchen will be completed late next year as we have decided to rush the renovation of the barn into a two-bed roomed house. This will make things much easier for us in the long term as we won’t have to rent a house whilst we renovate. Essentially our kitchen story is a work in progress, but I will endeavour to keep you updated as we go.

What to do? We walked and talked about how where and when for many months during Covid lockdowns not really ever getting anywhere. I really wanted to squeeze a toilet in on the main floor without disturbing the improved flow (it’s an age thing) and I absolutely wanted a pantry. I’m also not really a fitted kitchen kind of girl and prefer a ‘cooks’ kitchen’ with large island unit. I like plate racks and pan hangers, open shelving and bespoke storage. I really do know what I like after 33 years of playing Feeder extraordinaire to my family and if that makes me fussy then I’m fine with it! Somehow, we had to make it all work!

In France we do have the gift of the ‘Brocante’ and can adapt many pieces of old furniture to our needs for very little money, but the artisan work is always going to be more expensive than at first thought, unless of course one can DIY! I think we will do a bit of both. For now, I will keep dreaming of a beautifully appointed French Kitchen. So, for now here is an inspirational picture from my French Kitchen mood board!

Enjoy.

In the end I went from room to room trying to work out which footprint would be big enough. I know that many kitchens are at the back of the home, but I decided on a large front reception room, and we opened it up into the next room as much as we could, majorly Improving the flow.

Yes, there is the added issue of a huge arched window to contend with, sure but I do fancy watching the world go by one day.

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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF..

Johnathan Turner of ‘Tailor Made Kitchens’ talks us through a day in the life of an artisan cabinet maker.

Introduction

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aving trained and worked in the UK for 15+ years, John has been living and working as a cabinet furniture maker in the Charente-Maritime since 2010. During this time, both his business and family life have seen much change; starting as a small, ‘on the side’ business whilst working full time for a French company, to the very much full time kitchen cabinet making enterprise of ‘My Tailor Made Kitchen’. John is also now a proud daddy to two beautiful daughters, now aged 8 and 1.

Generally there isn’t a typical day: every day is different and as a result, John’s daily routine is very much led by the projects he is focusing on at the time. And as dad to two young daughters alongside running a busy, growing business, life is always challenging but never boring!

Despite this, there is a rough general daily routine:

The morning alarm…

John’s workshop is approximately 2 minutes from his front door, so it doesn’t take much to get up and start work – a giant mug of coffee and he’s off! He will generally try to get a couple of hours work done first thing, before maybe leaving to collect materials from various suppliers on their opening.

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Morning Huddle…

Fortunately John’s business support (aka partner, Gemma!) is also based at home, so he’ll have a general catch up to talk though various issues before heading back to the workshop – these usually include:

• Customer queries – answering questions received through email or social media; • Quotation requests – drafting quotations based on the client’s measurements, and tailoring these quotes as per their individual requirements; • Questions regarding digital kitchen plans and drawings; • Approval of quotes and drawings before being sent to clients; • Details of client meetings from the previous day.

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Client Meetings John likes to keep client meetings to the late afternoon or early evening where possible to keep the days free for workshop-based building or on site fitting of his kitchens. Client meetings are usually on site (or occasionally remotely via video link) and will generally include taking measurements, drawing an outline plan and discussing their ideas and wish list – this will generally cover: • • • •

Their choice of 2 kitchen frame styles: a newly introduced, more modern slender frame, or a more robust, bespoke, customisable design; Door styles – clients can choose anything from minimalist to shaker style and everything in between; Their choice of Farrow and Ball paint colours; Any individual requirements – this can include anything from heightening worktops heights of base units, bespoke cupboard and drawer accessories, creation of special drawers for coffee pods, hiding second sink areas behind folding doors, installation of doors, windows, steps, bespoke seating… the list is endless which is what makes every kitchen unique!

From this, plans can then be digitally drawn up to cover all the clients bespoke needs and these can then be discussed, amended and finally agreed with the client.

Evenings John will often return into the workshop to finish off for the day, sometimes working into the evening to be ready for a kitchen fitting the next day, but luckily being so close to home he never misses the girls’ bedtime stories!

Days are never boring and no two kitchens are ever the same, which keeps life interesting. Probably the most rewarding days are those completing the fitting and installation of a new kitchen, seeing the plan on paper come to life and handing over to the happy clients!

Simple Kitchen Workshop Task List: • • • • • • • • •

After preparing wood, make cuts for kitchen units and assemble.

Cut and assemble unit face frames if required.

Cut and assemble door and drawers.

Fill pin and screw holes.

Sand everything!

Apply varnish to required areas.

Mask off varnished areas and apply Primer paint.

Hand sanding.

2 or 3 coats of colour paint.

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KITCHEN GADGETRY Aquiae nonsequosa SPLURGE! susa sequia non ed All of the gadgets you didn’t know you needed ut quis aped Here’s my 5 top kitchen gadgets for 2021!

I 1 have a pretty tiny, weirdly lime green kitchen here in France, but I am thankfully moving to a bigger one very soon! Not my dream kitchen yet, sadly no, but I can always make up for its lack of size by dressing it up a bit! In fact, the house we are moving to needs a lot of cosmetic work, so that will be interesting! Still, I am going back to living with a much missed and beloved AGA, the ultimate kitchen workhorse, so there’s that at least! Can’t wait!

I’m completely fascinated by the amount of new kitchen gadgetry that comes out every year, most of which I really don’t care about, because they take up a lot of space I don’t have! I don’t really want to add to those hideously large gadgets that are already languishing in storage!

You may think I’m talking about anything with a plug but not so!

We need to pretty up our French kitchens sure, but with things we will actually use over and over again, and they also have to look good. I like timeless kitchen accessories and the issue with trending colours is that they can soon feel out of ‘fashion’. With Christmas in mind, I’ve virtually shopped and splurged for you, making a list and checking twice! Have you been naughty or nice? Don’t worry I won’t tell!

Anyway, not sure I will be using a Chocolate Velvetiser any time soon, but I do know I will try hard to wear out a fancy stand mixer or food processor! That’s just the way I roll!

Here’s one for the Chap in your life! ‘The Big Green Egg Smoker’ is a splurge item and it’s been on my list for a few years now.

Outdoor slow cooking baking and grilling in winter? I’m in! Apparently, there’s a crazy alchemy that’s goes on inside the ‘egg’? Prices, start at €850.

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Copper pans! Every decent French kitchen should have a set of highly polished highly prized, super expensive pans that hark back to a busy French Chateau kitchen! Yes! De Buyer French Copper Cookware collection from €1500 Ouchy!

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My Kitchenaid stand mixer is pretty old but a bit of a timeless classic, which I rather love.

Gadget fashion however waits for no man/woman, and they do rather faff with the design of this posh kitchen staple.

This year the ‘big thing’ is their black and white limited edition artisan 4.8 L mixer SPOOKILY called (light& shadow), quite the sexy beast frankly! Retailing at a coolish €800 because you are worth it!

Le Creuset, we adore don’t we, even though we have to grow a third arm to be able to lift them! I’m coveting the large shallow casserole pot in canary yellow, why? No clue but I’m going to chance writing to Santa about it, see what he says? I mean, I’ve tried to be good all year! Priced from €200 , even if you can’t lift it, it will still look pretty!

No one will get through Christmas in one piece without a cup of decent coffee and time spent gazing at one’s own reflection is no time wasted at all! Chrome still has the kitchen cornered big time! I do love a decent barista machine, they are all very Italian stallion and let’s face it, if the relatives bore you to tears, you can always spend time in the kitchen faffing with froth some more! A SAGE Oracle Touch Full Bean to cup in brushed stainless steel starts wallet emptying at around €2300!

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How t o M a ke Yo u r H ome Feel M o re C o sy T his Wi n t e r?

Sophie Howard of Studio Lawson shares some quick and easy tips to make your home that little cosier.

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s the days grow shorter and the nights get longer it’s the perfect time of year to add some seasonal cosiness to your homes.

By changing and adding these small things you can create a warm space that feels like it’s giving you a hug, perfect for the colder weather.

Add some Seasonal Scents The nose is often forgotten about when creating spaces but nothing can evoke a memory or a feeling quite like scent.

This time of year I opt for spiced apple, cinnamon and mulled wine type scents to add a velvety touch to your home.

Softer Lighting As we have less daylight this time of year, think about switching those lamps on rather than using your overhead lights. Because of the shades, lamps cast a much softer and therefore cosier light. A dimmer works really well to lessen the harshness of your overhead lights too.

Add some candlelight Similar to the previous tip, adding candlelight is a sure way to soften a space and instantly make it feel cosier.

Such a simple addition to your home can really make a big difference.

Add texture This point is such an easy way to add warmth into a space. By adding throws and cushions with texture you are creating cosy moments throughout your home. Choose woollen, fur & knitted accents to add those tactile moments.

Upgrade your curtains Now this isn’t something people usually do but I think it can completely change the feel of a room and should 18

be something we do as the seasons change. Let me explain. In the summer we want curtains that are light and allow breeze, so it would make sense that in the winter we want heavier curtains that keep the heat in.

So why don’t we change our curtains seasonally? Give it a go and see if you think it’ll become a regular change.

So there you have it, my tips to make your homes more cosy this winter.

I hope I helped you with some really simple, actionable home updates to make your spaces warmer and more inviting. Give them a go and let me know what you think.

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LOVE ON THE ROCKS AIN’T NO SURPRISE….

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o surprise that many of us will still entertain at home this year. Just because we can go out now, doesn’t mean to say we want to! So, how do we make our home entertainment, cocktail hour friendly?

I’m starting with one of my favourite home entertaining hacks and that’s the ‘bar cart’. The ‘home bar’ has become THE way to display ones finest gin and other cocktail trivia! These ‘trolleys’ can fit almost anywhere and look good as a general piece of furniture, wheeled out fully loaded with ‘naughty but nice, drinkies’.

A bar cart may not be big enough for you, so how about a cupboard with shelves like this one by www.swankyinteriors. co.uk Lets not forget the glass and cocktail ware!

Oh, and a good selection of spirits, flavoured syrups and mixers to kick off the festive period!

Any decent cocktail party starts with a robust signature cocktail and here’s our Simply Secret Santa! It’s super simple but if you cant get hold of coconut rum, do add a little coconut milk instead, then decorate festively!

Coconut Rum Irish Cream Liqueur

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A Winter Mug There really is nothing quite like getting in from a long old, cold day to a large mug of something warm and comforting!

I affectionally call it a ‘Muggled Hug’! A lovely much needed hug in a mug! Such are our busy lives these days, that these small but normal rituals give us a virtual hug which will absolutely have to do! Holding the mug close to warm those cold hands, drink in the steam, close those tired eyes and with that first sip, exhale the stresses of the day.

Perfect.

The Scandinavians have been practicing the art of Hygge by embracing tea and cake moments like this for years. I hear them loud and clear, making time for yourself should be part of the everyday. You may have your own hot drink morning routine down pat, I know I do. My early drink dance is quite simple, up and at it then two cups of earl grey tea, washed dressed and possibility of one cup of coffee, then I can face the day ahead. These days, I feel a little boring in my choice of hot beverage! A bit dull. Just stand in a coffee shop in the UK and browse the menu, endless combinations to suit all tastes and diets, it’s mind boggling. I do like the French no nonsense approach to coffee and their faces when we ask for something they don’t have! My Dad near clean collapses in hysterics every time he’s given a tiny espresso!

Even the vessel we drink from is important, isn’t it? I personally love my Emma Bridgewater mugs as they are so quintessentially British. I really love a little bit of HOME wherever I live in the world, and I won’t apologise for it.

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I might be a bit eccentric, but I don’t really care and yes, I absolutely do swap my mugs seasonally.

So, without further ado let’s visit the land of drinks to lift your mood this winter!

Gingerbread Eggnog Readymade Eggnog, warmed through with added winter spice, vanilla & ginger! Serve with a ginger cookie and a squirt of cream…….if it’s been a really bad day, add brandy!

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Warm Winter Chai Smoothie You can of course make yourself a special Chai spice blend or buy it!

Use Almond milk, lots of chai powder, honey and toasted almonds. Warm it all though with a couple of extra cardamom pods, fresh ginger, a clove and some black pepper.

Winter White Chocolate One the kids will try to steal, don’t let them, hide in the pantry!

Whip up some cream and milk froth, add a little sugar, warm some white chocolate chips in milk. Add vanilla and a tot of Irish cream, garnish with more chocolate!

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SEEING THE WORLD ONE DRAWING AT A TIME The talented Doe Evans gives us an insight into Urban Sketching.

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’m writing this article on Sunday 17th October 2021 known to some people as International Urban Sketch Day, whilst I’m waiting to join a Zoom rendezvous. The online ‘chat’ is with people in the same time zone as me, so we can sketch and chat about urban sketching together.

There will be meetings of urban sketch groups getting together all over the world today, in thousands of locations to sketch together.

Urban Sketching has opened up a lovely new way of recording what I see for me and is also a great social experience if you wish it to be. I’ve made friends through urban sketching and just come back from the most glorious week in Languedoc on an urban sketching workshop.

What is Urban Sketching?

It is simply recording the buildings that you see, in any location of your choice with the emphasis is on a sketch rather than a work of art.

For true urban sketching you should actually be at that location, however I also belong to a group of virtual urban sketchers and once a month we choose a location, research free

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of virtual urban sketchers and we choose a location, research free images of the location or use our own photo if we have one, we then join a zoom meeting and sketch and chat together. After an hour or so we stop and show each other what we’ve done, called a ‘throw down’ in Urban sketching parlance. Last time I joined in we chose Albi, Northeast of Toulouse. I’ve never been but from stock photos this was my sketch (above) Next week it’s Monpazier.

Your urban sketch could be a famous local landmark, your own house or the corner shop, the choice is yours!

I was introduced to the concept of Urban Sketching when I saw works by the fabulous Ian Fennelly. Check out his work at Ian Fennelly online.

Ian lives in Hoylake at the tip of the Wirral peninsula which lies between Liverpool UK and the Welsh coast not far from where I used to live before moving to France. He started drawing the landmarks of Liverpool and Chester and now travels worldwide giving workshops.

It was one of these workshops that took me to Languedoc recently for five days of sketching in the sunshine.

We were all so hooked we carried on sketching together in the evenings over a glass (or two) of wine. I don’t think you have to be a good artist to be an urban sketcher either. There is a certain quality to a sketch of a building where the lines are not draftsman ship

straight and the windows are wonky.

In fact, this covers ALL of my sketches.

I like to think they’re quirky. It’s about recording what you see, not what’s architecturally perfect. You can show your sketches or not, it’s up to you.

Most groups have a Facebook page and everyone within the range of abilities is encouraged. They are a real joy to view. If you’re out in a group there is usually a “throw down“ at the end so you can see everyone’s sketch. There is no judgement at all, ever.

SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING It’s not an expensive hobby, an A4 sketchbook can cost €9, some waterproof fine liners and a small watercolour set if you want to add colour, again your choice, a few sheets of kitchen roll to wipe your brush and you’re ready to rock. My travel watercolour set came in at €10 with a brush that holds water in the shaft so no need to carry a pot of water. Some of the loveliest sketches I’ve seen are just black, white and grey.

Of course, if you get really hooked, you can spend more money on materials, but start small and you’ll enjoy it more. Cultura have a good selection in France.

Ideally your sketch should take about an hour to an hour and a half so it’s not going to take up your whole day, again the emphasis on sketch not artwork.

You can join a group or go solo, I do both. This week I’ll be with the La Rochelle Urban Sketchers outside the Hôtel de Ville capturing the pink umbrellas for October Rose.

I am the only ‘Anglaise’ in our group and they have welcomed me and always make sure I know what’s going on. It’s helping me integrate into a different social network from those I have in our village, and we have some great conversations over a coffee after sketching.

Why do I do this?

Do you remember back in the day when people used to buy postcards of the places they visited? Well, this is my version of that. I record places I go in my sketchbook and those sketches are unique (another term for quirky) and also a lovely reminder of where I have been, I date them and name the place, my memory isn’t that good!

What do you do if it’s pouring with rain?

