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Oktoberfests Around the World

September 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

(photo source)

September may be coming to a close, but Oktoberfest celebrations are gearing up all around the world. If you’re in the mood for a little wiener schnitzel or kraut and potatoes, you won’t have to head to Germany to find them. Check out these top 10 places to celebrate Oktoberfest – outside of Germany.

Top 10 Oktoberfests Outside of Germany

  1. Cincinnati, OH, September 17-18
  2. Denver, CO, September 23-25
  3. Dublin, Ireland, September 22 – October 9
  4. Stockholm, Sweden, September 29 – October 1 and October 6-8
  5. Blumenau, Brazil, October 6-23
  6. Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, October 7-16
  7. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, October 7-8, & 11-15
  8. Brisbane, Australia, October 7-9, & 14-16
  9. Hong Kong, October 21-November 12
  10. Windhoek, Namibia, October 28-29
Want to learn more about Oktoberfest and how it all started? Check out my previous article: Oktoberfest  On Location in Munich!
Ciao
Auf Wiedersehen!

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Embrace Autumn Like a French Girl

September 8, 2011 By 2 Comments
(Vancouver Harbor Area)
This week was the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of my favorite season – Autumn! While many are holding on to every last bit of summer, I am welcoming Fall with open arms, pumpkin spice candles, and my best French girl attitude!
Here are just a few ways to embrace the new season with a French twist:
  1. Shhh, We’re Hunting Mushrooms – While most Americans are hunting deer from a tree fort, the French are hunting something else, much lower to the ground – mushrooms. Foraging for mushrooms in the Fall is second nature to most French nationals, although it can be tricky and a bit dangerous. If you’re not an expert mushroom hunter or going hunting with an expert, stick to woodsy mushrooms from your local market – you can still make a mean mushroom marsala!
  2. A Pot ‘O Honey – Although honey can be found all year round, it is often harvested in late fall, after those little bees have been busy all summer. Many French girls learn the benefits of honey, and how to gather it, at a very young age. In fact, Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, remembers gathering honey as a girl growing up in France. Even if you can’t gather honey yourself, buy a quality brand from the store and add a spot of nature’s natural sweetener to your hot tea, a cup of plain yogurt, or a bowl of hot oatmeal.
  3. Start a New Routine – French girls know that change is inevitable and can even be refreshing. So with the days getting shorter and darkness coming all too soon, change up your routine to accommodate. This could mean taking an indoor exercise class to compensate for darker hours or going to bed 30 minutes earlier to help your body acclimate.
  4. Go Back to School – The always culturally-savvy French girl knows you never stop learning, even after you grow up. You may not be inclined to enter graduate school, but you can take a language or dance class at the local college, attend a lecture at the library or community center, or take an amature wine tasting class through a wine shop.
  5. Cook with the Seasons – Just as Guiliano points out in ther book French Women for All Seasons, a true French girl takes full advantage of the flavors of the Fall, indulging in creamy butternut squash soup, apple cobbler, and hearty potatoes au gratin. It’s Autumn – get cookin’!
  6. Head Outdoors – A little wind and chilly air won’t stop a French girl from getting outside – quite the opposite. A French girl takes advantage of the cooler temps by engaging in some of her favorite pasttimes –  working in her garden, raking leaves into a huge pile, walking or riding her bike to work sans sweat, and sitting by the fire with her amor.
  7. Bring the Outdoors In – When the Autumn air turns too cold for even a French girl – she doesn’t fret, but rather brings those natural things she loves inside! Take a tip from the French and decorate with dried leaves, pinecones, acorns, etc adding a bit of pumpkin spice or cinnamon to enhance the Fall experience.
  8. Wardrobe Change – While American women may cringe at the change of seasons, for it means possibly not fitting into last year’s denim, the French welcome the cool weather by sporting their chic trenchcoats, flowing scarves, and fisherman sweaters.
Ciao!
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Lemons of the Mediterranean

July 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

According to best-selling author and French icon Mireille Guiliano, a French woman’s la boisson du jour on a sunny summer day is quite typically a citron pressé – or lemonade as we know it stateside. But given a lemon, the French can make much more than lemonade. In fact, it is a nearly impossible to talk about fruit in France – eating it or cooking with it – without mentioning the lemon. There’s even a city in southern France that hosts a huge annual springtime celebration – Fête du Citron – dedicated to all things lemon.

Whether its a a traditional lemon or the more fashionable meyer lemon, citrus fruits such as the lemon are staples in many Mediterranean countries, including France, Spain, Italy, and Greece. Although most uses for lemons are associated with cooking, baking, and beverage-making, lemons and their acidic juice offer much for than flavor and zest.

Guiliano points out on her Web site that lemons can be used for so much more, including:

  • Calming the nerves, ie sliced lemons in a cup of tea
  • Homemade facial astringent and exfoliant
  • Giving shine to your hair and lightening hair color

Still Real Simple magazine offers 10 additional ways lemons can be used beyond cooking, including whitening finger nails and brightening laundry whites.

What’s my favorite use for a lemon? Why decorating of course! Place a few fresh, uncut lemons in a crystal or other decorative bowl and voila – instant color and simple French chic!
Lemons – so many uses, so little time!
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Bastille Day Delights

July 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

(photo source)

Bonjour and Happy Bastille Day! July 14 is not only France’s Independence Day, but it is also a great excuse to indulge in many Francophile delights. Not sure of the significance of Bastille Day or how to celebrate? Read my previous posts on how to celebrate the holiday with a Bistro Chic twist!

12 Ways to Enjoy Bastille Day

A Bastille Day Breakfast

Bastille Day Farmer’s Market

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Posh Picnics and Pink Martinis

July 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Shabby chic meets French country style in this truly amazing picnic display.

Every summer, my husband and I attend several outdoor concerts near our house. The venue is such where you can bring a full picnic of outside food, wine/alcohol, small tables and chairs, candles, etc. Although many couples and groups of friends go all out – bringing fancy plates, real wine glasses, and gourmet food, others are more spur of the moment, and bring just a blanket and dessert.

Last night, we attended a fantastic concert by the Portland, Oregon jazz band, Pink Martini. Not only did hear the wonderful sultry sounds of the band, but it was also a very special night for picnic-goers. Home and Garden Television was on hand to host and judge an ultimate picnic contest. Although we did not participate in the contest, it was lovely walking around taking pictures of the beautiful picnic and food displays. The time and creativity spent on some of these displays was amazing and the styles were reminiscent of classic outdoor parties in England and France, many that were truly fit for royalty.

Take a look at a few of my favorites (including the above). Enjoy!

Ruby red mixed with olive green bring a touch of elegance and a hint of romance to this classy display.

Refined English garden charm with a splash of pink martinis!

A throwback to the 70s with cushy beanbags peppered with Asian decor – spicy and colorful!

Ciao bella!

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