He turns 25

Last weekend my ♥ turned 25! It's one of the big numbers in life, a milestone, where I guess you turn around and look back at all that you've become so far and look forward at everything you want to achieve (before 30).  The weekend was one of my favourite kinds, filled with food, spontaneity and just pure happiness.  As I made the 3 hour train journey back to my home town, I didn't have time to bake him his surprise cake as I do everyyear. But this weekend when he came to visit me in Geneva, I had a couple of red-velvet cup cakes waiting in the fridge ready to devour.

American icing & the cutest champagne candles

Patiently waiting to party !

Exploring the ultra cosy streets of Colmar with my ♥ 

Us two on a small boat on the Lauch river at "la petite Venise"

Back of the head 1 - Kids playing in the fountains

Back of the head 2 - The cool calm of the river in the shade

 Little gargoyles on Colmar cathedral

Candle daze

Dad made some birthday tapas for the night before

As ♥ comes from Louisiana, he incorporated crayfish into these brushettas

How to make the red velvet cupcakes (small batch)

150g Sugar

60g  White sugar

1 Egg

10-20 ml of red food colouring

1 Tsp Vanilla essence

10 g Rich high quality chocolate powder

120 ml butter milk

Pinch of salt

2Tsp baking powder

150g Flour

Pre-heat your oven to 170°C. In a mixer on slow speed or by hand, cream the butter and sugar for quite some time until it's fluffy and smooth. Add the egg and whisk until incorporated. In a separate bowl you can prepare the 'red' of the velvet, by mixing the vanilla, chocolate powder and food colouring together to form a rich dark paste. Add this to the creamed butter mixture and mix until the batter becomes one colour. Part by part, add the buttermilk, then flower, and salt with the baking powder and once it is fluid in texture, spoon into cupcake cases until they are about 2/3 full. I baked in the oven for 25 minutes as I used large cup cake cases. Please note that I only was able to make 5 maxi-cupcakes with this recipe, so if you would like a large batch, I would double the quantities. For the icing, most make a cream cheese icing, but as my ♥ is partly American, I cheated and bought a tub of  Funfetti American icing (for 9 Fr.-!) from a specialist American shop.

On the January Ride

During the first week of January, my ♥ and I were on a train back to Geneva in the restaurant carriage. ♥ was hungy and wanted to order one of those over priced meals...this prompted me to go on a bit of a tangent on money and saving and la la la. Sometimes I envy how he consciously enjoys every moment, never taking into account, how much these 'moments' may cost.  So for the month of January,  I have set the goal to "live the ride" and let my worries fade away.

My "ride" began with this home made shortbread crumbed banana bread cake

Having an extravagant meal with my ♥ at THAÏ in Geneva on a Tuesday Work Night

I had the pan-fried salmon with thai herb salsa & he had the Honey glazed duck & pineapple(Both fantastic btw)

 taking off my scarf

 The week before my work team had our rather late Christmas Dinner at the Buffet de la Gare in Eaux Vives

This was the first time I had tried Fois Gras (It came with a fig theme)

Potato Puree with cooked Fois Gras and wild Mushrooms

This was a wonderful chocolate mousse on a light cake with a caramel halo, I could have eaten ten of these

First Date in this City

On Friday night after work, I met ♥ at the train station and led him through the streets of Paquis to the very sweet and rustic, La crêperie des Pâquis. 

 Dark wood, exposed walls, interesting lighting: perfect for a date with your special someone

Some shots of our French dinner 

 Reading the menus in French and having to order in another language adds to the atmosphere

 I wasn't in the mood for a long meal in a beautiful restaurant as I was still in my conservative work attire. It hit the spot. He was very surprised and happy with the choice of eatery and happily ordered a crêpe stuffed with steak, spinach which was decorated with a fried egg. 

I opted for the "provençale chèvre", a crêpe filled with goats cheese and a tomato and herb sauce.  We topped off our meal with chocolate and chocolate-banana crêpes and for the first time,  I finished main and dessert before my ♥.  I was truly satisfied, so satisfied that I later fell asleep during our movie, the Guard.

Ironic Halloween

Just as ironic it is to celebrate Halloween on the 29th, my friend Emma who was visiting for the weekend from Scotland and I went to an ex-pat party at the Paladium in Geneva as French girls (None of us can speak this language). We sported stripy tops, berets, mustaches and fresh Parisian baguettes -which we waved around in the air- and had people trying to eat them all night long. Success? I think so.

 Two French Ladies

Getting into Character, trying not to eat our props.

 Posing with our Baguettes in a mini Vineyard 

Goodbye Baguette that a million people touched, ate, laughed at