If I’m with the group, we find a cafe and sketch from there. If there’s an awning, we sit outside under cover, so we don’t take up all the seats inside and as long as we buy a coffee the businesses have always been welcoming. If I’m on my own, I don’t set out in the rain but if I’m caught out, I’d do the same and find a cafe or a bridge or a covered bus stop! The perspective of your sketch will change if you move position.

There is nothing in the rules to say you can’t take a photo and finish off at home!

I have three sketchbooks on the go right now, a tiny A5 concertina book I took to Paris, my A4 hardback for when it’s a day out in the car and a beautiful Fabriano A3 sketch pad for the days I’m going out to capture a specific image. I got so giddy in Paris I only managed one tiny sketch but I’m going back in April for a weekend of just sketching.

I’d encourage everyone to give it a go, there is no wrong way to do this, and you get to actually see some lovely architecture. Once you start the layers of looking to add to your drawings, you’ll notice things you’ve never seen before on buildings you may be very familiar with. You’ll soon discover your style, mine definitely leans towards the quirky or unique side.

Join a group or go solo the choice is yours. There are lots of groups in France and all over the world. If you are interested look up the urban sketchers France Facebook page (or your locality) and ask about a group near you. It’s a hobby where there is no right or wrong and every level of ability is accepted. À vos carnets!

It gets me out in the fresh air and meeting new people. When you’re out sketching, people will come to look at what you’re doing. I love chatting with people but I’m still very awkward about showing them what I’m doing. I don’t know why because nobody has ever been discouraging.

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SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING

or any other shop, it is usual to say hello to the proprietor upon entry. Failure to do so will immediately mark you out as a potential shoplifter.

FRENCH LIFE: POLITE SOCIETY A quick check on whether you’re ticking all the boxes for politeness in public with Simon Kellow Bingham

T

he French invented being polite in the Middle Ages, if you believe the literature from the period, and today it remains an important, and sometimes complicated, part of everyday life.

For example, when you leave your house in the morning and meet a neighbour for the first time that day 24

and say bonjour (hello). Should you see the same person again later in the day do not say bonjour (hello) a second time.

Instead, you could use the less formal salut (hello). Using bonjour again may make your neighbour think you had forgotten you had seen them already that day.

When you enter your local bakery,

If you are starting work at an atelier (workshop) ensure you are at the factory gates at least fifteen minutes before your shift starts. You will need this time to say good morning to all of your co-workers in turn.

Failure to do so, turning up just in time to start work, will likely leave you ostracised at lunchtime. At the end of the shift, however, leave just as fast as you can.

ESSENTIAL FRENCH ETIQUETTE TIPS •

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Always use your manners, “Please” (s’il vous plait), “Thank you” (merci) and “you’re welcome” (de rien).

When meeting for the first time shake hands. If you know the person, a kiss or 2 on each cheek - but never go in for a hug.

Punctuality - never be on time, unless of course for work or a dinner reservation.

Casual meetings, dining or apero, 15 mins late is deemed appropriate.

Asking a French person what he does for a living is quite taboo, flaunting wealth is considered extremely tacky.

Topics of conversation - as money is well and truly off the table:- food, politics and art are always hot topics.

Language - A notoriously difficult language to learn!

However, your attempts to converse in French are always greatly appreciated.

SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING

WHEN IN FRANCE: DO AS THE FRENCH DO

It’s so easy to make a faux pas, so here are ways to make it all go a little smoother!

Read over coffee.

Always say ‘hello’!

Take pleasure in the little things.

It is polite to say ‘Bonjour’, ‘Merci’ and ‘au revoir’. Address strangers formally ‘Madame’ or ‘Monsieur’.

Post Covid French kissing is of course now an issue but do try to be warm when greeting.

Always be polite! Manners are very important to French people. Use your manners!

Live Slowly.

Don’t forget to smile!

Celebrate natural beauty.

Embrace meal times! Apero time.

The long lunch, the family gatherings, mealtimes are sacred.

Be discrete.

Incorporate walks into your day.

Practice less is more and do not talk about money!

Visit the theatre, gallery or museums.

Learn the art of small talk.

Take a long holiday. The French really make good use of family time.

Set boundaries.

Disconnect from work.

Visit the farmers market with your basket.

Shop seasonally.

Dress your best.

Learn the language!

Pamper yourself.

Join in!

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Parlez Français

SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING

Each month we will be sharing helpful French phrases & conversations with you. This month‘s theme is car maintenance phrases.

Running a car can be daunting in any country, so here are a few helpful phrases to help you get by in France: Mechanical Terms •“aclimatisation (clim).” airconditioning •“la pression des pneus” air tyre pressure •“un essieu” axle •“une batterie” battery •“un témoin de frein” brake light •“a carrosserie” bodywork •“les freins” brakes •“le liquide de frein” brake fluid •“tomber en panne” break down •“une dépanneuse” breakdown truck •“un arbre à cames” cam shaft •“un carburateur” carburettor •“un pot catalytique” catalytic convertor •“vérifier le niveau d’huile” check the oil •“vérifier la pression” check the pressure •“un starter” choke •“embrayage” clutch •“une bielle” connecting rod •“joint homocinétique” constant velocity (CV) joint •“un vilebrequin” crankshaft •“un régulateur de vitesse” cruise control system •“un cylindre” cylinder •“une culasse” cylinder head •“un joint de culasse” cylinder head gasket •“le tableau de bord” dashboard •“une jauge de niveau d’huile” dipstick •“(tête de) Delco / un distributeur” distributor head •“une courroie de transmission” drive belt

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•“un arbre moteur” drive shaft •“le moteur” engine •“un pot d’échappement” exhaust pipe •“un clapet de refoulement” exhaust valve •“ventilateur” fan •“une courroie de ventilateur” fan belt •“un pare-chocs” fender/bumper •“un feu anti-brouillard” fog headlamp/ headlights •“la traction avant” front-wheel drive •“une jauge à essence” fuel gauge •“une pompe d’alimentation” fuel pump •“un fusible” fuse •“une (boîte de) vitesse” gear (box) •“une calandre” grill •“un hayon” hatchback/tailgate •“les phares” headlights/headlamps •“un cheval (fiscal)” horsepower •“un enjoliveur” hubcap •“allumage” ignition •“le démarreur” ignition switch •“un clignotant” indicator/blinker •“un cric” jack •“câbles de démarrage” jump leads/ cables •“une vidange” oil change •“une jauge d’huile” oil gauge •“un silencieux” muffler/silencer •“plaques de immatriculation” number plates •“la direction assistée” power steering •“un radiateur” radiator •“feux arrières” rear lamps/tail lights •“un arceau de sécurité” roll bar •“faire la révision” service a car •“un amortisseur” shock absorber •“rétroviseur” side mirror •“une pièce détachée / de rechange” spare part •“une roue de secours” spare wheel •“une bougie” spark plug •“un compteur de vitesse” speedometer •“a colonne de direction” steering column

•“un antivol” steering lock •“le Volant” steering wheel •“la tenue de route” surface adhesion •“un réservoir” gas/fuel tank •“passer au marbre” test for structural damage •“une courroie de distribution” timing belt •“la transmission” transmission •“régler le moteur” tune a car •“pneu” tyre •“une bande de roulement” tyre tread •“un cardan” universal joint •“essence sans plomb” unleaded petrol •“gilet rétro-réfléchissant” vest (high-visibility) •“triangle de pré-signalisation” warning triangle •“une durit” water pipe •“une pompe à eau” water pump •“une roue” wheel •“le parallélisme des roues” wheel alignment •“équilibrage de roue” wheel balancing •“un pare-brise” windscreen / windshield •“essuie glace” windscreen wipers •“une aile” wing •“le câblage” wiring

SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING

The Accident Report Sheet If there are any injuries after an accident, contact the police: call either 112 or 17. Do not sign any paperwork if you do not understand what you are agreeing to. If you do not understand the paperwork, contact the police for clarification.

A Minor Incident •

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Move to a safe place and alert oncoming traffic by placing your red warning triangle 30 meters down the road.

If two cars were involved, use either the constat amiable d’accident or that of the other party (only one form needs to be filled out as there are carbon copies for each party).

If more than two cars are involved, a separate constat form should be completed with each party (and if your vehicle was pushed onto a vehicle in front, mention it).

Both drivers fill out the constat, agreeing to the basic circumstances surrounding the accident. There are written and graphic descriptions of the accident.

Both parties then sign the completed document; this is a very important document and can be used as evidence.

We advise you to take photographs of the scene of the accident before vehicles are moved.

If a driver refuses to sign the form, make a note of the registration number and take the details of any witnesses or police officers. Once the form has been successfully filled in, you have five days to return it to your insurer. If neither driver has a constat available then the report can be done by letter and sent to the insurance company within five days.

The insurance companies will then analyse the evidence and assign responsibility.

Note: The French insurance industry

has a “no claims bonus” structure so it is possible for drivers to agree to pay independently for the damage to protect their “no claims” status and avoid further long-term costs. Even if this is agreed at the scene, it is still advisable to complete the constat as a back up.

• • • • •

“J’ai enfermé mes clés dans ma voiture” I locked the keys in the car “J’ai eu un accident de voiture / J’ai eu un accrochage” I have had an accident “J’ai eu un accident / J’ai eu une collision avec ma voiture” I crashed the car “J’ai dérapé” I skidded “Il m’est rentré dedans avec sa voiture” He crashed into me

Stay Safe

Break down Terms • • • •

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“Je suis en panne d’essence / Je suis en panne sèche” I have run out of petrol “Ma voiture est tombée en panne” My car has broken down “Ma voiture ne démarre pas” My car won’t start “J’ai besoin de faire démarrer une voiture en branchant ma batterie sur une autreor (less formal): J’ai besoin de faire démarrer avec les cables” My car needs a jump start “J’ai un pneu crevé” I have a flat tyre “Je n’ai plus de batterie” My battery is flat

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JET SET PETS

SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING

When moving abroad or travelling to a second home, leaving our fur babies behind is not an option.

Danny Perkins talks safe and comfortable transport for your pets.

It can be a daunting process moving those beloved furry friends around the world, for you, them and me!

Simply French Living kindly asked me if I could give an insight to the world of pet transportation and I am quite excited to be able to share with you a sector of the transport industry up until five months ago even I had no Idea existed.

Then in June the company ‘Go Fetch’ contacted me and asked if I would be interested in a position that they had available as a European Pet transporter. An opportunity to work with animals plus drive in Europe certainly ticked all those boxes, offering me that new challenge I’d been looking for the last couple of months.

Hello there, my name is Danny, I am 29 and live on the outskirts of Edinburgh in Scotland. For the last four years I have been traveling the European continent, delivering various types of freight from aircraft parts, car parts, media equipment and Formula One racing equipment for Red Bull! I can approximately cover 130,000 miles in any one year and I work away from home for around 4 to 6 weeks at a time. As I spend so much of my time on the road, I always felt a sense of loneliness and I’ve often felt something was missing in my life. So at the start of this year, I decided to start vlogging my journeys on the social media platform Tik tok and Eurovandan.

Picture this, its holiday time or better still you are in the final stages of relocating to France, you are all packed and ready to go. Whether you are planning to move by flying, ship or road trip, one thing for sure is that you will definitely need the family dog, cat, or any other furry friend with you! At this point in your planning, your animals are probably wondering what an earth is going on and just like you they’re going to be stressed. They may have stopped eating, drinking, shedding, or even started having accidents around the house, these are all normal signs of a stressed pet. It’s not like you can sit them down and explain what is happening, is it? Then there’s the issue trying to cram them and all their belongings into the car that’s already full of your luggage which isn’t going to help them much either.

My account became quite popular and I quickly gained a large following over the coming months, simply by showing what I did for a living, the places I travelled to and how I went about my daily life.

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So having a pet transportation company to handle the logistics of

moving your very best friend in my view is probably the best thing that you can do for them. Without being completely biased toward the company that I work for its definitely wise to do a little research into what the various companies can offer you, as there are of course companies out there that might be able to do it cheaper, but the level of service can vary massively. For holidays or relocations in Europe I’d certainly say transportation by road is definitely one of the best methods for moving pets. For example, one of the best relocations I have done in the last few months was a lovely Blue French bulldog called Hamilton.

SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING Hamilton and his owners were moving from Athens in Greece all the way up to Copenhagen in Denmark and I was tasked with transporting Hamilton for this trip. This meant catching a ferry from Ancona in Italy over to Greece and then driving down to Athens to collect him. The van I use is fully insulated and airconditioned and as it was the middle of summer in Greece, temperatures were easily reaching 43‘C with plenty of wildfires popping up in the surrounding areas, it was a good job I could keep Hamilton and myself cool.

Transporting French Bulldogs can be tricky due the breed’s health and potential breathing issues, so with that in mind I decided that rather than transport him in a crate, I popped him on the passenger seat where I could keep an eye on him and make sure that he wasn’t overheating.

After the first day of traveling, we made it as far as Sofia in Bulgaria, where we checked into a hotel for the night. A lot of hotels in Europe are pet friendly which is great for us when we have to stop overnight, the animals can get a bit of chill time with us at the hotel where they can have a play, relax and get something to eat, as not all animals will eat when traveling on the road especially Frenchie’s. The second day saw us travel up into Romania and then into Hungary where we spent our second night in Szeged. On day three, we travelled up through Slovakia Czech Republic and into Germany before stopping in Dresden. Meanwhile we updated the customer with pictures, videos and texts of our progress.

On the fourth day we travelled up to Rostock in the North of Germany where we then jumped on a ferry, which took us Gedser in Denmark, then the final hour and a half drive up to Copenhagen. The total milage of this trip was 1783 miles! On this trip Hamilton was the only dog that I had to look after and honestly speaking, I only ever tend to carry 5-6 animals at a time, so the level of care is much more than that of a pet transport bus that some companys offer. I have a rule that if I want to stop for a break then the dog will too and that means normally every 4 and a half hours the dogs will get out their crates to stretch their paws for 10 to 15 mins and if we aren’t on a tight schedule, they can get walks up to an hour long.

Having one of the bigger vans in ‘Go Fetch’ means I get to collect some of the bigger breeds of dog also which for me is a personal favourite, as I grew up with German Shepherds. With big dogs comes big crates, especially if we are collecting international arrivals, as there are limited spots on planes for pets to fly, so sometimes pets going to the UK will arrive in central Europe for example Frankfurt and Amsterdam and I get to drive them back in to the UK. As you can imagine, dealing with big dogs can come with many challenges, such as the dog being a bit stubborn when out on a walk and when it’s time to get back into their crates. I’ve been in the position when the only option I’ve had is to lift a 70 kg dog, to get them back into their crate and believe me when I say that is not an easy task!

It’s fair to say that we cover the movements of all types of dogs from puppies to the elderly, domestic to protection dogs and all other types of animals as well. One of my most recent jobs was transporting five guineapigs and a Bengal cat from Rome to London and thirteen falcons from Cardiff to London, where they then got on a plane to go to Saudi Arabia. So you’ve now had an insight into the job I do, maybe you’ll consider a pet transporter for the next time that you need to move your pet?

Danny

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DON’T BE SAD It’s that time of year again folks, time to leave a light on!

S

easonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects many of us and more than you’d think, as those long dark winter nights close in. My winter dystopia usually starts in January, which for me is endless, especially after the twinkly festive lights of Christmas are gone and my home feels deeply barren. So I’ve learnt to leave those fairy lights up and taken a leaf out of the Scandinavian’s book by continuing ‘cosy’ through to late spring. It does help a little.

SAD can be really serious, for many causing depression and in extreme cases, suicide. Simply put, it’s all down to the lack of natural light from late autumn through to early spring. We go to work in the dark, come home in the dark and it’s tough. We need light, natural light and that much needed daily dose of vitamin D. The lack of sunlight disrupts your internal body clock and can lead to dark feelings and low moods. The drop in serotonin, melatonin and upset circadian rhythms affect how we feel about life generally. So how do we solve it?

I feel terribly guilty suggesting a light box, or keeping the lights on in your home at night, in this day and age when many families can barely pay their electricity bills. Still, light boxes aren’t that expensive to buy, but then getting out into the light every day for 20 minutes or so is completely free!

