it's giveaway time!

My first blog giveaway back in October was so much fun that I'm doing it again! Sadly, it will not be a "guess the new pet" theme this time. Max has put his foot down on the acquistion of any new bébés for the moment. I can't say I blame him though; the 3 we do have are keeping us (and our bank accounts) very busy!

So instead, I've turned to another passion of mine for this giveaway: reading. As I've mentioned before, I spend a lot of time reading at my new job, and have always been a big reader. I'm constantly on the lookout for new and interesting things to read, so here's where you come in.

For this giveaway, I want to hear about which books you love/recommend. A lot of my favourite books have come from friends' recommendations, and since I'm not able to browse the giant bookshop in Canada (Chapters!), I'd love to hear what you guys enjoy reading. I'm not terribly picky when it comes to genres, but am not the biggest fan of romance, sci-fi, or police fiction.

Here's the catch though: I'd like one fiction recommendation, and one non-fiction. I like chick lit as much as any other girl, but I also enjoy picking up a good non-fiction read from time to time as well. It can be anything from cookbooks, lifestyle books, self-help, (auto)biographies, cultural or scientific themes etc. Let me know which books you've read that have inspired you, surprised you, shocked you, made you think, made you cry...

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post with your 2 book recommendations. You can give me as much insight as you want into why you recommend your choices. Each person who leaves a comment will be entered into the giveaway. I'll choose one winner at random next Friday, February 10th. Anyone can leave a comment, but if you post under "anonymous", be sure to leave your first name or initials at the end of your comment so I know who to refer to if you are the winner!

Of course you can give me as many recommendations as you want, but it's a minimum of 1 fiction title and 1 non-fiction title to qualify for the giveaway. The prize will be mailed anywhere the winner happens to live, and I'm putting together something cool (considering I ate part of the original prize last week).

So here we go for giveaway #2! I'm looking forward to reading your comments! Good luck!

on reading too fast and eating something I shouldn't have

I've spent this whole first weekend back to France alone as Max left Friday to go visit his friends and family in the north. Nothing says love like coming back from a 2-week trip abroad to have your husband take off for 4 days less than 12 hours later. I'm kinda joking of course; Max was very good with the animals during my absence, and I think he needed to get out town for a few days. He's getting back tomorrow, but I won't see him until Monday evening after work.

Speaking of work...I read a 325-page novel cover to cover over Thursday and Friday's shifts. I also read the Canadian Reader's Digest my friend Rebecca had given me in Canada. At this rate, I'm going to read through the stack of books I brought back with me by the middle of February. Feeling sorry for me yet? ;) My colleagues assure me that we won't have time to read during the summer though with all the coming and going in the museum. Since I'll be there now, I'll be able to see for myself. I'm a little wary when they say it gets "very busy" though because they tend to nod in accordance when I jokingly say things like "wow, we've had a lot of visitors today!" when a total of maybe 20 people have passed through the museum the entire day. Either they think 20 visitors is a lot, or they simply don't catch on to my attempts at sarcasm. At this point, I honestly have no idea which it is. I do like it there and am pleased to stay on until at least September.

Before I left to go to Canada, I spoke (wrote?) briefly about a 2nd blog giveaway I was planning. I'm still hosting it, probably within the next week, but I have a confession to make:

I accidentally ate part of the prize yesterday.

In my previous post, I'd said that the prize would consist of something from Canada and something from France. Well there was something from Canada until I opened it up and started munching away only to realize seconds later that I was snacking on the Canadian part of my blog giveaway prize. I won't tell you what it was (although I will say it was delicious), but I do apologize. Since it came from Canada and cannot be easily replaced, the prize will now be something (equally as awesome) from France. And because I'm feeling horrible about my apparent lack of self-control, I'm adding in something else as sort of a bonus gift (something non-edible so I don't risk stuffing it down my throat again).

So check back within the next week to read all about the next slightly modified giveaway!

I leave with you a few recent pics taken mostly in Canada and mostly of cats.


Chloe (L) and Dusty (R) - my Mom's siamese cats

 

Tiger - my Mom's not-so-modest tabby cat

  

Chloe and Dusty again in a loving embrace (no worries, they are both fixed)

 

My bed at my parents' house apparently became the party bed while I was home. And this isn't even everybody!

