How to Eat Breakfast In Paris for About $5 A Day

How to Eat Breakfast In Paris for About $5 A Day

I love breakfast in Paris, especially in the Autumn when leaves are skittering across the pavement and everyone is sporting elegant scarves and fabulous boots. I like sitting in a cafe or coffee shop by a large window, watching the world go by as I sip and nibble my way through breakfast.

Parisian food is justly famous for its quality, taste, diversity, and, alas, price. But there are ways to eat well in Paris without breaking the bank.

There is something comforting in a morning ritual of espresso and warm croissants, especially dark chocolate-filled ones. It’s even nicer when shared with a brother who happens to be living in Paris. Ryan had to work during the day, so we always made sure to get up early enough to have breakfast together before he dashed off to slave away and I meandered through the streets of Paris trying not to get too lost before meeting up with him for dinner.

Here are my top three favorite Paris breakfasts, all for about $5 US.

Breakfast #1 – two warm croissants and an espresso. I like to eat one croissant with my coffee and save the other to nibble on whilst sitting on a park bench in a pretty park somewhere. Cost: Approximately 4 Euro/$5 US.

Breakfast #2 – quiche and real hot chocolate. I found a shop right across the square from where my brother was living run by a grouchy fellow who grudgingly gave me a smile when I beamed at him each morning. 🙂 It had wooden stools pulled up next to the window where I could people watch to my hearts content, and the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had in my life. Cost: Approximately 4.5o Euro/$5.50 US.

Breakfast #3: crepe filled with Nutella. I love the little crepe stands sprinkled throughout Paris. A bustling chap heating up crepes, slathering them with lavish amounts of Nutella and folding them just so for you to eat as you walk through the city. Bliss. Cost: Approximately 4-5 Euro/$5-6 US.

Which one is your favorite?

This is my contribution to Wanderfood Wednesday. Click here to discover more foods from around the world.

Falling Leaves, Hot Tea, and Fried Eggs On A Nest of Kale

Falling Leaves, Hot Tea, and Fried Eggs On A Nest of Kale

Good morning, dear ones! I’m writing to you tucked up under a quilt with a heating pad to keep me warm. Autumn has truly arrived in Washington and it’s sunshiny, beautiful and cold!!

Saturday morning I awoke to my green grass carpeted with crunchy russet leaves and today a cold wind tossed them about in a mad, whirling dance across the lawn. I loved it!

It was so gorgeous out this weekend that even spending hours in my parent’s garage sorting through boxes was a pleasure. I opened the garage door and let the breezes and sunshine in and I got HEAPS done!! I sorted through absolutely everything and it feels so good. 🙂

Such weather always puts me in the mood for cozy, comforting things like steaming Darjeeling tea, homemade cookies (I’ll share those with you later this week!) and hot breakfasts. My favorite breakfast this weekend resulted from opening my fridge and seeing a carton of eggs and a bowl of leftover kale sauteed with tomatoes and garlic. I thought the two together would make a delicious and healthy breakfast and much to my delight, they paired beautifully. I’d also like to try this with spinach and maybe Swiss chard as well.

What is your favorite thing to pair with eggs?

This is my contribution to Chaya’s Meatless Mondays. Click here to see more delicious meatless dishes.

Fried Eggs on a Nest of Kale
(serves two)

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves chopped
1/2 can fire roasted, diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs

Directions:

  1. Bring pot of salted water to boil, add kale and cook 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain.
  2. In saucepan heat olive oil and saute tomatoes and garlic 3-5 minutes.
  3. Add kale and saute another 3-5 minutes.
  4. Salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Divide kale between two plates and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  6. In saucepan fry two eggs and place on top of kale. Serve warm.
Cozy Weekend and Dark Chocolate Almond Pecan Torte

Cozy Weekend and Dark Chocolate Almond Pecan Torte

It is such an amazing thing to feel good, really, really good, for the first time in almost two years. I am quite overwhelmed with gratefulness. 🙂

Last weekend I celebrated such things with much jollity, feasting and convivial adventures with my siblings and friends and loved it! But this weekend I’m happily staying home, cozy in my own little apartment, excited to do sorting and organizing, all those big projects that I just couldn’t get to when I was unwell. I can’t wait!!

I don’t know about you, but I love getting decluttered and organized. My fingers are itching to open dusty boxes and mystery bags that have been hibernating in my parent’s garage for entirely too long. Books, dishes, clothes – who knows what is hiding in there!