If your symptoms are severe, definitely talk to your doctor and ask for help with getting a diagnosis and purchasing a light box.

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A change in lifestyle is always going to be suggested by your doctor, so don’t be surprised when he or she asks a lot of questions about exercise, diet, weight, smoking and your general mental health. Talking therapy is known to help, as winter isolation is very common. We simply need to talk to other human beings! So please do check in on your friends, family and neighbours regularly. Who knows, your visit or call may save a life. Your doctor may also prescribe antidepressants, if he or she feels you will benefit from them.

For many of us, it’s just a mild feeling of malaise and we can boost our mental health with regular exercise and a good diet. Also consider some vitamin supplements especially Vitamin D. Many French homes in the north have small windows and are quite dark anyway, which doesn’t help. Get into the habit of turning the heating down during the day and wearing light layers instead. Set your self tasks and keep moving around the house. We also forget to hydrate in the winter, as no one wants to drink 2 litres of water when its cold but drink plenty! Eat well, less meat more vegetables and fruit.

Go careful with the alcohol, which can increase the feeling of melancholy.

Make sure you get out of the house for short brisk walks twice a day and if at work, do try to climb stairs instead of using lifts and take a few minutes each day to get outside.

Don’t sit at a desk all day; stand as much as you can to ensure you have good circulation. Make sure your desk is placed near a window where possible.

The décor in your home should be light and airy, if you suffer SAD. Lots of brown furniture can add to the problem and will suck the light out of your home. We love colour, yes but if you suffer from SAD do consider lighter interiors.

Open those curtains, blinds and shutters during the day, even though you may worry about losing heat out of the windows, your health and wellbeing is more important. We tend to hunker down during winter and that can add to that feeling of darkness.

SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING

MOVING TO OR FROM FRANCE? H

ere, we help you with what you need to know and how to make moving in a post-Brexit world a little easier.

As we all know, pre-Brexit, we could bring our personal items back and forth with relative ease. However, I have seen a growing number of our moving clients getting confused, a bit perplexed with the whole process, and quite muddled about what they should be doing.

So, here is a list of things you will need to do or put into place to make moving that little less stressful.

Lets talk about the TOR1 form you will need to transfer your residence from France to the UK. I know! You didn’t know did you?

The link for the TOR1 Form can be found easily on the gov.uk website.

For uploading purposes, all documents must be in PDF format.

You will need: 1. A full list of all the items you are moving to the UK. You must be specific, for example, you should write ‘microwave’ or ‘washing machine’ rather than ‘kitchen appliances’; you do not need to: • •

List individual books or clothing items Provide values or brands for items

2. A copy of your passport photo page (if you’re in the military and do not have a passport, you’ll need to provide a picture of your NATO ID (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), orders or moving orders).

3. An animal health certificate or passport code for any animals you’re bringing to the UK (if you do not have these yet, you can still apply, but you must provide the certificate or code once you have it).

4. Proof of your UK address, such as a utility bill (dated within the last three months) or a mortgage or rental agreement. If you do not have a UK address yet, provide one of the following: • •

A statement from the person you’ll be living with and proof of their address.

Evidence of temporary accommodation, such as a hotel booking.

5. Proof of address you are moving from, such as a property sale or termination of rent agreement.

Moving from the UK to France As with all things French, you need to triplicate the paperwork and ensure it is in both languages.

You must: 1. Have lived in a non-EU country for at least twelve months 2. Transferred your primary residence to France.

3. Imported all your goods within twelve months and you have to have owned your goods for longer than six months. *You will need to have a detailed inventory of your goods. An estimated value and must be dated and signed (two copies). *Any documentation proving you own or rent a residence in a country outside the EU (two copies). *Passport copy Once you have these, you will need to follow this link and download the CERFA 10070 form: I would suggest that with both applications, you should give yourself at least four weeks to have the entire documentation ready; your items will be impounded if you do not have the correct forms.

If you transfer your residence to either country, you will get a tax break on your items and should not have to pay an import charge.

However, this is not the same for a second home. You will have to use a customs agent. If you go to the HMRC website and type in Customs agents, there is a list of recommended agents. Or the removal company that you are using will have customs agents they use regularly. Unfortunately, we cannot tell how much it will cost to import your items as it differs on all removals.

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SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING

WORKING FROM HOME Eat Your Darn Sandwich!

The washing is piling up and the fridge needs a good clean before everyone gets food poisoning! I hear you! Time for change and that absolutely begins with you!

With many people working from home post various covid lockdowns and possibly having absolutely no desire to return to the office any day soon, how do we have it all, stay home and keep earning?

Let’s get that routine back by getting up at the same time as you did when you left the house for work. Set the alarm again! In fact, set it ½ hour earlier so you can stretch off the weariness and have a cuppa in peace.

Organisation, that’s how!

The trick is to plan your week ahead, get all your ducks in a row petal! Work with the kids, dogs and not forgetting the husband and or wife to get your house in order!

Lets face it, you’ve possibly got into some really bad habits during lockdowns, but now feel its time, to stop it all feeling so rushed, confused and temporary. It simply can’t go on can it? No! There’s a good chance you were super organised before the pandemic, before kissing everyone goodbye from the car was a thing of the past. Now, it’s all total chaos, right? Yes! I guess you are still in your PJ’s by mid afternoon, jumping from one work crisis to another because you are sat with a laptop on your lap, egg on your shirt and there’s daytime TV on in the background! It’s manic! You are feeling it’s all too much and going back to the office is the only solution! I hear you!

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Start the return to sanity by getting the family involved in bringing harmony back to your home! Look, even a 4 year old can help setting the table these days! Your partner may also work full time but somehow, no matter what, poor old you is still expected to ‘do it all’ and no, that’s not quite the same as ‘having it all’!

If your kids are saying they are bored and you wish you were bored, redress the balance. Keep their hands busy!

It all starts with a conversation and a chores list, frankly. Get the family around the table and spell it out. ‘Family’ doesn’t mean Mum or Dad gets to be frazzled, exhausted and stressed out, whilst everyone else has their day sorted, with tea on the table when they expect it!

You’ll be surprised how much a fancy chart, menu and weekly family meeting can help your mad house become a calm ‘home’ again. Not only that, with everyone being asked to contribute, you’ll soon find out what everyone is up to. to. You can then schedule in help where needed and make sure you are all aware of Jonny’s school play, Tawnies’ dentist appointment and Jeff’s stag do!

Also, if both parents are working and can afford it, have a think about employing help where it is needed? A 4-hour clean twice a month will change your life, literally. It’s affordable and you will only give the cleaner those jobs you can’t get round to! Makes sense doesn’t it?

Chores are always the biggest bugbear in any unorganised home. Sadly, a lot of this down to one person doing it for everyone else and that’s not right or modern, is it? No, it’s just bloody exhausting and unfair really! It’s a bad habit sure but not as hard as you think to break!

If you are still picking up your husbands/wife’s clothes off the floor, then more fool you. You clearly need a reminder that you aren’t raising another child, you are willingly partnering in this life together. It’s simply not your job to clean up after him or her. Nor it is just your job to pay the bills, sort the children, cook supper and walk the dog at the same time. Partnership? There’s that word again! It’s means ‘sharing’.

There are so many tips I can give you to help. We’ve started with the daily chores and using a planner. Here are a few more: Menu plan, shop with a list and bulk cook twice a month Pop the washing on before you go to bed and hang it out first thing in the morning Ask for help from grandparents/friends/ hired help when needed

Once removed, it was put back in its place.

Honestly, the less time you spend chasing dust and clutter the better! They had the planner and chores list. They had everything they needed, everything in its place and zero clutter! The kids had star charts with incentives included! The parents each took turns with cooking, cleaning, walking the dog and all the other chores necessary to keep a calm, organised home. Saturday and Sunday mornings were a bit wilder but by Sunday early evening the household switched back to super organised with the busy week ahead in mind.

A home life is what you make it?

Make lunches in the evening rather than the morning Get the kids used to setting the table for supper and after, clearing, setting the table for breakfast Feed the kids a snack once home and get into a timed routine with supper Ensure you have a quiet, tidy desk area from which to work Check your work and update the family planner after supper each day.

Look after your relationship Ensure your kid’s routine isn’t interfering with yours Homework, school bag packing, signing the school planner, bath and bed time need to be non negotiable and on time Get uniforms and work wear ready the night before Use a chores list Have regular family meetings Schedule date nights Make time for you No phone at the table Family dog walks (these pets belong to everyone) Never too early to get kids earning their pocket money and budgeting for those much longed for toys Depending on how many kids you have and their ages, have kiddie one-onone dates One of the things that really upsets my morning routine, is the dishes not being taken care of after supper! Getting up to a room full of dirty dishes is not my idea of fun! Adios the pots people! Tidy home, tidy mind!

I’ve also no time for feral parents! Yes, I meant feral parents not kids! Kids don’t set the rules, you do! They only stay up till 10.30 pm because you let it happen! These kids are not your personal companions, when your other half is out! They need their own routines! I have zero time for parents that let children get tired, cranky and sick because they literally can’t be bothered to set the boundaries and a decent bedtime routine! Staying up past bed time should be a treat and not the norm. My home was always quiet by 7.30 pm when my children were little. Even now, we are a quiet household past 9pm during the working week. That is not to say we are tucked in bed and asleep but the wind down has begun and I like it that way!

I once visited a friend’s home, both parents working long hours but they had a super organised, clean home and two well-behaved kids, stuff of dreams? Not really!

The parents worked well together to achieve an organised, calm home.

Nothing came into the house unless it had a ‘place’ to be!

Then of course there is the issue of the ‘work from home’ routine. Do take regular breaks. Don’t add hours worked for free on to your workday, you are not a charity! Don’t start work at 6am! Start when you normally would. Finish on time. If you don’t normally work weekends, don’t start now! No one is going to die between Friday evening and Monday morning if you don’t answer those late Friday night emails!

Even if it’s your own business you work for, lead by example please. Frazzled humans don’t make great employees and equally, stressed bosses usually lose their talent bank by not leading properly! Employee’s do have lives beyond your business, remember that! As long as deadlines are met, judge them on the work being produced not on how they are doing it!

If you find your are on the phone all day, wasting time replying to chatty texts and calls more than necessary, turn your phone off and tell everyone you are on email only for a while.

Manage your boss!

Ask him or her to stick to Zoom calls within core hours and ensure you and your colleagues have time to do your work. If your boss is unfairly piling you with extra work because a colleague is missing or unable to meet their deadlines, speak up and stop this before it is expected.

If you work more than one job, you are back to planning ahead again! It’s not rocket science is it?

Many Expat parents I know, run businesses together or more than one business. The issue here is there’s often an overspill into each other’s business worlds or one partner expecting the other to do all the paperwork for their business!

Again, if this is happening in your working home life, start with an honest discussion about your time not being for the taking! If you are a partner at home with pre schoolers and helping your partner run their business, make sure you also earn, it’s more tax efficient and you get to say NO occasionally!

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THE HISTORY OF THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS A

s the party season approaches, we take a look at the ultimate party dress through the ages.

wealth, it was incredibly expensive to produce black clothing, as the colour was made from imported oak apples.

There is no dispute that the LBD (little black dress) is a wardrobe essential, fashionista or not! It’s versatility means you can dress it down for the office with some pumps, scarf and jacket. or break out the jewellery, spaghetti strap heels and own it on the dance floor. Perhaps even channel your inner Audrey with pearls and sophisticated up-do!

In the 18th century black was the colour that symbolised artistry, and romance, the era of poetry.

The iconic LBD is steeped in history. Black clothing was always symbolic, in the 16th century, for some it symbolised 34

As Queen Victoria’s husband passed it became the colour of loss and mourning and for those in service, such as maids and butlers.

The birth of the ‘Little Black Dress’ came in 1926 when Coco Chanel‘s short (calf length) simple black dress graced the pages of Vogue magazine. Vogue aptly called it Chanel’s ‘Ford,’

because like Ford’s Model T, it was simple and accessible by women of all social classes.

Vogue identified the LBD as a sort of uniform for all women of taste. Vogue helped to elevate black as a colour away from it’s association with mourning and catapulted it in to must have chic which it very much still is today.

As film became more popular so do the LBD. Whilst filming remained in black and white, black dresses were the staple in Hollywood as all other colours looked distorted on film.

The picture to the right is the original sketch by Coco Chanel printed in Vogue 1926.

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“THE DRESS THAT REVOLUTIONISED WOMEN’S FASHION” Post war, fashion changed massively! Dior became a power house, and their ‘New Look’ black dress (Pictured below), resexualised the black dress.

The synthetic fabric that became available in the 50’s meant the fashionable LBD was even more accessible and affordable to every social class.

Cinema brought the stigma of femme fatales and fallen women, as they were often portrayed in the newest Hollywood release, wearing the sleeveless, halternecked glam versions of the LBD. On came the swinging 60’s and that hemline got shorter!

Free love and minidresses were all the rage, but the little black dress adapted. Mod’s and rockers alike, the new, albeit shorter, LBD was worn by all - ok it was accessorised differently but you get the picture.

Over time as colour and styles changed the statement black dress has slipped in and out of favour but always returns as a firm favourite.

How do you wear yours?

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BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE The onslaught of winter mostly means layers of lovely clothing for both warmth and comfort. That said, what about style? If we are still lounging like lizards at home, do we still need those fancy coats and boots?

I

was recently in the UK for a short visit, staying in a five star hotel and realised suddenly at breakfast one morning, that we (guests and wait staff) were all wearing trainers! Of course once I’d seen it I couldn’t UN see it! I went out to do some shopping and I spent the whole day looking at thousands of pairs of super comfy trainers on the feet of perfect strangers! Beside my traditionally dressed husband I looked and felt rather child like and I rather liked it!

The world has indeed gone trainer mad! Shock! Horror! Or is it? I say ‘trainers’ loosely because I have no idea what to call the various ‘Daps’ we were all wearing, predominately white in colour!

Growing up I called them ‘sandshoes’ and that sounds totally alien to me now. In the end it doesn’t matter what we call them does it? What matters,

is that we are suddenly, brazenly choosing comfortable footwear and it feels so good!

Ages 0 to 90 we are on the path of least resistance it would seem!

I don’t know about you but I think employers are also finally getting smarter and now accept that smart doesn’t always have to be sexy and restrictive! I also believe the ‘ME TOO’ movement is affecting change in the way we are ‘required’ to dress for work and that’s a good thing.

Of course we’ve been working from home for more than 18 months now and rediscovered comforting lounge wear! It’s a fashion revelation even for me who absolutely detested trainers or anything like for almost 51 years!

I do still love a high heel but these days being erm 50 plus, I really only ever wear them to a formal occasion and lets face it, there haven’t been many of them lately!

I honestly can’t be bothered to be uncomfortable all day every day!

Of course if the occasion calls I will happily don a pair of back breaking, toe curling sky scrapers and then wish instantly that I hadn’t! My high heel of choice is now a more stable ‘wedge.’ If pushed I do love a wedge heeled winter boot over anything stilt like.

So can we be still be winter stylish and comfortable in our clothes too? Just as with our everchanging winter footwear, are our coats changing too? A little trawl round the high street shops recently has made me think our love affair with the fancy long line coat is waning. Our coat or jacket choices are more practical, warm, cosy, shorter and easier to move around in! Maybe the fashion of the future really is less is more!

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The Cloche Hat A little history of the Cloche by Kerry Delphine, a Milliner based in the Vienne

The cloche hat or simply cloche is a fitted, bell-shaped hat for women that was invented in 1908 by milliner Caroline Reboux. They were especially popular from about 1922 to 1933 and its name is derived from cloche, the French word for “bell”.

Cloche hats were usually made of felt so that they conformed to the head and were typically designed to be worn low on the forehead, with the wearers eyes only slightly below the brim.

Cloche hats were very common to be designed to match their clothing designs.

In later years a summer cloche was made from sisal or straw such as this straw hat I have made.

By the end of the 1920s, it became fashionable to turn the brims on cloche hats upwards.

Different styles of ribbons affixed to the hats indicated different messages about the wearer. Several popular messages included: an arrow-like ribbon which indicated a girl was single but had already given her heart to someone, a firm knot which signalled marriage or a flamboyant bow which indicated the wearer was single and interested in mingling. The photos of the Cloche hats are the ones that I have made.