 

Lovies

 

I got my hair cut (barely) and coloured during my trip. It's a reddish colour now with caramel highlights underneath. Max didn't notice.



Me and Sophie the chihuahua playing around with my Mom's ipad



The joys of home - ice cream flavours you would never find in France.



Me and the hubs just before I left. (Not pictured: Pinch lying across my lap, Skinny Mini clawing the hell out of the back of the couch)

back to my French life

Getting back to France from Canada yesterday was long (plane, train, car), but thankfully, uneventful (the same cannot be said for the trip to Canada, but that seems forever ago now, so I won't rehash). I had a window seat AND no one in the seat next to me for the whole flight. This has never happened to me before on a transatlantic flight, and let me tell you - being able to actually lie down over the 2 seats does wonders for making a night flight go all that much better. And because I'm pocket-sized, I was able to curl up quite comfortably on the seats and actually sleep a little. These couple hours of sleep made it possible to get through the next day which involved lots of waiting for my TGV Paris-Lyon, and then the 2-hour drive back to my town with Max.

The pets were overjoyed to see me, and Mini hopped right back into her routine of falling asleep on the couch then coming to snuggle under the covers with me at 4am. Max told me that she didn't sleep in our bed once while I was gone, but she clearly recognized that Mommy was back last night and dove back in. She's been all over me since I returned, and I dare say that it appears Mini is happier to have me back than Pinch. Granted, I'm doing my best to keep up the good habits Max started with the dog while I was gone, and part of that basically requires that I ignore him (channeling Cesar Milan: No touch, no talk, no eye contact.) It's so hard for me, but I can see it's working (must. stop. anthropomorphizing). We've got big plans for little Pinch in February, but more on that in another post.

I was put on the schedule to work at the museum today, even though I got back home around 7pm last night. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be however, and despite being tired and a bit sick (something I picked up on the plane or just the result of being over-tired), I had fun at work talking about my trip and passing around the maple cream cookies I brought back for my colleagues. What's even better was the the director of the museum was waiting for me to arrive this morning so she could talk to me about my contract. As you may remember, I'm working part-time at 50% of another employee; basically she does 50% of her hours and I am replacing her for the other 50%.  My contract is until March, but the director wants to offer me an extension until the end of September, and I'll move up to 70%. She cannot offer me a full-time position because one has not become available, but due to some maternity leaves and whatnot, I can work a day or 2 more per week and still get the complement from the unemployment agency. Sounds like a good plan to me! I'll be able to enjoy my summer even more because I won't be trapped in a full-time position (Pinch just breathed a sigh of relief behind me), and I won't be losing money because I'll still get the difference in pay from the unemployment agency. It's a win-win! I'll be giving English lessons to my colleagues once a week as well in order to prepare them for the influx of English speaking tourists this summer. It'll be limited to role plays and a lot of oral practice/listening skills, so no annoying lesson prep or boring grammar lessons. Plus, being able to teach my colleagues as well as working the front desk gives me a bit of an edge over the other part-timers and makes me a good candidate to keep on staff. Things are looking good for the moment!

Going back to work the very next day after returning from Canada turned out to be a good thing for me. I had never done it before, but found it prevented me from sitting at home feeling sad and homesick and generally sorry for myself (like I had tendency to do upon my return). I did feet pangs of sadness at work as I described my lovely and relaxing trip 'home', but it was a lot easier not to dwell on these feelings considering I had things to keep me busy. I may have woken up at 7am this morning jet-lagged and with a killer sore throat, but my mind was a lot more at ease than it has been in the past after coming back from Canada and that was a good feeling overall.

not really a real post

This isn't a real post, because I promised myself I'd give it a break 'til I get back to France. Well, I'm still in Canada (and LOVING it), but I just wanted to put up a couple of pics to show you how much snow we got in the period of a few hours yesterday. It had been grey and rainy most of the week with not a snowflake to be seen, then BAM! a nice blanket of snow covering just about everything. Canada's winter motto is: Go Big or Don't Go!