It won’t be all work, mind you, I have every intention of taking little breaks for grainy millet bread dipped in seasoned olive oil…

…most definitely a linger around the campfire…

…and a few slices of this deliciously decadent Flourless Dark Chocolate Almond Pecan Torte (it’s gluten-free!!). I love this cake because it is rich and flavorful without being too heavy, relying on ground nuts and dark chocolate to provide depth and texture. And for a dessert, it’s pretty darn healthy! No flour, only a little sugar and we’ll just not mention the melted butter holding everything together. 😉

What are your plans for this weekend? Wherever they take you, I wish you a beautiful weekend and will see you first thing Monday morning. 🙂

Dark Chocolate Almond Pecan Torte

Ingredients:

1 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup pecans
8 oz.dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
6 large eggs, separated.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Butter 8″ round springform pan and cover bottom with round piece of buttered wax paper.
  3. Add nuts to food processor and blend until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  4. Add chocolate pieces and blend until mixture again resembles coarse crumbs.
  5. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy and light. Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing well with each yolk.
  6. Stir in nut mixture until well combined.
  7. In separate bowl, beat egg white until soft peaks form.
  8. Using spatula gently fold in 1/3 of egg whites into nut mixture. Repeat until all egg whites are mixed in.
  9. Pour into pan and bake 45 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Celebrating Mum’s Birthday with A Strawberry Almond Tart

Celebrating Mum’s Birthday with A Strawberry Almond Tart

This week we’re partying aplenty as we celebrate my beloved Mum’s birthday.

I’m so grateful to have a mother who is not only my Mum but my dear friend. I can’t imagine life without her hugs, compassion, and avid interest in anything her kids are up to. Happy Birthday, Mums!! I love you!

We tend to stretch out birthday celebrating in our family. We’ve had Kansas City bbq, great times with friends, movie nights, thrift store shopping, and who knows what we’ll get up to in the next couple of days. 🙂

When I asked Mums what sort of birthday cake she’d like, she asked for a fruit tart instead. I was delighted to oblige!

I nipped off to the market and found gorgeously plump strawberries that I thought would pair beautifully with almond cream and a sweet almond crust. Mmm, mmm! It turned out scrumptiously and Mums was a happy birthday girl.

What is your favorite birthday dessert?

I’m excited to have a new guest post up at The Travel Belles today! 🙂 Click here to read about Germany’s beautiful outdoor museum in Detmold. I’d love to hear what you think! 🙂

Strawberry Almond Tart

1 pint strawberries, washed and halved
1 package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup almond milk
1 Tbsp agave
1 tsp almond extract
1 Tbsp maple syrup

For the Crust:

1 cup whole grain flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. Blend cream cheese, almond milk, agave and almond extract until smooth. Set aside but do not chill.
  3. Mix all crust ingredients, add a little flour if too soft. Press evenly into 9-inch tart pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden brown.
  4. Let crust cool, then spread cream mixture in the bottom and top with fruit. Drizzle with maple syrup. Chill until ready to serve.
Campfire Feasting with Hobos and Fire-Roasted Bananas

Campfire Feasting with Hobos and Fire-Roasted Bananas

I know I’ve said it before, but I absolutely love evenings spent around the campfire with friends or family. This Monday our cooking group chose Campfire Food as our theme and it was so much fun!

Jenny, our resident ex-camp counselor, decided that we should do Hobos. So we passed around great shiny sheets of aluminum foil, folded them into envelopes and filled them with all sorts of splendid things.

I brought onions and bell peppers in a marinade of soy sauce, sesame oil and fresh ginger and Jenny showed us the “proper” way to add raw potato to a hobo: bite off small chunks and spit it into the bag. Apparently at her camp they weren’t allowed to have knives and their incisors did the trick nicely. 🙂

We also had fresh green and purple beans, Kielbasa, salmon, and spicy sausages.

Everyone fixed their own hobo and due to our unconventional potato adding method, folks kept a beady eye on their packet so as not to get it mixed up with anyone else’s. 🙂

While the packets cooked on the grill, we clustered round the fire and bit into juicy, flame-roasted corn on the cob. Oh my! So sweet and smoky it didn’t even need butter. Mmm, mmm!

By the time dinner was over night had fallen and the stars were out. We pulled on cardigans and sweatshirts, refilled our wine glasses, and edged our chairs closer to the fire. Jon pulled out his guitar and we took turns joining in on the songs we knew.

We roasted marshmallows for s’mores made decadent with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and dark chocolate with cherries and almonds. Then Selwyn showed us how to make our second dessert: fire-roasted bananas stuffed with chocolate, toffee, mini-marshmallows and pecans. Oh. My. Word. Twas pure campfire bliss.

Do you like camp food? What is your favorite meal?

Hobos

Ingredients:

meat – chicken, salmon, kielbasa, beef, sausage, etc
vegetables – potatoes, peppers, onion, green beans, corn, etc
sauce – Asian, Italian dressing, pesto, etc
Aluminum foil
Roaring fire

Directions:

  1. Using two sheets of aluminum foil, make an envelope and fold the edges to seal.
  2. Add your choice of meat, vegetables and sauce. Fold to seal.
  3. Place on grate above fire or directly in the coals.
  4. Cook 15-30 minutes. Test potatoes for doneness. Eat hot.

Fire-Roasted Bananas

Ingredients:

bananas
Toppings – chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, toffee bits, mini marshmallows, raisins, coconut, etc
Aluminum foil
Roaring fire

Directions:

  1. Peel back one strip of banana peel, but do not remove.
  2. Cut a trench down exposed portion of banana. Fill with toppings of choice.
  3. Replace banana skin over filling and wrap tightly with aluminum foil.
  4. Toss into hot coals and cook for ten minutes, turning halfway through. Eat hot.