The navy felt Cloche has a navy petersham band. I used the left over felt and cut out some flower petal shapes and used the sewing machine to make a stitch line to make the petal more realistic. I also fixed on a brass flower as a centre piece.

The burgundy felt Cloche hat has a black petersham band and using the left over felt I cut a thin piece to make a band around the crown.

Cloches could also be made of beads or lace for evening wear, for cocktails, dancing or even for bridal wear.

The hats even shaped hairstyles: the Eton crop – the short and the slicked-down cut.

While commonly worn plain, allowing the cut and shape of a well-made hat to take precedence, a cloche could be decorated with appliqués, embroidery, jewelled brooches, scarves, fans of feathers or similar accents.

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I chose the cerise pink felt for something eye catching and added a black petersham band around the edge and around the brim with some diamante gems, which I measured and fixed on before adding the band, something simple but elegant.

The royal blue felt Cloche hat has a white petersham band around the edge and around the crown piece. I liked the idea of something bright and not black, then I attached the peacock feather on the side of the hat for something different,

SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING After studying Fashion and Millinery in college, I found Millinery was my true passion. Even when I was working full time, I would still make hats in my spare time for friends and family.

So now living in France I have turned my hobby and passion into a business.

I was lucky enough to meet a couple who lived locally who asked me if I would like to be a model in their fashion show that was taking place at their château, Château Mareuil. I then later told them I was starting a hat business and they asked me if I would like to add my hats into the show. I made a range of hats and fascinators in the run up to the show and I also made a fascinator for the lady who was presenting and comparing the show which was shown on the TV program Escape to the Château DIY.

My collection ranges from Trilby Hats, Fedora Hats, Wide Brim Hats, Cloche Hats, Beanie Hats for winter and a range of Headbands, Hair Clips for those summer days out and Fascinators.

I love to make one-off bespoke Hats or Fascinators, and the idea of turning your dream hat or fascinator into a reality is something that gives me great pleasure.

I can make something for those special occasions such as Ascot, weddings or just for your everyday use.

The process can take up to 2 weeks, maybe longer depending on how extravagant your idea is, so it’s always worth bearing that time scale in mind if you want to find the perfect match for your special occasion. Here’s a few examples of my other work.

Kerry

The Straw Cloche hat with a white cotton band has a big bow on the back for something eye catching, I liked the idea of the bow but didn’t intend to follow the rule of the lady being single.

Since then I have continued to make hats, fascinators, headbands and hair accessories while creating a website and have now got a range of wooden hat and fascinator blocks in different sizes to fit all head sizes and a range of different felts, straws and sinamay.

During the summer I had the opportunity to sell my creations at local Artisans markets that have taken place and have two more coming up, in November at The FESTIVart at Liglet and in December at the Château Le Breuil for Christmas.

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Do you ever feel, as a working mum / business woman, you have very little time to shop for yourself?

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you had a personal shopper that knew every inch of you, your general style and budget.

Look no further; Lookiero are just that!

Read on to find out more.

Here’s how it works: STEP ONE Its simple really, talk to them about your personal style, the colours you like, your measurement, fits and of course what you don’t like! The more information they have to go on, the more personalised the shopping experience will be and your personal shopper will be able to pick the right clothes for you.

STEP TWO Your box will arrive with 5 new different pieces of clothing tailored to your requirements and all you have to do is try them on in the comfort of your own home. If you don’t like them or they are too pricey for your budget, all you need to do is pop them in the returns bag and drop them off at your local pick up point.

STEP THREE Pay for what you love or return everything. If you love the contents of your personal box then you will benefit from 25% off your order.

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The Lookiero personal shopper searches over 150 European brands from sizes 6 to 20 creating looks that are uniquely you.

IN EVERY BOX

Every Lookiero box brings you: Discovery:- Unwrap five surprising pieces, each one handpicked just for you.

Inspiration:- Get insights and styling tips for all your pieces, all in your Personal Shopper’s note.

Ease:- Keep what you love and return the

rest, free of charge in their prepaid envelope.

Five Items One Box What does Lookiero cost?

Set your own price range. And order as often as you choose. No subscription needed.

Your personal shopper styles you for £10.

But we remove that fee when you keep any piece.

Lookiero are based in United Kingdom France Spain Portugal Belgium Luxembourg Italy Germany I have been using the Lookiero service for the last few months. I am really impressed with the whole package and returning the items you don’t love is so easy.

You can opt for monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly boxes.

www.lookiero.com • Try them on in the comfort of your own home • Create your own style • Hand Picked by Your Very Own Personal Shopper

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PERFECT MATCH

Givenchy prisme libre powder €55

How to choose the right foundation for your skin?

F

inding the right foundation can be really a tricky process but a necessary one. There’s really nothing worse than a foundation that doesn’t sit well on your skin or when the colour is so wrong for you it shows on your neck. You need to find the right fit for your skin type. For instance, do you have youthful skin, middle aged skin, aged skin, dry skin, oily skin, bumpy skin and so on, but don’t panic, I’m going to guide you through the process of finding the right foundation type and colour match for your skin.

Choosing the right foundation doesn’t need to be a mystery when all you need are a few helpful tips to getting the right colour match.

Do your arm veins look?

A. Green B. Blue/purple C. Blue /green

My skin colour looks: A. Olive/ yellow/ golden B. Pink/ rose /flushed C. Neither/all of the above I look best in: A. Gold jewellery B. Silver jewellery C. Both If you tend to choose mostly: A’s, you are warm / yellow toned B’s, you are Cool/ pink toned C’s, you are neutral toned Use my guide to help pick foundations that have yellow/pink/ mixed bases.

Cream foundations are heavy-set foundations and they are good for coverage. They tend to be oil based and are easy to blend on the skin. Cream foundation is good for: ·Dry skin ·Normal skin

The best way to understand your vein colour, is to place an A4 size piece of white paper on your forearm and then note the predominant colour showing through the paper.

Clarins Milky Boost Cream €39.90

Next. Do you?

A. Tan easily B. Burn easily C. Tan slightly

Liquid foundations can be oil, water, or mineral based. They provide a light to medium coverage but can be layered for a fuller coverage.

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·Mature skin

Liquid oil-based foundations are good for: ·Dry skin ·Normal skin ·Mature skin ·Combination skin (dry areas only) Liquid water-based foundations are good for skin types: ·Normal skin ·Oily skin ·Combination skin Mineral liquid foundations contain natural light reflecting microminerals properties.

They provide light to medium coverage and have skin enhancing properties. Mineral Liquid foundation is best for all types of skin.

Fenty Pro Filt’r Matte Longware Foundation €34 Mineral powder foundations contain microminerals in a powder form and normally have an Algae base to bind it. These are good for all skin types.

Gel foundations provide an oily free, sheer, non-greasy coverage with a matt finish.

They are great for any skin type.

Compact skin or cake foundation may have a wax, oil, or powder base. These achieve a really heavy coverage and are great for: ·Dry skin ·Normal skin ·Scarred or blemished skin (for camouflage)

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BEST SELLING PERFUMES AT SEPHORA

A

s winter approaches and

Christmas is in sight, like clockwork I find myself searching for a new perfume experience. It’s almost a Christmas ritual and I can feel my husband’s eyes rolling whenever I announce that’s its time for a pre Christmas perfume, shopping trip!

La Petit Robe Noire was launched back in 2009. The perfume has top notes of lemon, almond and anise which gives the perfume a very fruity scent and the based is a pleasant and sweet fragrance, believed to be inspired by the classic Little Black Dress we all wear now and again.

Shopping for that new perfume can be confusing especially if you are fancying something a little different. I love spritzing a summer floral perfume during the hotter months but then I equally adore switching to a stronger more intense scent during the colder months.

Are you a floral perfume kind of gal? What base scent do you love?

Musty? Fruity? Wood or citrus base notes? Are you a brand fan?

Do you stick with Chanel, Gucci or Yves Saint Laurent or do you just mix it all up?

I’ve done a little pre Christmas research to get you started!

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium €93 Sephora €69.75 50ml

In September 2014 Yves Saint Laurent launched Black Opium.

The fragrance was developed to highlight the wilder side of YSL, with the bottle design having a glam rock feel featuring sequins and dark moody colour pallettes.

It is a floral based fragrance with note of vanilla, pink pepper, coffee and jasmine.

Givenchy L’Interdit Eau de Parfum €90 Sephora €67.50 50ml

L’Interdit was one of the first perfumes created by the house of Givenchy. It is one of their legendary vintage scent collections from 1957 and was dedicated to Audrey Hepburn. There is an overall floral woody scent and the white floral fragrance is derived from jasmine, orange blossom, and tuberose. The concept behind this fragrance was the “thrill of the forbidden”

Lancôme La Vie Est Belle €59 Sephora €41.30 30ml La Vie Est Belle was Launched in 2012. The idea of this perfume creation is centred on natural and simple beauty, having the freedom to choose your own happiness.

This is another floral fragrance with its keynote being Iris. This fragrance is also surrounded by orange blossom and jasmine.

Guerlain, La Petit Robe Noire €66 Sephora €46.20 40ml 43

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SUMMER GLOW IN WINTER H

ave you ever noticed how soft your skin is in the summer? During this time, we take extra care of our skin in so many ways, such as extra showers, nourishing our skin more by applying sun creams and after sun regularly. Yes of course, vitamin D helps play a vital role in this, but changing our skincare routine, without realising, has the biggest impact on not only our skin, but also our hair and nails.

Oddly, we tend to stop taking care of ourselves when the cold nights begin to draw in. Instead, we hide under layers of clothing and don’t give our skin the treatment it deserves. During the long winter evenings, we tend to put the heating on, or warm ourselves by the fire, both of which feel great, however this can have a very dehydrating effect on our skin. Just keeping the skincare routine going will ensure your skin continues to feel a prolonged ‘summer glow’.

Small simple actions like moisturising your body before you get dressed, or even in the evenings will have a profound impact on your skin’s look and feel. But why stop there?

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Drinking more water, as we do during the hotter months, can have an impact on the dryness of our skin, giving your skin a younger, plumper appearance. Drinking the right amount of water isn’t always easy for everyone, but there are so many ways to liven it up with fresh, natural flavours such as lemons, limes, oranges, mint, a dash of cordial, cucumber, etc. On winter mornings, I start my day with a mug of hot water with a slice of lemon. Lemon is fantastic for digestion, or I add some fresh root ginger if I have an upset stomach.

Apply a body scrub every 3 to 4 days, this will really help gently exfoliate those dull skin cells, that rest on the surface of the skin, preventing any moisturisers being absorbed properly. Not only does it help on the outside, on the inside it can help improve circulation, which aids cell regeneration, and your skin will be smoother and more even.

Before we get into a DIY recipe for a body scrub, lets look at how and when to use it. As I’ve already said, you should try to use it every 3 to 4 days, so ideally not more than twice a week, once a week if you have sensitive skin. Firstly, it’s best to use a body scrub while you are in the shower, after washing, so your skin is clean and ready for exfoliation.

Apply the scrub, with your fingertips, in a circular motion, making sure to pay attention to the knees and elbows. Rinse thoroughly using warm water. Pat your skin dry, leaving it slightly damp then apply a body cream or lotion. Applying cream when your skin is still damp can help trap in the moisture.

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After using a body scrub, you want to be careful if you do want to sunbathe, as our skin can be mildly more sensitive to the sun. Ideally you want to wait until the next day before laying in the sun. Don’t forget to use an SPF if you can’t avoid the sun! Also, you will also want to avoid steam rooms, again because our skin can be mildly sensitive after any treatment.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE INGREDIENTS USED IN THE BODY SCRUB: *Peppermint – is cleansing, toning, conditioning and soothing, but also has warming properties that stimulate the circulation. *Lemon – tones the skin, aids detox and is both refreshing and invigorating. *Orange – repairs, tones and protects the skin, and aids detox. Its sweet scent is both energising and uplifting. *Sugar – is a natural humectant that helps to hydrate by drawing moisture to the skin. The sugar granules have rounded edges that gently exfoliate.

Refreshing Body Scrub, You will need: ½ cup sea salt ½ cup sugar 3tbsp oil (sweet almond/olive/coconut) Zest of an orange Zest of a lemon and juice of ½ A few sprigs of peppermint, ripped up Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and mix well. Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool dry place.

This will keep for about 6 months

*Salt – can help condition and soothe the skin, by retaining a natural moisture balance. *All 3 of the oils I have chosen are wonderful at cleansing and conditioning the skin, and make a wonderful medium for combining the ingredients.

By adding some simple decorations to the container, it will also make a wonderful homemade Christmas gift!

Rebecca x

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O

h how we love the men in our lives, how they love us and how we’d all like to go on together forever, healthy, happy and with all those various bits working well!

‘Movember’ is the now the classic yearly reminder about getting our men to talk about their mental, sexual, physical and emotional health. Men don’t need to ‘Man up’ they absolutely need to talk too! In November men are encouraged to grow a moustache to raise awareness and get talking openly about their health!

We always think of men as the strong, no nonsense, stalwart defenders and providers in our lives, we never really see their individual suffering, do we?

Men generally just don’t talk about anything too emotional, do they?

My husband went off on an errand this morning coughing and spluttering and last night I heard a wheeze on his lungs. I started the conversation suggesting a visit to the doctors yesterday, he answered ‘but you need to book an appointment, when you do I will’ the stubborn old goat! We will get there in the end I suppose? He seems unflappable. He is constantly under a lot of stress and appears to soak it up like a sponge but is he really okay?

Many men feel angry and behave aggressively when they’re depressed.

Other people typically don’t understand the reason behind these thoughts and feelings, and men often don’t recognize them as a sign of depression either.

Restlessness Or Feeling On Edge: You might feel restless during a depressive episode. You feel like you need to get up and move around, even when you need to stay where you are. Or, you might feel on edge, as if you need to prepare yourself for something terrible that’s right around the corner.

Here are some brutal facts for you and the men in your life, young and old: Globally, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day! 3 out of 4 suicide victims in the UK are men!

In Australia an old friend of ours Gus Worland is the founder of Gotcha4life, a mental fitness charity taking action to engage, educate and empower, to end suicide. He decided to start the foundation when his own friend took his young life, leaving a devastated young family behind. Gus understands the pressure on men in everyday life and he asks his fellow men to take the pledge and promise to be a Gotcha4life mate to a friend.

His programs provide men with ways to talk about how they are feeling and tools to deal with the little problems early on before they become bigger and too big to handle.

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1 in 8 UK based men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer!

Testicular cancer is at its highest levels within our young male population, aged 15 to 39!

Depression in men is at an all time high.

How do we spot it and how do they?

The following symptoms often happen during the depression in men.

• Anger • Aggressive Behaviour • Irritability Have you ever felt angry, and you didn’t know why?

Losing Interest In Things You Once Enjoyed: Men often lose interest in their work, even if they were once delighted with their job. They might also lose interest in family life or anything else they once found pleasurable.

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The Severity Of Symptoms In Men And Women

Sexual Problems: If you’re having trouble with your sexual performance, the problem could very well be depression if you’re a male. You might not even feel the desire to have sex. In either case, it’s understandable that you would want to get beyond your depression so you can regain a healthy sex life.

Alcohol Or Substance Abuse: One thing that often happens with depression in men is selfmedicating with alcohol or illegal drugs. Usually, this begins before the depression takes hold, but it typically continues and increases as the depression deepens.

Making High-Risk Choices: Men often take big chances when they’re feeling depressed.

They may do something physically dangerous, like driving too fast on the motorway. Or, they might gamble with money they need for themselves or to help support their family. Another example of high-risk behaviour as a part of depression in men is having sexual affairs or having a lot of unprotected sex.

Withdrawing From Others: Depression in men often involves withdrawing from others.

Men may isolate themselves from others when they’re depressed. Perhaps that’s due to a societal trend for parents to teach their boys to solve problems on their own and their girls to be more social creatures. While this trend may be changing, it still affects many men today.

The severity of symptoms often differs between men and women. The difference may be partly because men frequently avoid seeking help or don’t realize they’re suffering from depression.