Back in a week or 2 with a proper post!

à bientôt!

I finished up my work week yesterday and am on holiday until January 26th! Unfortunately it's pouring out here today so I can't take Pinch for the long walkies I've been promising him all week. We are both snuggled under a fleece blanket on my computer chair watching the rain fall outside.

I leave for Canada on the weekend and needless to say, I'm super excited! My last trip 'home' was in August which isn't that long ago, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get back to Canada after this trip, so I want to make the most of it. I'm definitely looking forward to celebrating a belated Christmas with my family and closest friends. And in order to concentrate more on the people and things that matter most when I'm in Canada, I think I'm going to take a little break from blogging while I'm there. Don't worry - I'll be back at the end of the month, but I just feel the need to "disconnect" a little. I spend most of the year exchanging with family and friends back home via the internet, and now that I'll have the opportunity to see them in person, I think it's only fair that I give my blog some time off and prioritize these face-to-face conversations. I'm planning my second blog giveaway (!) for the beginning of February though, so make sure to come back in a few weeks to find out all the details! The prize will be something French AND something Canadian, so you won't want to miss it.

So until I blog again, I'll leave you with another vegetarian friendly recipe that is popular chez moi (again, it's a recipe that I found somewhere and tweaked a little). It's a perfect winter meal full of good, healthy ingredients (and a little cheese of course!).

I'm hoping everyone is making good on their new year's resolutions! Stay fit, healthy, and happy and see you back here in a few weeks :)

Easy Cheesy Veggie Gratin

I buy dry légumes like this brand to add some healthy protein to the veggie gratin. The box contains 2 individual bags of mixed, dried légumes like lentils, peas, and soy nuts. You could also just buy small quantities of your favourite légumes from a bulk store and make your own mix.



In a measuring cup, combine 2 cups milk with about 300 g (or, one packet from the box) of the dried légumes. Let soak for the time that you cut and prepare the veggies. Sometimes, depending on how crazy I get with the quantities of veggies I prepare, the 2 cups of milk isn't really enough. Feel free to add a splash or two of milk more if necessary. The milk mix shouldn't cover the veggies completely, but come up about 1/2 of the way in the baking dish.

 

In an oven safe baking dish, add 4-5 different sorts of your favourite veggies, cut into small pieces. I chose: broccoli (pre-steamed for shorter cooking time), carrots, leeks, onion, zucchini, and red potato (pre-boiled for shorter cooking time as well). Any veggie works in this dish, and it's fun playing around with different combinations. If you are short on time, you can substitute any frozen veggie for a fresh one.

 

Add the légumes and milk mix to the veggies. Stir in together to coat the bottom of the dish evenly. I try to push the longer cooking veggies down into the milk mixture so that they cook faster. The veggies will cook in the milk mixture and the dried légumes add a nice texture and taste to the whole dish. I added some ground black pepper and garlic powder as well for a bit of extra flavour.



Cover the top of the gratin with a generous layer of bread crumbs (chapelure in French). Place in a pre-heated oven at 210°C for about 40 minutes (depending on what kind and quantity of veggies you used and if they are pre-cooked at all).



When the bread crumb top has started to brown (after about 30 minutes), take out the dish and add some pieces of cheese on top. I think any kind of cheese could work, but I love fresh mozzarella, so I added slices directly on top of the gratin. I've used raclette cheese before as well and it was delicious.



Pop it back into the oven until the cheese melts and browns. Let cool a few minutes before serving. This is really a hearty, delicious dinner idea that fills you up and I almost always have leftovers for the next day's lunch!

2011 in review

Today is the last day of 2011, and what a year it's been! 2011 was one of those deciding years in my life. It was a "make it or break it" year that brought some much needed change. For those of you new to the blog, and for my long-time readers as well, I've put together a list of the important events in my little life from the past year. And like last year's NYE post, I've included links to my favourite posts from each month in 2011 and a little recap of what went on.

Happy New Year / Bonne Année to all my friends & family! I wish you all the best in 2012!

