Professional Croissant Taster and Other Jobs I Wish I Could Have

Scott and I are headed to Asheville, North Carolina this weekend for a quick get-away and to visit his grandparents. Asheville is one of our favorite spots and it's so convienient to travel to from Birmingham. And we've always said that if we lived anywhere else in the Southeast US, it would be Asheville. So, that got me thinking about what I would do if I moved to a different city. Just for fun, here's my plan for a couple different places!

Asheville, NC

I would get a job at the Biltmore Estate, "America's Largest Private Home" (AKA-Castle)

I could be a hostess and welcome people on their visit and tell fun, historical facts. I love history and I love the Biltmore. Its amazing and you should visit one day!

And I would insist upon wearing a period Victorian costume to work. Something like this:

Because I am that ridiculous...

But seriously, I would probably apply to work in one of downtown Asheville's chocolate shops. Our favorite is The Chocolate Fetish! They make fabulous European-style artisan truffles and chocolates. Heaven. May favorite truffle is called Velvet Sin. So great I can't even describe it.

Or I could apply at The French Broad Chocolate Lounge, where they serve coffee only in French presses. How great is that?! They serve what they call Liquid Truffle Sipping Drinks...this is no ordinary hot chocolate!

Scott enjoying his treats at the Chocolate Lounge when we were there in September.

Paris, France

Mais oui, I dream about living and working Paris one day because I am obsessed with that city and French culture. But what would I actually do if I do go to live in Paris?

Would it be acceptable to be a professional Francophile and Student of French Culture? I know I could study language, but what about walking around the lovely streets of Paris or sitting in cafes while wearing a scarf and beret? Will someone pay me to do that?

How chic is she? Source: The HiP Paris Blog

Or what about being a Professional Croissant & Cafe au Lait Taster?

From In Praise of Sardines Flickr stream.

C'est la vie...that certainly would be the life!

So what about you? Where do you dream of living and working (or not working!) ?

"Le Blog de Ree" is Two Years Old!

Happy Bloggiversary to moi!! This will be entering my third year blogging...not very faithful at it mind you, but I'm here in the blogosphere nonetheless!

Merci beaucoup to anyone out there that reads me, whether I know you in the real world or not! I hope that you've tried a new recipe or been encouraged, or, more likely, laughed at our crazy lives!

Here's to a new year, a new decade, and the next year of my Le Blog!

Ree's Cookbook: Leek and Potato Soup

Scott and I came back from an exhausting, but powerful, weekend at Passion 2010 with our college group. We were "vegging" on the sofa, flipping through the channels when we landed on PBS and "Jacques and Julia At Home". Re-runs of this show have become one of our favorite cooking shows! (We don't have cable, so there's not many options anyway) We love how Jacques and Julia banter while cooking, often bickering like an old married couple...reminds us of ourselves while we cook together! One of my favorite quotes from a show is, Julia: "You could leave out the butter and cream, but why would you want to?" My sentiments exactly, Julia! Anyway, we were watching J & J so a show on soups, and as their different versions of leek and potato soups came to life before us, we looked at each other, and said, "Let's head to the store! We have to make soup tonight!"

So, here's our version of Leek and Potato Soup, adapted from "Jacques and Julia At Home" TV show!

Leek and Potato Soup

1 bunch of leeks, trimmed, thoroughly washed and chopped

1 white onion, chopped small

4-5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you want to keep it vegetarian)

3-4 cups water

Watercress, minced

Salt and pepper

Heavy cream

1. Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil and a pat of butter in a large stockpot. Add leeks, stirring to saute for a couple minutes. Add onion and continue sauteing until vegetables are soft.

2. Add chicken stock and at least 2 cups of the water, stirring well. Let mixture come to a boil.

3. Add potatoes and more water if needed. You need enough water in the pot to cover all the soup ingredients completely. Let soup come to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft enough to mash with a spoon.

4. Add watercress and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Remove pot from heat and use a slotted spatula, large fork or potato masher to mash the chunks of potato, leaving smaller pieces in the soup. The idea here is to help thicken the soup with the mashed potatoes, yet leaving large enough chunks to eat. This is not a pureed soup, so don't worry about getting things completely smooth!

6. Return to heat and let simmer for a few more minutes until soup is heated back though and thickens slightly.

7. To serve, pour 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream in the bottom of soup bowl then ladle soup on top. The diner can then stir the cream into the soup as they eat. We also served this with cheese toast!

Hope you enjoy this country-style soup! Its "souper" easy and quick on a cold winter's night....don't worry about following the directions to a "T"...add things here and there and I promise it will be great!

Variation: puree soup, add heavy cream, chill and it now becomes Vichyssoise, an iconic French soup! Serve with a dollop of sour cream!

2009 in Collage

(Click on collage for a larger view!)
We've been half-way around the world and a few places in between...here's a collage of people and places from our year! God has blessed us richly in 2009, and we are thankful!

Merry Christmas! (AKA-Your Digitized Christmas Card)

I'm still scrambling around for a few addresses for cards this year, AND I needed to cut down the list to save some money, SO here's a digital version for everyone's enjoyment!

This is in Central Park at Wolman Rink, taken a couple weeks ago by our own Rachel Jones Photography! I cropped and added the script myself in Picasa.

Oh yeah, go over to Faith's blog and link up your card too!