Even if they go to a healthcare professional, that person might not detect the depression behind physical symptoms. So, men’s symptoms may become extremely severe before they talk to a mental health professional, while women might more often seek help during the earlier, milder phase.

We have to make time to understand men’s health issues and start the conversation ‘Are you okay?’

We get caught up as women with our periods, childbirth and the menopause but men have hormones too. They age just like us but they generally don’t talk about it. Many men are still unaware that there are many things they can do to improve their own sexual health. Many doctors agree that smoking; stress and obesity are significant causes of sexual dysfunction in men. Studies have found that a majority of men who suffer from erectile dysfunction are smokers. Smoking, stress and tummy weight can also reduce sperm count and quality. It damages the small arteries that send blood to the penis, making it difficult at times to maintain an erection.

There are things they can do to help themselves and its not rocket science. Diet, supplements, rest, exercise, kegel exercises to help strengthen the penis, meditation, reduce the alcohol and of course open communication about feelings helps.

Get your man to get a yearly health check and make it a ‘couple thing’, get yours done at the same time!

Remember ladies; men deserve to be happy and healthy too!

Physical Ailments: Depression in men often takes the form of physical complaints. You may feel your heart racing, have tightness in your chest, experience digestive problems, or notice frequent aches and pains. You might go to your primary physician with these health issues and find that either they can’t identify the cause or nothing they do seems to help.

Difficulty sleeping: Sleep problems are common in depression in men and women. For men, the trouble is usually that you have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep.

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Does he really need one? What constitutes a man cave?

T

he answer is yes! Absolutely! Every man should have one! What is a man cave I hear you cry? It means very different things to each individual. and can serve several purposes. To me, a man cave means somewhere I can go and watch the footie or formula 1in peace, exercise my opinion on what shade of paint to paint the wall, and ponder on the feature wallpaper I won’t be hanging, or the colour coordinated cushions I shall not need.

A well manscaped space will need the essentials of course. A well stocked beer fridge, mini bar, or wine cave, if thats your thing. Comfy chairs, the spacious, selfish, reclining type ought to do the trick. Absolutely nothing fluffy! Unless of course, the dog and his basket come to escape in your manly sanctuary.

Entertainment; TV, obviously, a decent surround sound system in case I fancy listening to Radiohead, (the sweary version now I’m out of earshot of the little people I helped to create), if the budget stretches maybe a pool table, darts board and a deck of cards where the ace of spades isn’t damaged by a teething toddler. Sports memorabilia we can’t afford and maybe a half built motorbike to stare at that won’t get finished until retirement kicks in!

Of course this is obviously the man cave we dream of, and I have been rather facetious in its description.

What we really want, and sometimes need, is just a space that reflects the person we are. Like a woman retreats to a bubble bath or the hairdresser (a broad statement - don’t shoot me), we need a space that does the same. I’m not a pub goer, never have been. I don’t enjoy golf, but would happily go to a football or boxing match, or maybe for a spin around the track.

Homes tend to have functionable rooms and generally veer to the more feminine or neutral decor, soft furnishings, floral accents and candles etc. I’m by no means complaining, a home should be homely and

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comfortable and lets face it, there’s nothing quite like ‘a woman’s touch’ to make a home feel exactly that - home.

From any perspective man or woman, a place to de-stress, don your comfies and escape from the fast paced society we live in, is a healthy thing. It really doesnt have to be a big space, or extravagant. A cosy snug, loft space or shed where we can go and get that 5 minutes peace we obsess over whilst slogging away at work. A place that is yours to do with as you will, fill it with tools, make it a man shed. Get that fake grass down and practice your putting or sit and play that video game the kids aren’t allowed to.

In short, fill that space of yours with whatever helps you feel like you, and go get lost in it for a bit so that you can come back refreshed. Having ‘You Time’ is essential for healthy relationships but also for a persons own mental health. That hour or 2 away from the madness does wonders for the mood.

Honestly though, give me a big screen TV with Sky Sports and the opportunity to recline and watch the Wolverhampton Wanderers play, without the kids nicking my Haribo, and a nice glass of Pineau once a week, and I’ll be a very happy man.

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MAN CAVE ESSENTIALS All the things you need for the perfect Mantuary

Bose VideoWave system with a 46in screen costs €3,800. The new VideoWave II system is €4,700 for the 46in model and €5,500 for the 55in model.

Personalised street signs Etsy €17.71 Esright Heated massage recliner (with a pocket for the remote control) €309

Sporting Memorabilia from A1 Sports Memorabilia.

Marshall Amp Mini Fridge by Perfect Man Cave Fridges - €160

Samsung 98” tv €12,999 www.FNAC.com

Your favourite team’s shirt

Jerry Can hidden bar Etsy - €144.71

Haciendafurnishings.co.uk Tequila barrel stools 49

SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING

THE MARKET GARDENER This month we head over to Chateau de la Coutere, to talk “no dig” gardening with owner Leanne Broadhead

IDUNT QUAES ICATE ET HARCHIT ETUR AD QUOSONSE SOLUPTI ORISCIIS NONSEQUAS VOLUPTA VOLORUM ET

Last month, I introduced to you the concept of No Dig gardening (also known as No Till) and the benefits of gardening in this way, for all size of growers, including on a small commercial scale. This month, we’re going to share with you how to get started.

Transitioning

an existing garden to ‘no dig’.

If you already have a planting area for flowers, perennial plants, vegetables, or a combination, it’s easy to change these existing spaces and transition them to no dig gardening. In your existing garden space, firstly pull out any large weeds (a weed is simply a plant in a place you don’t want it), and then cover any bare soil with cardboard, yes really! You may have to cut some funky shapes to work your way around existing plants, but this will be worth it. Next cover all the cardboard with one to two inches of compost. If you have a large area, you may have to place a bulk order, but prices here in France start from only 20 euros per tonne and in the UK perhaps £30 to £40, so it’s well worth ordering in bulk rather than buying bags from the garden centre. Your weed pressure will be far less from now on, even in this first year. Pull out any weed seedlings when you first see them, and if rhizome weeds persist such as bindweed, use a trowel to dig out without inverting the soil. Gradually you will notice fewer weeds, your work will be reduced, and your soil will become much healthier from less disturbance of the soil.

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Making new garden areas using the Lasagne Bed method.

To create a new planting area, we highly recommend using the Lasagne Bed method, which is effectively ‘composting in place’. This means making your new garden bed out of alternating layers of carbon and nitrogen-based natural materials. The first step is to lay carboard directly on to the ground or grass, weeds, pasture, anything. The cardboard has the effect of creating a temporary barrier to help kill off any existing weeds and plants and prevent new seeds germinating from underneath. It is what also attracts the worms, and worms are key to helping balance the living ecosystem of the soil. So, if your new garden area is 5 metres by 10 metres, then cover the entire area with a layer of cardboard (take off all the tape first as this will not decompose) and add any extra around the edges for a border, which will be for a path, or just an edge to your bed eventually. This first carboard layer is carbon, so next you want to use a nitrogen layer and fresh grass clippings are ideal for this, and easily accessible for most people. You can also use fresh green foliage clippings or newly fallen leaves, or even fresh animal manure. As the final layer add 4 to 6 inches of compost on top of the grass clippings. That’s it, you’re done, it’s as simple as one two three! One, cardboard, two, grass clippings or other nitrogen layer and three, compost. Et, voila! It’s finished and you can plant it up the very same day!

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Monthly plant focus Garlic - Ail

What to sow In November, light levels continue to reduce, however you can use this time to get a jump-start with some spring and early summer crops. Sow broad bean seeds, cold hardy lettuces, rocket for spring harvests, winter radish, Pak choi, mustards, microgreens, peas for shoots in a month or so, (or to overwinter as plants for spring), sweet peas and spinach for an earlier spring crop. There are also plenty of hardy annual flowers, which can still be planted at the start of this month for an earlier spring display.

Plant out this month November and December are ideal months to get your garlic bulbs in the ground and why not consider planting a new or extending an existing strawberry patch from bare root plants. Also, don’t forget your spring bulbs!

Leanne YouTube – Lifeatchateaudelacoutere Instragram and Facebook @lifeatchateaudelacoutere

Here in France the prices of garlic are much higher than in the UK, even for supermarket garlic, so it’s worth growing your own. Some varieties can store for up to a year and you can also preserve your garlic too. Garlic doesn’t take up a lot of space, it’s easy to grow and you can save your best garlic cloves to plant later that autumn, so in just one year you could become self-sufficient in your own garlic – how does that sound? Start by working out how many garlic bulbs you use a week, multiply by 60 and that’s how many garlic cloves you need to plant for a year’s supply.

This is likely too much planting space for the average home grower, but you get the idea.

Plant garlic in October to December, choose a date that’s around three weeks before your first average frost date. Be sure to purchase garlic from a reputable supplier, and don’t use supermarket garlic, the bulbs are sprayed with growth inhibitors (another reason to grow your own) to create a long shelf life and to stop them sprouting on the shelves, so they won’t grow as well.

Plant each clove two to three inches deep, 10cm from each other. The pointy end of the garlic is the top and should be either just visible or just covered. In the first few weeks each clove will start to put down roots into the soil and may even sprout from the top, this is fine. In February when light levels start to increase, the garlic should start to grow again and be ready to harvest in June or July depending on your climate and growing zone.

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PREPARING THE GARDEN FOR WINTER

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t’s that time of year again, just as we wrap up for the cold weather, its time to wrap up in the garden.

Bring out the frost fleece, winter tree wash and the loppers, its time to don the wellies and fleece and get out and graft.

Here’s a list of all the jobs you should be tackling this time of year, Bonne chance.

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Clear away leaves and debris once the trees are bare.

Give your paving a thorough clean with a stiff brush and some soapy water before the frost arrives so it will be less slippery and safer during the wet winter months.

Alternatively, if you have one, just give it a blast with a pressure washer.

Cut back the herbaceous perennials in your borders close to the ground as they begin to die down and remove annuals that have finished their show but save anything with seed heads for the birds.

Final weeding of borders and pots, remove any old stems and leaves.

Empty out your compost bins of old, well-rotted material and spread in the garden to get ahead for the spring and make it look presentable during the bare winter months. Your compost bins can then be filled up again with this year’s winter waste.

Prune any branches on your structural shrubs to improve the overall shape and, if they need it, give your hedges a final trim before the frosts hit.

Remove any dead, diseased or damaged branches, particularly with your fruit trees, to prevent the stems from rubbing together and creating wounds or deformities.

Move any pots planted with tender plants like Cannas, citrus fruits or non hardy palms, into a conservatory or greenhouse for winter protection Wrap horticultural fleece around the trunks of any palm trees planted in the ground and spread a thick mulch of bark around the base of these and any other delicate trees, like Japanese maples, to protect them from the frost.

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Try to prevent your pond or water feature clogging up with leaves by temporarily covering in a net during autumn and winter.

If there are fish in your pond, then try to be vigilant during frosts to ensure that the water’s surface doesn’t completely freeze over, even if you just have a ball on standby to float on the water’s surface it will help.

Scarify your lawn. If you have lots of mossy patches in your lawn, you have drainage issues that can be helped by aerating /spiking your lawn. For larger lawns you can often buy an attachment for your mower that will make the job much easier.

Plant out spring bulbs. Bulbs like well-fertilised, free-draining soil, so dig in lots of sharp sand and some bone meal for a slow release of nutrients that will feed the bulbs over a long period. When planting bulbs, the general rule of thumb is to plant at two or three times the depth of the bulb itself.

Winter is the time for planting bare-root plants (plants sold without any soil around the roots). It’s an economical way of planting and you’ll find a much wider variety of fruit trees and bushes are available this way. You can also plant bare-root roses, hedges and even perennials.

Winter is the main time to prune many types of fruit, including blackcurrants, apples, pears, autumnfruiting raspberries, redcurrants and gooseberries.

Crops to harvest in winter include parsnips, kale, Brussels sprouts, leeks, winter cabbages and winter salad. You can also plant for future feasts – garlic, fruit bushes and raspberries and rhubarb can all be planted in winter.

Winter Tree Wash - specifically formulated to control over-wintering pests on fruit trees, fruit bushes and vines. The product is a blend of natural plant and fish oils suitable for use on edible and ornamental crops. It will control the eggs, larvae and nymphs of aphids such as greenfly, blackfly and whitefly, and other over-wintering insect pests found on fruit trees including apples, pears, plums, cherries, blackberries

FEED THE BIRDS THIS WINTER As the days get shorter and the nights become colder, birds have a shorter amount of time to eat. With many of the insects birds would usually feed on, either hibernating, deeper under ground or below a blanket of snow or ice, it is so important to help feed the birds.

Plant out winter berry plants to help with their wild food sources where possible. Leave fruit that isn’t perfect at time of harvest on the tree/bush for the birds, without adequate food birds won’t make it through the night.

RSPB recommend sharing leftovers (only leave what can be eaten in one day so not to attract vermin).

Fat - fat from cuts of meat (as long as it comes from only unsalted varieties) can be put out in large pieces, from which birds such as tits can remove morsels. Make sure that these are well anchored to prevent large birds flying away with the whole piece. (cooked turkey fat from roasting tins is NOT suitable for birds).

Roast potatoes - cold and opened up, these will be eaten by most garden birds.

Vegetables - cold Brussels, parsnips or carrots will be eaten by starlings and other birds.

Fruit - excess or bruised apples, pears and other fruit are very popular with all thrushes, tits and starlings. Cut them up and leave them on the bird table or on the ground.

Pastry - cooked or uncooked is excellent, especially if it has been made with real fats.

Cheese - Hard bits of cheese are a favourite with robins, dunnocks, blackbirds and song thrushes. It will also help wrens if placed under hedgerows and other areas in your garden where you have noticed them feeding. Avoid feeding them very strong or blue cheeses.

Dried fruits - raisins, sultanas and currants are particularly enjoyed by blackbirds, song thrushes and robins.

Top 5 best winter foods for birds.

• Black sunflower seeds Black sunflower seeds have a much higher fat content than the striped variety making them more suited for colder months. They are also easier to crack because of their softer shells.

• Nyger seeds These tiny seeds are high in oil and favoured by birds such as sparrows and finches.

• Peanuts Peanuts are a fantastic source of protein and fat to keep birds satisfied over the colder months. (do not feed salted peanuts as birds do not process sodium well)

• Suet - Fat Balls The fat from suet is a fantastic source of energy for birds in winter especially when mixed with seeds, fruit and nuts.

• Mealworms Dried or live - These provide birds with a great source of protein and calcium

Biscuits and cake - Stale cake and broken pieces of biscuits from the bottom of the tin are high in fat and ideal for birds in the winter.

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THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON WINE PRODUCTION

H

ow sad for us. Of course I would say that! That said I hear wine production is down 25-30% in France in this complicated year! Why? What?

France’s wine production is said to have dropped 30% this year, to its lowest level in decades, after spring frosts and summer downpours hit vineyards! The Farming Ministry have said, that wine producers have previously projected that frosts may cut French production by a third. This is clearly not good for France or us wine drinkers!

The weather is changing rapidly and climate change is now affecting our food and drink chain. Lovers of French wine, just like me will probably have to shell out more for it, as scarcity tends to push up prices. People who work directly or indirectly for the French wine industry may be facing job losses.

Environmental factors such as climate change, biological problems, viruses, fungi and bacteria, industry practices and economic constraints, have all led to a serious decline in production at French vineyards, with experts saying the situation has become increasingly dire over the past few decades. Labour costs are also much higher than in other countries such as the USA. Wine exports from France amounted to more than 9 billion euros in 2018. That year, French wine exported to the United States of America represented almost one fifth of the total exports from France!

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Bordeaux is France’s most famous wine region, and the reference point for Cabernet Sauvignon. However, there’s actually more Merlot (66%) in Bordeaux’s vineyards overall than Cabernet (22.5%). This wine blend mirrors this and its black and redcurrant flavours and aroma are equally classic.

In 2019, the U.S. was the top importer of French wine, bringing in $2.1 billion worth of Champagne, Bordeaux, Bourgogne, and Chablis, among other French specialities.

France’s neighbour, the United Kingdom, was second with nearly $1.4 billion.