January 2011 - This month was a tough one. We were still living in Paris, and I had just gotten back from spending Christmas in Canada with my family. I was hit by a huge wave of homesickness and depression upon my return to France and couldn't shake it for weeks. I told Max that something needed to change or I was going to leave and go back to Canada. I hated living in Paris, I hated my job, and I wanted out. Max came home one day that month and told me he had 2 new job possibilities - join the French riot police (CRS) or try out for a détachement in the Gendarmerie. In the end, he was offered both positions, but chose the Gendarmerie so we could move out of Paris. His hard work and success is what saved me, and our marriage.

Coming back to France is always tough... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/01/neither-here-nor-there.html

But so is making important decisions... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/01/decisions-decisions.html

February 2011 - I hit 500 posts (!) in February and reflected on how my life (and blog) had evolved since starting this French adventure back in 2005. Max began all the tests/interviews required for both job possibilities (riot police and Gendarmerie), and so much of the month was spent waiting for results and encouraging him on. He ended up with some pretty serious cracked ribs after the riot police physical tests, and later turned down their offer because it would have meant staying in Ile-de-France and him being away from home even more than he already was. It seems I posted a lot of photos in February - I guess I didn't have much to say!

My post on 500 posts! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/02/500th-post.html

March 2011 - This month was a turning point in my life in that we found out Max had been offered a job with the Gendarmerie in the Rhone-Alpes region in France. I was moving to the Alps!! I had just months left to work in my soul-sucking teaching job, and by the end of summer, I'd be in my new apartment in Isère, happily unemployed and surrounded by mountains. Suddenly life became a lot better and I found a new optimism about living in France that I've managed to hang onto since.

The post that turned my life around... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/03/im-moving.html

April 2011 - April was all about celebrating and telling anyone and everyone (including my students) that I was moving! The good news about Max's transfer coincided with our trip to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, and I remember spending an AMAZING week with my husband in a gorgeous hotel on a beautiful beach. I got a smartphone (finally!) and wondered how I ever lived without. Max started getting ready to leave for 3 months to go to Gendarmerie training 300km away in the centre of France. I struggled with trying to find the motivation to keep teaching until the end of July because my head and heart were elsewhere.

Fotos from beautiful Fuerteventura! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/04/fuerteventura-fotos-landscapes-edition.html

Mixed emotions about the upcoming move and Max leaving me for 3 months... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/04/sometimes-clouds-roll-in.html

May 2011 - I turned 29 (!) and made a video post about it. Max was off at training and I fell into a routine of working and running the house by myself. The highlight of May was having my good friend Rebecca come visit me from Canada. She kept me company and we got to visit Brussels and Paris together. Max came home that weekend for a visit, and he drove me and Rebecca to Giverny to visit Monet's house and gardens. I loved having her at my house and we certainly have a lot of fun memories from that visit!

Photo post about Brussels... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/05/day-in-brussels.html


June 2011 - Thanks to my new smartphone, I started taking a lot more photos and posting them up on Facebook or my blog. The built in camera is actually pretty good, and it made emailing and uploading the pics a breeze! Thus June's theme seemed to be "fone fotos". I suddenly became one of those people. Max was in the middle of his 3-month training in Auvergne, so I was alone most of the time. All the alone time made me pensive about my future, as chronicled in this post: http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/06/moving-on.html

A recipe post about my homemade guacamole which is still a favourite of mine and Max... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/06/guac-goodness.html

July 2011 - I was counting down the days until my very last day of teaching. I was also busy preparing the move and getting everything in order. July's theme seemed to be relief at getting out of Paris and my teaching job, and apprehension at what lay ahead. Max and I celebrated 5 years of marriage, and I posted photos from my wedding for the first time on either my blog or Facebook: http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/07/happy-5th-wedding-anniversary-to-me.html


And speaking of photos, I posted pics of the Gendarmerie caserne we would be moving to. I was so excited back then to discover my new digs, and now I honestly feel like I've been here forever! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/07/fotos-of-our-new-place.html

August 2011 - This was a crazy month of moving, a trip home to Canada, and getting settled in the Alps. I was done my job by the time I went to visit my parents, so coming back to France wasn't as hard that time. When I got back, Max and I spent a full week packing up our apartment in Chatou, and then moved to the Alps over the course of 2 days with a moving company. I remember waking up that first morning in the caserne and looking outside my window to find a breathtaking view of the mountains. I couldn't, and I still can't, believe I live here.