Holiday Tour of Homes: Christmas Ornaments Special

I love my ornaments on my tree! Most of the ones I put up every year either were bought on a trip, given to me by someone when they were on a trip, or represent places we've been! And then there's a few "just because" ornaments!

Since I did a pretty full-house tour last year (Part One & Part Two), I decided to focus this year's tour on my special ornaments! hope you enjoy, and don't forget to link up with Greta!

Overview of my tree and mantel deco. The main thing that changed on the mantel is that my artificial pre-lit garland died this year...so I used the cuttings from the tree and wove lights in that. Its very pretty and natural, but I fear the branches will be brown by Christmas!

Close up of the mantel with leopard ribbon running through the branches; it coordinates with my leopard bow and tree skirt on the tree!

Nativity Ornament always takes center spot!

This nativity ornament is carved from olive wood and came from Israel! Scott's parents gave this to us.

"Our First Christmas" ornament by Christopher Radko, given to us by my grandmother at our first Christmas in 2001.

My sister brought this back from Guatemala last year, where she went on a short-term mission trip.

This snowflake came from Dubrovnik, Croatia last summer when we were in Montenegro for short-term missions.

Scott and I visited Montreal, Canada for our 8th anniversary this year and I found this real leaf coated in silver!

This cute Santa is scaling the Eiffel Tower! I picked this up in the Eiffel Tower's gift shop when we visited Paris in 2006!

This disk ornament is from a 2006 trip to New York City when we visited the Empire State Building.

This nativity ornament is at least old as I am and was one of favorites growing up! Mom gave it to me a few years ago when she was cleaning out her decorations.

This is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina, where we spent part of our honeymoon in 2001.

This little Eiffel Tower did not come from Paris, but I picked it up at World Market! They have great ornaments!

Garfield has always been one of Scott's favorites! His mom gave me this ornament among other childhood favorites!

This brass cutout ornament came from the Biltmore Estate, where we also spent part of our honeymoon!

I hope you enjoyed a closer look at my Christmas tree!

Happy December!! With Bonus: Reflections on a Birthday

* OK I know its been 2 months since I've blogged. I'm a horrible blogger. I haven't even documented our missions trip or our anniversary trip...bear with me people.

December is a great month: Christmas, good music, fun decorations, cold weather, and my birthday! This is a big birthday for me...I'm turning the big three-oh (30). I don't feel 30, and most people say I don't look 30 (even if they are just being nice, I'll take it).

So this might be a looking-back post....looking back to the last decade of my life. When I think about my 20's, what comes to mind the most is my wonderful hubby. We've been together since I was a teenager, but we were married when I was 21 (almost 22) so he is the person I have spent my 20's with....and God willing, many more decades with!

This is random, but here's what I remember about turning 20, ten years ago (I'm a math genius, no?) and reflections thereof:

• The best gift I received for my 20th birthday was my KitchenAid stand mixer from my grandparents! I was in culinary school at the time, so this was very exciting! I also got a fondue pot and a couple place settings of my fall and winter dishes. (I think I was more domestic then...)
• I don't remember feeling like it was a big deal to enter into a new decade of life then. I was thinking forward too much. All I wanted was to be married to Scott at the time. I don't regret this, but I'm happy where I am in my life right now. I think so many of us get caught up in "the next thing" in life that we don't enjoy the stage we are in now. Right now, my 30's are looming up at me, wide open to anything! A fact that can be daunting, no doubt, but also exciting.
• Speaking of looking forward to what was coming, at 20, I had my life planned out: Scott and I were going to get married, he was to be a bank executive, and I was to be a housewife. Life rarely works out the way one plans it, and now, 10 years later, I thank God it didn't work out that way. Well, except for the marrying Scott part, of course! The Lord saved Scott and I from ourselves, and a life of comfort that wouldn't really matter. (We certainly are not perfect, and have a lot to learn still, but we are light years away from where we would have been!)
• I was working retail at the time, at NY & Co (called Lerner NY at the time). I was an assistant manger over the accessories department. I loved it, but was also in culinary school at Jeff State, so soon after, I got a chef job at Saks, Inc.

So what a I looking forward to as I enter my 30s?

• I am looking forward to growing closer to my husband. There are times when we are closer, but sometimes it feels like we couldn't possibly love each other more, and then God surprises us and gives us MORE love for each other! Sappy, I know, but I absolutely love the journey of life we are on together. I could not imagine life without him.
• I know my friends and (especially) my family will want me to say that I'm looking forward to starting a family...this is one area of my life that I'm just not certain of. This is one of those decisions that I can't put off much longer--I know this better than anyone. I have not talked about this on my blog before...its a sensitive subject for me, deep down, even though I usually laugh it off. And I need to pray about it more. So, for now, I am looking forward to praying about adding to our family. Let's just leave it at that.
• I am looking forward to finishing my undergrad at UAB. I have been a sophomore for the last 3 years, so I am looking forward to being an upperclassman as I enter my 30s! :) I love school and love learning new things, so I am looking forward to getting into more of my major's courses! (International Studies and French) I also have a study abroad requirement, so I am definitely looking forward to living in a foreign country, even if its for a few weeks.
• I'm looking forward to where God will lead us in our ministry and church. We love doing the college/young adult ministry and have a desire to more with this. But it's great to be in a spot where we feel like God can tell us anything.

Ok I guess this is enough for today. I might just drum up a few old pics of Rees of Birthdays Past, so stay tuned!