Wine exports from France have nearly doubled in less than twenty years. While the total value of exports at the beginning of the century was around 5.49 billion euros, in 2020 it amounted to 8.74 billion euros.

My personal favourite is red wine, in particular French Malbec from Cahors and honestly, I didn’t think it was a thing in France! However, France is in fact the place of origin for Malbec, but Argentina is now home to nearly 70% of the Malbec vineyards of the world. Thus, your very first taste of Malbec could have been from Mendoza, Argentina!

Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine.

The grapes tend to have an inky dark colour and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. In France, plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in South West France, though the grape is grown worldwide. It is increasingly celebrated as an Argentine varietal.

SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING The grape became less popular in Bordeaux after 1956, when frost killed off 75% of the crop. Despite Cahors being hit by the same frost, which devastated the vineyards, Malbec was replanted and continued to be popular in that area. Winemakers in the region frequently mixed Malbec with Merlot and Tannat to make dark, full-bodied wines, but have ventured into 100% Malbec varietal wines more recently.

A popular but unconfirmed theory claims that Malbec is named after a Hungarian peasant who first spread the grape variety throughout France. French ampelographer and viticulturist Pierre Galet notes however, that most evidence suggests that Côt was the variety’s original name and that it probably originated in northern Burgundy. Due to similarities in synonyms, Malbec is often confused with other varieties of grape. Malbec argenté is not Malbec, but rather a variety of the southwestern French grape Abouriou.

In Cahors, the Malbec grape is referred to as Auxerrois or Côt Noir; this is sometimes confused with Auxerrois Blanc, which is an entirely different variety.

The Malbec grape is a thick-skinned grape and needs more sun and heat than either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to

mature. It ripens mid-season and can bring very deep colour, ample tannin, and a particular plum-like flavour component, which adds complexity to claret blends.

Sometimes, especially in its traditional growing regions, it is not trellised but is instead cultivated as bush vines, (the goblet system). In such cases, it is sometimes kept to a relatively low yield of about 6 tons per hectare.

Wines produced using this growing method are rich, dark, and juicy.

As a varietal, Malbec creates a rather inky red (or violet), intense wine, so it is also commonly used in blends, such as with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to create the red French Bordeaux claret blend. The grape is blended with Cabernet Franc and Gamay in some regions such as the Loire Valley. Other wine regions use the grape to produce Bordeaux-style blends. The varietal is sensitive to frost and has a propensity to shatter.

France is of course working very hard behind the scenes, to make sure that the French wine industry survives climate change and other environmental factors! Phew!

Might stay a while longer then, and lets face it; one doesn’t need summers day to enjoy a tipple or two!

SIMPLY FRENCH CHOCOLATE CAKESS Here’s a lovely Malbec recipe for you to try out! I know that we often use the standard French red wines for cooking, full bodied and robust ( just like moi) but you can branch out a bit you stickler you! Do let me know what you think!

Ingredients 200g of plain flour (sub with GF) 75g of cocoa powder 1 tsp of baking powder 225g of unsalted butter (Sub with coconut oil) 125 ml of milk or sub with oat milk ½ tsp of bicarb 225g of caster sugar (sub with maple syrup) 4 large free range eggs or sub with two bananas 200g 70% dark chocolate melted and left to cool A dash of vanilla extract 125 ml of French Malbec

Decorate with your choice of topping, perhaps whipped cream and fresh berries? Chocolate ganache and nuts? or simply enjoy it on its own with a sprinkling of icing sugar.

How To • • • • • •

Set your oven to 160/165 c Prepare your tin Beat the sugar and butter together until pale, now add eggs, vanilla, milk and red wine Mix Well Add the batter to your tin and bake for 40/50 minutes Cool for at least 1 hour before decorating

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ENCORE PROVENCE

PAM GAGIANO TAKES US ON A ROSÉ TOUR this area from maritime influences and gives it a continental climate with mild autumns and springs and sometimes cold, harsh winters and sweltering summers. The terrain is limestone and calcareous clay from east to west.

The Grenache grape, which originates from Spain has a high yield and is resistant to prevailing weather conditions. This varietal brings a robost body to the wines and gives hints of berries and spice.

Syrah is delicate but with a fairly tough skin, small grapes and brings deep colour and hints of berries, vanilla and tobacco.

Mourvèdre is a slow ripening varietal which produces vigorous wines with delicate tannins and hints of blackberry, with notes of spice, pepper and cinnamon after a period of lying down in the cellar.

Cinsault has a great flavour and it features prominently in rose. It’s delicate, fresh and fruity and blends well with the above varietals.

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his month we continue to explore some of the rose wines from Coteaux Varois en Provence. This AOC was established in 1993 and 90 per cent of wine produced in this area is rosé. There are 77 private wineries and 10 cooperatives, which cover an area of 49,670 acres. The varietals grown are Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsaut.

The mountains of Sainte-Baume to the west, the Bassilons in the north and Barres de Cuers in the south naturally protect

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One of the most popular rosé wines from Coteaux Varois is surely the Estandon Saint-Louis de Provence Rosé, which has an alcohol content of 12,5% with an average price of €9 - €10 per bottle. It’s a lovely light, easy drinking wine from Shiraz/Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault grapes, pale in colour, crisp and dry with hints of strawberry and pairs very well with tomato based dishes and seafood. It’s a good wine to keep on ice for any occasion.

A more expensive offering comes from the Domaine de Cala and their Coteaux Varois en Provence Prestige Rosé. Again crisp and dry, 12,5% alcohol, blended with the Southern Rhône Red Blend varietals, which are usually Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre with the former two grapes being dominant. Colour is salmon pink and leans toward soft strawberry, cherry and grapefruit fruits with mineral and herbal characteristics.

Pairs well with fish, salads and green vegetable dishes.

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This wine is superb and comes highly recommended. It’s upwards of €14 per bottle.

Coteaux Aix-en-Provence is a region north of Palette and covers an area of 49,670 acres, of which 82.5% is for rosé production. There are 65 private wineries and 12 cooperatives. The AOC was fully recognised in 1985.

These vineyards are the furthest west in Provence and extend from the Durance River to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the Rhône valley in the west to Sainte Victoire Mountain in the east. It surrounds the Étang de Berre and traverses the landscapes painted by Cézanne. With stony clay, limestone, sandy and gravel terraine, it gets protection from the Mistral, and it’s predominantly cold and dry winds, which comes in from the north.

The wines from this region are rosé, red and white, in this order, with the reds and rosés blended mainly from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsaut. With the influences of the Mediterranean climate the vines benefit from the approximately 3000 hours of sunshine annually affording ideal growing and harvesting conditions.

The first rosé from this area I’m highlighting, is the affordable Moonlight and Roses Coteaux d’Aix en Provence rosé with an average price around €9. Slightly higher in alcohol at 13% and made from the ‘rare rosé blend’ which is a term used to identify rosé wines made from unusual or rarely seen varieties and combinations of grape. It is a crisp, dry and easy drinking wine pairing well with pork, poultry, seafood and vegetarian dishes and has notes of strawberry, raspberries, citrus and melon.

The second rosé wine I’ve chosen is Château La Coste Grand Vin rosé, which has an alcohol content of 13.5% and made from Cinsault, Syrah/Shiraz and Grenache grapes.

It’s dry, leaning more to the acidic side of the scale and

has notes of red fruit, apple and peach, which leaves a fabulous floral and lingering finish. Definitely one of our favourites! Retailing upwards of €24 it’s a great wine for great occasions.

The final region in Provence I have chosen is Bandol, which is in the Var department of south eastern Provence. It’s around 1550 hectares; the AOC was created in 1941 covering red, rosé and white wines centred on the Mediterranean. This region is better known for its red wines containing a high percentage of Mourvedre. However, many very well known and prestigious rosé wines come from Bandol.

Domaines Ott Château Romassan Bandol Rosé is blended from Cinsaut, Grenache, and Mourvedre grapes.

This pale ‘onion skin’ hued wine with hints of citrus, apple, peach and delicately floral freshness is a fabulous and popular wine for many occasions. This is a premium wine with an average price of €30 per bottle.

The rosé from Domaine de Cabaudran Bandol Rosé is a wine made from Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault grapes with a 13,5% alcohol content. It’s a typical Provençal rosé, light, dry and with a fresh acidity. Its peachy fruitiness makes this an easy drinking and enjoyable wine and pairs very well with barbequed meat. Expect to pay around €12 for a bottle of this rosé.

There are so many fabulous domaines in Provence were one can enjoy a few days visiting, tasting and experiencing the beauty of this region. There are many tour options available as well as the option of self drive ‘go as you please’, which is our preferred choice, literally getting ‘lost’ in Provence in pursuit of experiencing all it has to offer, go on, give it a try!

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MAGAZINE

Aperó anyone?

Hosting the perfect Aperó Have you ever been invited to your French neighbours for an aperitif and thought, “What do I bring? What is an aperitif?”

Perhaps you considered hosting one to get to know your neighbours?

Simply talks you through how to survive or host the perfect Aperó.

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What do I bring?

Here’s a few suggestions of what to bring to an Aperó Visiting etiquette generally suggests that when invited to dinner you bring something for the host. Although it’s not expected and not typically a dinner, bringing something along, especially when getting to know your neighbours is great way of showing you appreciate their hospitality.

Something homemade from the Potager perhaps, a chutney, sweet or savoury jam. Savoury homemade sablé biscuits, cheese straws, torteau fromage, or some cheese from the local fromagerie.

I would avoid sweet things such as cake as it’s generally wine and nibbles. The key really is to try and keep it homemade or locally produced and you’re on to a winner. If you’re a dab hand in the kitchen, some homemade Pâté or savoury mini loaves cut into bite sized pieces always go down well.

If you’d like to take a drink we have some fabulous options further on in the article. Aperitif drinks do vary region to region too, so always best to do a little research if you’re unsure.

A potted plant or houseplant also makes for a cheery gift to a host.

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Stimulating your appetite One of the best-kept secrets of European culinary culture is the aperitif. Usually a low-proof alcoholic beverage sipped an hour or so before a meal, to stimulate the appetite. It also relaxes the diner and prepares your digestive system for the coming meal.

Aperitifs can be made out of an endless list of beverages but traditionally fall into 3 categories:1. Fortified Wines - Sherry, Vermouth, Pineau de Charente 2. Bitters - Campari, Aperol or similar brands 3. Anise based drinks such as Arak, Ouzo or Pernod Most aperitif beverages range between 10-24% ABV and are meant to relax the diner and open up their palates not get you drunk.

Take your time and enjoy, sip dont glug.

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The Hostess with the Mostest Are you in love with vegetables? Do you like to be creative with how to cook and serve them?

Winter root vegetables are stunning just on their own, but they can also be predictable, particularly if you Arebeen you running a B&B hotel and looking for waysand to beat competition, or a bigshows fan ofhow highyou tea can have eating them alloryour life.

Recipe developer foodthe writer, Ingrid Burling, vary delights on your table for your Winter guests.Burling, shares teatime wanting to make it special forthe family and friends?

Food writer and chef, Ingrid

Autumn and Winter sides to shout about

etiquette and original ideas that will make your guests come back for more.

HUMBLE MASH BECOMES UPPER CRUST

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love croquettes, and will turn them into anything, not least because if you get the correct combination of flavours, they can elevate humble mash to deliver a real flavour hit, and besides, they look like pretty towers on any plate.

Make a hearty (dry) mash from potatoes, garlic, orange rind and mace, and pipe twirls of it onto a silicone baking sheet.

Serve when golden, dusted with paprika, a simple carrot salad and sticky lemon chicken (press lemon butter under the skin, then cook slow and low). You will need three or four croquettes per person, so make plenty.

We all know how tasty butterbean mash can be, but the mash also makes great rissoles, rolled in herby panko breadcrumbs blended with herbs and grated lemon rind, then later browned in hot, buttery olive oil. A particularly good use of leftovers from the night before, and who isn’t a fan of that?

A blast from the past: spiced croquettes make the prettiest side dish for a dinner party.

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MARRIAGES MADE IN HEAVEN Depth of flavour and vibrancy are culinary essentials, as are contrasting ingredients. Adding fruit and nuts is a great way of transforming rustic vegetables into taste sensations. When you think of parsnips, they have a natural sweetness and a soft flesh that devours other flavours, so they are prime candidates for a flavour infusion.

Baked parsnips with prunes and walnuts shout Autumn, as the colours are beautifully mellow. Slice parsnips in half, adorn with generous handfuls of dark brown cane sugar, 100ml each of balsamic and water, and bake for 30mins.

Remove from the oven, dot with the prunes and walnuts that have been soaked in orange juice and bake for another 15-20mins, or until the parsnips turn transluscent. Serve with stew and a glass of red. The crunch of the walnuts adds a pleasantly gutsy dimension here.

Other combinations: baked turnips with preserved lemon wedges; tomato shells stuffed with spiced apple and sultana rice; and courgettes stuffed with lardons, sage and pesto peas. (pictured over page)

SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING AUTUMN SISTERS IN DOUBLE WEDDING Whether it’s served in pies or cakes, or braised or baked, the pumpkin is the queen of autumn, but let’s not forget her wonderful sister, the squash.

A recent culinary revelation was butternut squash with a curried, garlic butter. Cut your squash in half, remove the seeds and lance each surface with a diamond pattern.

Stir a teaspoon each of madras curry powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and garlic powder in melted butter add lemon juice, and smother the surfaces with it. Pour 100ml of stock into the baking dish and bake the squash until golden.

SURPRISING PROPOSALS WITH FENNEL I don’t know why this vegetable is hard to find in some UK supermarkets.

The French love it and we have been buying it fresh all year round. I adore it chopped in stews, braised with prawns and piled onto salad, or baked.

Baked fennel, clementines in a honey and mustard jus.

Slice fennel and clementines in half. Cover the base of a pan in a garlic, salt, chilli and mustard butter, drizzle with honey and scatter with fennel seeds, layer the fennel and clementines in the dish, face side up, and then add 100ml of white wine and orange juice. Cover with foil to avoid the fennel drying out, and bake until the clementines are charred. They can be eaten skin and all, and the jus is tasty for dipping bread.

Fennel is a tasty accompaniment with fish, but this slaw, made with fresh fennel slices, red onions and apple, served with toasted nuts and scattered with pomegranate seeds is scrumptious. More so married with lamb, vegetarian dishes and frittata. Make a dressing by blending garlic, olive oil, grainy mustard, honey, salt, red wine vinegar and mayonnaise. It’s a crispy and aromatic delight.

The leftovers make an insanely comforting hash, cut into cubes combined with braised onions and mince. Serve with a glass of mulled wine. Other combinations: baked gourd and apple cubes dotted with ginger and drizzled with honey; braised cubes of squash, bacon, chopped dried pears and lemon; or shortcrust flan filled with a fine puree of squash, cream, cinnamon and lemon thyme.

Another treat is red pesto fennel wedges: slice in half and smother in pesto right to the edges. Place in a small lake of wine, dot with butter, cover with foil and bake until tender and the pesto is oozing. Finger-licking goodness that is great with chicken or fish.

Take a butternut squash, lance and dowse with lemony curried butter, then bake and serve with your favourite autumn fare for a gutsy representation of an iconic vegetable.

Check in with me in the next few issues, as a range of drinks and winter main courses will await you, just in time for Xmas.

Fennel is one of France’s most beloved vegetables. Here it is married perfectly with oranges and a honey mustard jus for dipping in some crusty bread.

Ingrid 63

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The Travelling Kitchener

Life between Belgium and the South of France often leads to adventures on route and making a meal from whatever is left in the fridge. Philippa Gratton does it in style and takes us with her on her travels.

Autumn in Murviel-lèsBéziers

We live outside a village in the Hérault called Murviel-lèsBéziers, located between the sea and mountains surrounded by vineyards, it is one of the villages in this region referred to as a circulade. Built around a hill, the Pech Belet, overlooking the valley of the river Orb. Its strategic importance was recognized by the Romans who constructed a castum here. It was already known in 1053 as Murovetulo or Old Walls, and today it has a medieval layout typical in the Languedoc being built in concentric circles around the chateau, home of the Marquis before the revolution, now the Mairie, a chambre d’hôte and a third part remains semiderelict and is up for sale, if anyone fancies a challenge!