Photos of my new (ghetto fabulous) apartment in the Alps and some details on my new life... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/08/pics-of-new-place.html

September 2011 - This month was all about getting used to our new life. Max had a lot to learn because while the Gendarmerie and the Police Nationale have a lot in common, there are also many fundamental differences. I decided to not look for a job right away and instead stay home to unpack and help Pinch with the transition. I'm lucky to have qualified for unemployment, so that definitely took off some of the stress. We also don't pay rent in the caserne, so money was finally not so much of an issue. The weather was absolutely gorgeous in September and I spent many afternoons on my new balcony with a book and a glass of wine taking it all in! I also didn't miss Paris or my teaching job for a second. I made some new friends in Grenoble (hi, Dana and NK!) and took some pictures of the city: http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/09/out-and-about.html

I also started bugging Max about getting a new pet. I wanted a puppy friend for Pinch, but Max wasn't really onboard. Instead, we decided on a cat friend for Noé and I got busy looking for the perfect one to join our family! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/09/puppy-predicament.html

October 2011 - This month was all about the new addition to the family: Skinny Mini! I hosted my first ever blog giveaway and it was a huge success (and a lot of fun!) Max and I found Mini at a breeder's house near Geneva, Switzerland. She's a 3 year-old Sphynx cat and is just the funniest and most awesome pet. She's only been with us a few months, but I couldn't imagine life without her. Max and I are already talking about getting another one in the next year or so because we've both fallen completely in love with Sphynx cats!

A video post and formal introduction to Mini! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/10/and-winner-is.html

I also started to get a bit bored being at home all the time, so Max and I decided to sign up as volunteer dog walkers at the animal shelter near Grenoble. It's been a very rewarding experience and I look forward to continuing all year. http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/10/productivity.html


November 2011 - I finished up my bilan des compétences (skills evaluation) paid for by the unemployment agency. The results were not at all surprising: I shouldn't be a teacher because I hate it, and I would be happy working in tourism. I started looking (half-heartedly) for jobs, and found 2 almost immediately. Unfortunately going from not working at all to working 2 part-time jobs was too hard and tiring (not to mention Pinch's barking started to become a big problem), so I quit the cake shop job and kept my job at the French Revolution museum. I enjoy my job there because it's easy and very laid-back. It also forces me to drive which is something I knew I had to do. My contract is up in March, but I'm hoping it gets renewed for at least the summer! Max and I started see a dog behavioural specialist with Pinch to help us with some of his issues. We'll continue to work with him in 2012 because I've already seen some progress!

A recap of November... http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/11/where-im-at.html

December 2011 - This month was all about settling into a new routine. I work part-time - either 2 or 3 full days per week - at the museum, and basically spend my shift reading or hanging out with colleagues. It's quite the opposite of teaching, and I'm loving it! The weather has been chaotic with warm sunny days followed by grey, snowy ones. Max had Christmas off, so we spent it at his sister's house in Annecy. It was a lovely Christmas and I'm so happy I got to celebrate it with my husband. I've had the week between Christmas and New Year's off and have just been catching up on some housework. I work 3 days next week, then it's off to Canada to ring in the new year with my friends and family. Life is pretty good right now!

I couldn't help but take a ton of photos over Christmas weekend! http://crystalgoestoeurope.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-fotos-photos-de-noel.html

Mini videos!

My mom requested more videos of her grandkids my pets, so I shot a few little videos of Skinny Mini being cute and wrinkly. In the second video, if you crank your speakers, you can hear her "talk" a few times. It's adorable on the video, but she does this all day long and it becomes considerably less adorable. Especially at 4am when she jumps on my pillow and talks in my ear.

A beautiful floral arrangement I received as a gift from a guy I work with. He was alone this Christmas, so Max and I invited him over on Monday for dinner. I made a comment about how nice flowers have no place in a home with pets, but we all laughed it off. Little did I know...



The floral arrangement the next day, after Mini "had a look".