‘Season of Mists and Mellow fruitfulness ‘, Keats not me.

‘The ode to autumn’ is the perfect description of the last languishing grapes in the vineyards. The vendange this year was late, not finishing until nearly the end of September. The last ghostly harvesters were finishing their work when the vines themselves were already tinged with yellow and gold.

Should i tell him?

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It is a working village with real inhabitants and boasts a big school that collects its young clientele from the surrounding villages…many of which are also circulades. We can see at least 5 in the distance from one of our terraces.

Leading through the village spiralling upwards are narrow lanes between the houses whose walls support attractive murals telling the story of inhabitants from days gone by.

Essentially an agricultural community, historically a mixture of olives, vines, cereal, goats and sheep but now focused more on vines and olives plus of course tourism.

SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING But I digress! The touch of autumn in the air in the morning and evening, the nights already drawing in, the outbursts from the Tramontane and the rattling of the shutters on the house put me in the mood less for fresh summery Mediterranean style dishes and barbecues but rather the comforting flavours provided by all the different root vegetables, cabbages, stews and roasts …that pave the way to full on autumn.

Ring the changes with its Belgian cousin carbonades flamandes. Substitute Belgian beer for the wine...I used Waterloo from the brewery close to our Belgian home, but most strong ales work. Add a touch of golden sugar, a splash of wine vinegar and mustard-covered croutons of gingerbread or pain d’epices.

This is a dish that for me epitomises the region, ‘confit de canard’. I cheat often and get it out of a tin, fat being useful for roasting those potatoes and this time I served it with slow cooked spicy red cabbage and apples, flavoured with star anise, cinnamon, golden caster sugar and cider vinegar.

Of course for me there’s nothing more comforting than the fragrant aroma of long, slow cooked stews and casseroles and our particular favourites, and at least one of them makes many people’s top ten, beef bourguignon. We all have our variations on the theme. I don’t put carrots in mine. I sauté onion, garlic, lardons and the beef then add a bottle of full red. Don’t put your best burgundy in it; it’s going to be cooked for 4 hours or so! Also throw in a bay leaf, thyme and some beef stock. Add tomato paste and a roux made with butter and the gravy towards the end of cooking makes it shiny and rich and it’s really good putting in the sautéed buttery mushrooms at the end. .

There is a lot of choice as to what to serve alongside. I don’t worry too much about the calories, there’s not much point at this stage. Here I have a celeriac and potato gratin and, making one of their numerous appearances, my friend Belgian endive.

Again on the theme of root vegetables, I ‘m obsessed with celeriac at the moment. It’s not handsome, it’s knobbly and difficult to peel but it makes a great gratin or purée either mixed with potato or on its own and of course it’s lovely with game.

Here I’ve served it with a seared and roasted chicken breast and sautéed soaked dry ceps or other dried mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, the soaking liquor, garlic, lardons (smoked) and butter…

Bon appétit!

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SLOW COOKED FRENCH WINTER CLASSICS Slow cooker recipes are super easy and family friendly but not lacking on taste, I can promise you that. If you don’t have a slow cooker just use a nice big heavy oven pot with lid! I’m a massive cheat when it comes to prep, so slow cooking ‘one-pot’s’ really suits my cooking style! These days if you are really time poor you can buy the veg already prepped!

Slow Cooked Duck Legs & braised red If simple is stupid then I will die happy! I buy the confit duck legs from the supermarket! I slice the cabbage with onions, apples, spices, sugar and a little cider vinegar or cider and let it slow cook, add the duck legs to warm through at the end! Steam some greens and you are good to tuck in!

Beef Ragu Lovely large chunks of beef browned with flour, seasoning and butter, basted in full bodied red wine and rich beef stock with carrots, onions, lemon juice, celery, Worcestershire sauce, peppers, passata, salt pepper, rosemary, thyme……. you can imagine it can’t you!

All in one and cook for 3 to 4 hours!

Serve with crusty buttered French bread!

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French Onion Soup There’s nothing more hearty on a winter’s day, cheap as chips and super quick in the slow cooker.

Peel an awful lot of onions and slice or buy the pre-prepped bags from the freezer section in the supermarket! Add beef stock, Lea and Perrins, nutmeg, brandy, fresh winter herbs, a little white wine, bay leaves, garlic and butter. Season well! Leave in the slow cooker until the onions are cooked and translucent! Serve with toasted fresh bread and melted gruyere with a sprinkling of parmesan!

Slow Cooked Pork in Cider Any cut of pork, here I use pork shoulder chunks! Add lardons, onions, celery, apples, 300 ml French dry cider, pinch of salt, loads of pepper and a little brown sugar, veg or chicken stock, thyme, crème fraiche, Dijon mustard, cornflour and a bay leaf! Let it slow cook for 3 hours and serve on butter mash with French beans!

It’s okay you can thank me later!

Donna x 67

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Bonfire Night Nostalgia Nothing says bonfire party like hotdogs and burgers, here are some of my favourite homemade recipes to kick off the festivities.

Bourbon, Beef & Bacon Cheeseburger 600g minced beef (I use 5% fat) 125g smoked bacon lardons 125g grated Mozzerella 75g dried Breadcrumbs 1/2 grated onion 1/2 teaspoon of mixed herbs 5 tablespoons of BBQ Sauce 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper a good shot of Bourbon (I use Jack Daniels) Put all of your ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and work it with your hands until combined. Divide into balls and flatten a little to make your burger patty, This makes anything from 6-10 burgers depending how thick you like your patty. Cook on a hot skillet until browned well on each side and then pop in the oven with a slice of cheese on top to finish whilst you toast those brioche buns and get your condiments ready. Serve with lettuce and crispy onions and sauce of your choice.

Loaded Hot Dogs I’ve never been a fan of a plain hot dog.

Why be plain in a world with such variety of flavour. Heres a few of my favourite toppings.

Why not give them a go; I promise you’ll never go plain again.

1. Chilli Cheese The obvious one! Slather beef chilli on top of that sausage along with a good helping of sour cream, chives and grated cheddar.

2.

The Mexican

Add chunky salsa, fried chunks of chorizo, pickled Jalapenos, a few dollops of guacamole and drizzle with hot cheese sauce.

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3.

Indian Twist

A little curry sauce drizzled over the sausage, add crispy onion bhaji and drizzle with raita and freshly chopped coriander.

4.

French Style

Smother that sausage with caramelised onions, grate some gruyere on top, a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves and melt till gooey.

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NO - BAKE CINDER TOFFEE CHEESECAKE

Recipes from Simply Kitchen

Ingredients For the Base 300g Lotus/speculoos biscuits 125g Unsalted butter (melted) For the Cheesecake 300g Cream cheese 200g Mascarpone cheese 100g White chocolate (melted) 100g Icing sugar 300ml Double cream Crushed Honeycomb Dark chocolate ganache &

honeycomb chunks to decorate

Prep | 1 hour 20mins Chill | 4 hours Skill level | Easy

Start by making the Cinder toffee from the recipe on the next page.

1. Crush the lotus biscuits until as fine as breadcrumbs and add to a bowl with the melted butter. Combine until the crumbs are all butter coated and press firmly into the base of your 8” loose bottomed pan, chill for 1hr.

2. Whisk the double cream and sugar together on high for 30seconds. Add the cream cheese, mascarpone and whisk until combined and a little thickened, then fold in the melted white chocolate 3. Carefully add in as much honeycomb as you dare. I used approximately a third of the batch made.

4. Remove the biscuit base from the fridge and spread the cheesecake mix over and return to the fridge until set (a couple of hours).

5. To decorate warm some double cream over a bain marie, add in some good quality dark chocolate (I use dark as its bitter taste cuts through the sweetness a little, but you can use milk chocolate if you prefer), stir until the chocolate has melted and set aside to cool a little.

6. Break up some honeycomb into larger shards and arrange in the centre of the cheesecake. Drizzle over you chocolate ganache and enjoy.

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KIDS CORNER

BONFI RE NI GHT WAS ALWAYS A BIG THING FOR US GROWI NG UP. ALTHOUGH NOT CELEBRATED I N FRANCE. ITS SOMETHING WE DO EACH YEAR.

KEEPING SAFE CH ILD REN SH OULD N EV ER BE PE R MITTED TO LIGHT FIR E WORKS. CL OSE AD ULT S UPE RV IS ION IS ESS ENT IAL. KE EP BY STAND ER S AT A SAFE D ISTA NCE .

WE A R GLOVE S IF USIN G SPARKLERS A N D P UT IN WAT E R WHEN BURNT OUT .

READ ALL FIR EWOR K S I NSTRUC T IO NS CAR EFULLY. N E V ER LIG HT FIR EWOR K S AFTE R D RINKING ALCOH OL. FI RE W ORKS SH OULD N EV ER BE LIT IN A C ON T AINE R. KE E P A BUC KET OF WAT E R N EA R BY FO R EME RGE NCIE S. I F A FIREWO RK DO ES NOT GO O FF A FT E R IT IS LIT , DO NOT R E -LIGHT I T. S O AK IT IN W AT ER , AND THRO W IT AWAY. ONL Y LIG H T FIR EW ORK S OUTSIDE .

FL AMMABLE LIQU IDS, SUCH AS PE T ROL , SH O ULD BE KE PT AT A SAFE D IST ANCE .

Making Cinder Toffee - Honeycomb How to Line a large baking dish with parchment paper.

With the help of an adult, add the sugar, syrup and butter to a heavy bottomed saucepan and melt. Stir constantly so it does not burn and bring to the boil.

Ingredients • • • •

100 g golden syrup 200 g caster sugar 40 g butter 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• Chocolate to cover (optional)

After 5 mins, remove from the heat and add the bicarbonate of soda to see the magic happen. Stir in quickly and tip into your baking dish.

Leave to set for at least an hour.

Melted sugar is very hot please be very careful and ask an adult for help.

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LETS GET CRAFTY It is so important to get out and about for some fresh air despite it being a bit chilly, so get your wellies, fleece and gilet at the ready and lets go fetch some colourful crafting materials.

Leaves This time of year there are so many beautiful colours in the garden or on your woodland walks. Collect lots of leaves and use them to make wonderful pictures.

They come in all shapes and sizes and could be arranged as a hedgehog or a group of trees, bird feathers:- the possibilities are endless, so grab your glue and paper and get that imagination fired up and create something awesome.

Conkers As a kid we played with conkers all the time in the playground. Self confessed conker champ! Nowadays I prefer making like people with my children. Some glue, cocktail sticks and a little help from an adult, et voila! Get creative, use the spiky conker shell for a hat, maybe some leaves through the cocktail stick to make a little skirt for the lady conker.

Watch out for the spiky ends of the cocktail sticks.

Pine Cone Animals We use pinecones for so many things, we like to spray and glitter them as mini trees at Christmas but our favourite thing to do is make animals.

Slot leaves between the edges of the cone and you have a turkey or spiky leaves for a hedgehog, add paper ears and make a bear perhaps.

Don’t forget the googly eyes!

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If you haven’t already, bake your xmas pudding and cake Buy or make advent calendars

Buy stocking fillers Plan your entertainment calendar Pass it forward – buy meals/drinks for other families or those in need Start making home decorations and stockings with the kids Play Christmas music from dawn till dusk Prepare any food you can for the freezer such as canapés Stock the blanket box Buy an extra gas bottle

Stock up on logs and fire lighters

Take dry food inventory

Confirm addresses and buy stamps

Stock up on toiletries

Support small independent business and attend online e markets

Organise SECRET SANTAat work in your group of friends

Get ornaments and decorations out of storage

Arrange to go to a christmas market

Put up outdoor christmas lights

Order a Christmas tree

Start to create edible and home made gifts

Start to decorate the home

Make a Christmas week menu

Get stocked up on batteries

Take a freezer inventory ready to stock up on your party nibbles

Wash guest bedding and towels Clean the home & do the food shop Top up mixers for drinks

Write thank you cards

Sort your recycling

Go for a nice winter walk

Buy more toilet roll and headache tablets

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If travelling over Christmas make arrangements

Decorate your cake Sort our your Christmas party wear

Bake cookies for santa

Create budget and gift list

Buy gifts, wrap and post / ship to loved ones

Sort through toys and unwanted books etc for charity

Stock up on de-icer, salt for driveway and buy a snow shovel.

Check tyres.

Do a pre Christmas staples shop for your group of friends

Organise tickets to a panto

Order meat such as turkey or anything special Stock up on alcohol

Decorate the Tree Decorate the porch

Write cards and mail them Write letters to santa

Make cards and gift tags

Keep the kids calendar up to date

Buy teacher gifts

Buy gifts for workers such as post woman

Take a family photo for your annual Christmas album

Make Christmas crackers

Watch Christmas movies

Go forest walking for your fresh foliage

Open those gifts

Set your table Read Christmas stories with the kids

Have that family time

Buy more toiler paper!

Decorate a ginger bread house Go ice skating with friends

Recover before it starts all over again for New Years

Eat everything!

All of our Chritsmas recipes can be found on our Simply Kitchen Facebook page and there will be plenty of activities for the little people in your life on our community page on the run up to Christmas

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GET AHEAD CHRISTMAS PREP In years gone by I used to have to be super inventive at squeezing in time somewhere, anywhere to make the Christmas cake, pudding, sweet mincemeat, marzipan and stollen.

These hours spent in the kitchen, stirring up my Christmas wishes, festive music playing and lights tinkling away, were always the sweetest stolen moments whilst the kids slept on. He’d be in front of man tv with a tot of whisky, it was absolute bliss. The house was always damp and warm basking in that special glow, with only the dying embers of a log fire and click of the AGA drying the boy’s rugby gear could offer. I’d probably been stuck in the car all day, going back and forth to various school plays and fetes! Those were the days!

Nowadays things aren’t that different, I’m older, sure, and those kids are all grown up, and probably up long after I’ve hit the sack! When they can, they still come home with partners and mucky washing home with, for all that familiar festive food and those mad table games! I still love popping on my festive pinny and getting busy baking those traditional sweet treats, albeit gluten free these days.

My own Mother made a big deal about Stir Up Sunday which this year is the 22 November. So, yes you do still have time to get that feast ready!

Don’t panic and do make it enjoyable for you. But don’t drink too much in self-congratulatory celebration eh!

Watch out what you hide in the pudding! You don’t want a huge dental bill now do you?

Get that big wooden spoon out and start stirring!

Donna x

Why not join our Simply Kitchen Facebook page for more helpful tips and recipes all year round.

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Conversion Chart Cups to Grams 1/4 cup = 60ml 1/3 cup = 90ml 1/2 cup = 120ml

Flour

2/3 cup = 150ml 3/4 cup = 180ml 1 cup = 240ml

Butter

Sugar

1/4 cup = 32g 1/3 cup = 43g 1/2 cup = 64g 2/3 cup = 85g 3/4 cup = 96g 1 cup = 128g

1/4 cup = 57g 1/3 cup = 76g 1/2 cup = 113g 2/3 cup = 142g 3/4 cup = 171g 1 cup = 227g

1/4 cup = 50g 1/3 cup = 67g 1/2 cup = 100g 2/3 cup = 134g 3/4 cup = 150g 1 cup = 201g

Brown Sugar

Icing Sugar

Cocoa Powder

1/4 cup = 45g 1/3 cup = 60g 1/2 cup = 90g 2/3 cup = 120g 3/4 cup = 130g 1 cup = 180g

1/4 cup = 30g 1/3 cup = 45g 1/2 cup = 60g 2/3 cup = 75g 3/4 cup = 90g 1 cup = 120g

1/4 cup = 30g 1/3 cup = 45g 1/2 cup = 60g 2/3 cup = 75g 3/4 cup = 90g 1 cup = 120g

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French Inspired Prune, Mandarin and Fig pudding No Steam! These are great served in small portions!

Ingredients

How To

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

•

Chop up the mandarins and add half sugar and half cup of water into a saucepan. Stir on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. You now have an orange syrup! Do the same with the chopped prunes and figs. Set aside to cool.

•

Preheat your oven to 160/175c

•

Prep your pudding bowl.

•

Whisk together all other ingredients and add fruit syrups.

Pour into your prepared bowl ¾ full and place in a deep tray fill ½ way with hot water (this creates a steam).

•

Bake for around 35/50 minutes and let it cool overnight. Add some calvados then wrap and chill for 5 days.

3 mandarins 200g of sugar 1 cup of dried figs and prunes prepared 250g of SR flour 2 teaspoons of winter spice *your own blend* Pinch of salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 125g of butter melted 3 large eggs 1/2 cup of milk 1 tsp vanilla extract

Make your own Marzipan

Ingredients • • • • • •

175 g golden caster sugar 300g icing sugar *sifted 450g ground almonds Vanilla pod seeds 2 eggs beaten Squeeze of orange and or lemon juice

How to Use either your processer or stand mixer dough hook to combine. It will be quite sticky. Douse in icing sugar and wrap. Store in the fridge.

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Easy Stollen Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 cup of lukewarm milk 3 tsp of active dry yeast 1.2 of fine sugar 4 cups of bread flour 1 large egg and 2 egg yolks 175 g butter softened 2 tsp vanilla extract Zest of 1 lemon Pinch of salt Fruit a 15 oz mix such as candied peel, orange peel, raisins, sultanas etc Add nuts if you like Spices you mix including cardamon, mace, cinnamon etc Calvados

How To • • •

•

•

•

•

•

Place the raisins, candied citrus peel and almonds in a medium bowl and pour the rum over it. Stir to combine. Set aside and let the fruit mixture soak in the rum while the dough rises.

Stir the yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar into the lukewarm milk and let sit in a warm place for 10-15 minutes until very frothy.

Place the flour, remaining sugar, egg, egg yolks, butter, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, cardamom, mace and cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast/milk mixture. Use a spoon to stir the mixture until it comes together. Knead the dough on the bread setting for 7-8 minutes. Remove the dough ball, lightly spray the bowl with a little oil, return the dough ball, cover loosely with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place or lightly warmed oven (just barely warm), to rise until nearly doubled in size, at least 1 hour.

Punch down the dough and add the soaked fruit/nut mixture to the dough (it should have absorbed all the rum by now but if there is excess liquid, pour it out before adding the mixture to the dough). Using the dough hook, knead the fruit/nut mixture into the dough until combined. If the dough is too wet to handle, add a little bit of flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it in two equal halves. Press or roll each piece into an oval to about 1 inch thickness. Roll each piece of marzipan into a log the length of the oval. Press the marzipan gently into the middle of the dough. Fold the left side of the dough over to cover the marzipan, then fold right side over on top of the left side so that the edge of it sits just left of the middle of the stollen (see pics). In other words, don’t fold the right side all the way over to the left edge of the stollen.

Pinch and tuck the top and bottom ends of the stollen to cover the marzipan. Use the bottom edge of your hand to press down along the length of the stollen towards the right of the centre to create a divot and characteristic hump (see pics). Place the stollen on a lined baking sheet. Cover the stollen loosely with plastic wrap and let them rest in a warm place or lightly warmed oven for 40-60 minutes until puffy. At that point you can pick off any raisins that are sticking out of the dough (they will burn during baking).

Towards the end of the last rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake the stollen for 30-40 minutes or until golden. You can use a thermometer to aim for an internal temperature of 190 degrees F. Let the Stollen sit for 5 minutes, then use a toothpick to poke holes all over the stollen (this will allow the butter to seep in), then generously brush the stollen with the melted butter while the stollen are still warm. Immediately sprinkle with a generous amount of powdered sugar, rubbing it into the creases and down the sides. Let the stollen cool completely. You may want to give it another dusting of powdered sugar once cooled.

The stollen can be sliced and eaten now or wrapped tightly (wrap in plastic wrap then foil) and left to “ripen” in a cool place for 2 weeks. The liquid from the dried fruits will further penetrate the dough for more flavour and moisture. Stollen can also be frozen for longer storage.

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Homemade Mincemeat 4 x jars So easy you will wonder why you ever bothered buying it from the supermarket!

Ingredients

How to

• • •

Soak the fruit for two hours, warm them through on a low heat for 20 mins then drain. Add all other ingredients in with the calvados and fruit. Spoon into your jars! Leave in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!

• • • •

600g of mixed dried fruit 120 ml of calvados Zest of a lemon and lime and juice of all 300g shredded suet 260g of dark brown sugar 1.2 tsp of mixed winter spice 1 large apple grated

Why not jazz it up a little with some orange and cranberry or a little brandy. The choices are endless.

Family Cooking Nostalgia Diana This month Phillips Diana takes Phillips a trip down takes memory us downlane memory this month lane and and shares shares some family recipes.

In this issue, I’m sharing a few of my favourite family recipes with you, from my dear old mums handwritten recipe book. Mum got married just after the war, she was literally unable to cook, her first sponge cake was beaten to death and left to rise for several hours before cooking, so you can imagine what it looked and tasted like! My poor father! Anyway mum then resolved to learn to cook and became extremely adept at it. Her pastry was always light and crumbly, and her cakes rose and were delicious. She used to go to cookery classes back in the late 50’s early 60’s and we were treated to a variety of exotic dishes. I have counted at least six slightly different recipes for chocolate truffles, all written in her small perfect hand.

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At Christmas, mums cooking came into its own, chocolate brandies, truffles, trifles, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, mince pies so small they were just one tasty mouthful! How I wish she was still here to recreate them. I make grey cardboard, my hands are too hot for pastry, but I can bake a fair cake. I have made her truffles and chocolate brandies over the years. Anyway I digress, here are some recipes that we enjoy, I should also add her recipes are in pounds and ounces.

Truffles: • • • •

8 fluid ounces double cream 10 ounces chocolate 1 and 1/2 ounces butter 3 tablespoons liqueur

Heat the cream until boiling, remove from the heat add all the grated chocolate and stir until melted. Stir in the butter and liqueur. Allow the mixture to cool in the fridge for approximately 4 hours. Scoop out balls of the mixture, mum recommended using a melon baller for this! Place the balls on baking parchment and dust with cocoa powder, or roll in melted chocolate and chopped nuts, or coconut, depending on the liqueur used. Keep cool in the fridge until serving.

Chocolate Brandies (always a huge hit as the cases were made from melted chocolate) Melt 8 ounces of chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water, then carefully ‘paint’ the inside of waxed petit four cases, then chill in the fridge.

Melt 10 ounces chocolate; add 4 ounces of butter and stir thoroughly until all melted. Then beat in carefully the yolks of 4 eggs one at a time. Stir in 3 tablespoons of brandy and add chopped nuts, candied fruits chopped and gently pour the mixture into the now chilled cases. Return to the fridge. The next day very carefully remove/peel the waxed paper from the now cold cases and et voila, a chocolate brandy in its own choc case. I cannot tell you how many broken ones were consumed in order to have a perfect plateful to display!

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BUSINESS Navigating around business here in France can be extremely daunting even without the added language barrier! However, Simply Business are here to help! Our resident business guru Tia Malcolm has a wealth of experience and knowledge which she will be sharing with you each month as well as inviting various expert writers in the field of tax, accounting and much more.

Tik Tok How to make it work for your business

How does it work?

The best way to get around TikTok is just to start playing with it and exploring all the different accounts to see what they are doing. Also start your own videos whether that is as a business or a personal account. However, if you are new to the whole social media culture, you may at first find it hard to navigate, I know I did.

Once you have set up your account you will see all the videos that people are posting.

I would suggest going to your profile and updating that before going any further. Once you have set your profile and you are happy with it, go back to the feed, to explore the accounts you want to follow. Because it is a new feed TikTok will send you generic videos until you start to find your feet. You can search for videos for your feed and tailor your account to what you want to see and interact with.

TikTok is one of the quickest growing social media platforms and is the 7th largest platform overall, its growth puts it ahead of long-term platforms like Pinterest, Twitter, and Snapchat.

It has a staggering 689 million monthly active users globally and this figure keeps rising.

What is TikTok, I hear you ask? TikTok allows users to create 15-second video clips to soundtracks which is a very simple concept, but it is very popular.

ByteDance, which started in 2012 and now has a valuation of $75 billion, owns TikTok. It also owns Toutiao a popular news platform with 240 million downloads and owns products like Xigua Video, TopBuzz and BuzzVideo.

How to post to TikTok

My tips

How to start your first video; tap on the camera mode and you will see several different icons. There is a flip button for forwards and backwards camera, speed which allows you to choose the speed of your video, the beauty is there are AR filters, filters which allow you to change the colour and set a timer if you want to film hands free and flash. You will also see music notes and other effects to add to your video.

At this stage I would experiment and get used to filming yourself and others for the videos, get comfortable with the app. There is so much you can do with the app like duets, challenges and share your TikTok creativity to other platforms.

Try to use trending hashtags, and follow people you like to watch, like and comment on the videos you like, duet on videos, tag other users etc. Its pretty much like any other of the platforms for growing your audience.

Do show the lighter side to yourself and generally have fun with it.

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Business Insurance Everything you need to know for your business insurance needs In France, as we discovered in my last article, you are required to be insured for absolutely everything and your business is no exception.

Firstly, you need to make sure that if you are running a business from a premises you must acquire the correct insurance and to do this you need to speak either directly with the insurance company or the broker to discuss the different options available.

Now most insurers will sell you a ‘multi-risk’ (multirisques) policy, which are good for restaurants, shops, gites etc. The multi-risk policy will cover you for most eventualities, but it is also good to shop around and see if there is a more personalised one for your business.

So, for you to get the right insurance for your business you will need to take an inventory of the risks your business will be exposed to.

For example; Loss or damage to physical items (fire, breakage, or theft).

Liability for the work that is carried out by your business or items that you sell.

Risks related to your employees (illness, accidents, and death).

Bankruptcy or any cessation of business.

Once you have done this then evaluate financially how it may impact your business, and make sure you insure yourself against this and have policies set up with in the company to minimalize the losses and any damage that may occur.

Public Liability Everyone living in France is required to get public liability insurance, it is often included in household insurances. Businesses, however, need a separate policy as it will not be covered on your personal insurance.

Directors’ liability Like all businesses the buck stops with the director, and they need to be covered for everything that may come their way. Also, in France if your company is a Limited Liability Company, the director can have all their personal items seized if it’s found that they have breached corporate responsibility. This is the same even if you are an unlimited liability business. You will need to get directors personal responsibility insurance called, responsabilité personnelle du dirigeant.

The Premises Make sure that you also have contents and building insurance for the premises you will be using, most insurances will suggest just a basic multi-risk policy as this will cover most eventualities.

Car Insurance Make sure that your car insurance is covered for business use, if you are planning to use your car for work. You need to have separate car insurances for any vehicles that you will be using for your business.

Other insurances you will need A ten-year guarantee (garantie décennale) is compulsory; this is for all businesses that carry out building or renovation work.

Other insurance that you may need as these are optional are: Assurance de matériel professionnel these are available and will cover all your machinery that you will be using.

Assurance perte d’exploitation, this will cover you if you are unable to operate your equipment due to breakage or fire. It will pay your employees wages and other fixed costs.

Protection Juridique, covers legal costs

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EDITORS PROPERTY PICK THIS MONTH WE BRING YOU A SELECTION OF BEAUTIFUL MANOIRS FOR SALE ACROSS FRANCE

www.frenchestateagents.com

www.french-property.com Coux et Bigaroque - Mouzens, Dordogne, Aquitaine 7 Bedroom Manor house with Gite & Pool Ref 117940CGI24

€450,000 (£381,704)

www.french-property.com

Ref IFPC30526

Cotes-d’Armor, Brittany 11 Bedroom Manor house, established Gite business

Ref IFPC29694

€580,000

www.patrice-besse.co.uk

www.frenchestateagents.com Angouleme department 16 7 bedroom Manor house set in 1.9hectares Ref 393287

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€896,000

www.france.businessesforsale.com Mortain, Manche, Normandy

Ref 3128269

Manor house with Gite & separate building with 4 apartments

Ref 73514RBR50

€503,500 (£427,084)

SI MPLY FRENC H LIVING www.frenchestateagents.com

www.french-property.com

Saint-Martin-de-Macon, Deux Sevres 4 Bedroom Manor house, ideal family home Ref A05912

Saint-Aignan, Centre-Val de Loire 8 Bedroom Manor house, with stables & equestrian facilities

€425,000 (£360,498)

www.frenchestateagents.com

Ref CEN41COUR.1

€630,000

www.frenchestateagents.com

www.orpi.com Oradour-Saint-Genest, Haute-Vienne 7 Bedroom Manor house set in 44 hectares Ref T118977MB87

Chemire-en-Charnie, Sarthe, Pays de la Loire 2876008 4 Bedroom Manor house with beautiful garden & pool

€999,580 (£847,874)

Ref 114363ARO72

€344,500 (£292,215)

www.french-property.com

Uzes, Languedoc-Roussillon, Gard 4 Bedroom Provencal Manor house, with pool Ref opus-Mas no1

Martel, Lot, Midi Pyrenees 5 Bedroom Manor house, with pool & outbuilding €997,000

Ref 118698NBO46

€565,000 (479,250)

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MAGAZINE

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SIMPLY FRENCH LIVING The All-New Dining Table Office

SIMPLY FRENCH LIVING Your monthly dose of all things French, written

by the community, for the community

FREE Stress Free Christmas With the Simply Prep Calender

Hostess with the Mostest How to make your side dishes shine

Bonfire Party Nostalgia Recipes that shout November

Spotlight on Bayeux A beautiful part of Normandy

Apero Anyone?

Your guide to French Apero

Cosy Home How to get that cosy feel ahead of the festive period

The Man Cave Why a man “needs” one

Your Dream Kitchen We talk all things kitchen

A Day in The Life of An Artisan Cabinet Maker

T

his morning I got up, wandered sleepily to my kitchen, poured me a hot cup of ambition and continued on to my dining table desk to write for our magazine. All over the world dining tables are now home to the latest entrepreneurial Start Up! Some will fail but some will flourish, thank goodness. Much depends on the idea, time, talent and money put in! All will require twice the number of working hours compared to ‘working for the man’! I often work in my pj’s day and night, and weekends are already a thing of the past but I’m happier than ever!

The pandemic has certainly changed the way the world is working, has shaken the world of business to the core, bringing many businesses to a screaming halt and forcing surviving businesses to digitise. How we work is also changing, we work from home and managed office spaces, and no longer want to live in the city, we want to live in the country. We want more autonomy hence the rise in start-up digital businesses.

Finally, things in the world of business are changing but finance for start up’s especially in France is still pretty dire!

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In fact, as a new resident, I felt setting up a business in France was rather too expensive. Rather too complex. The set-up costs alone would be in the region of 4k and take months, compared to 150 quid in UK! I already had experience of this watching my husband deal with his business set up frustrations. Costly and very slow. I don’t like to criticise my host country after all France isn’t about making money.

France is a socialist country and all that entails. Still, self-funding is tough. Those new in business for the first three years can’t really get any help and certainly won’t be offered a mortgage anytime soon. In the same way we aren’t looked at as able to pay our bills but do, is a sad reflection on how finance looks at the world of business.

Take a newly formed business already self-funding, paying high personal and commercial rents and still being told no by the banks! It’s why many fail. The future of business is in the ether and here in France it’s a lonely place. Not only that, even though my contributions to the state have been super high so far, I will only get an initial five pass to stay! That pension I’m paying in to better be commutable.

All this aside, we launched our much-wanted magazine baby with 3000 readers in the first few hours and are now we are refining its content and image. The team are really enjoying the process despite the fact we are all as poor as church mice and thinking of hocking the Van Gogh! We decided to risk everything by making our magazine FREE to our readers, so that no EXPAT was left behind.

Obviously, we will build the advertising revenue down the line.

Still, there are costs to meet now, IT, software, subscriptions, set up, new website, app etc etc etc! So far, we are at about 10k in bills!

Jeez Louise! So, without further ado I’m getting the begging bowl out. If you enjoy our magazine or are sneaking in some free advertising with your articles and want to support our adventure, please do donate to our Start Up costs! As they say ‘every little helps! Please keep us online and serving our global lovers of the French Lifestyle community! We appreciate you!

Donna Editor in Chief Simply French Living Magazine

You can donate directly on our website home page via our donate button