Ready. Set. Action!

I went to the store with Roger and Elise again today. We've pretty much been every day. They're a B&B so all they must provide is a bed and breakfast, but they offer dinner too. Elise got everything she'd need for the meals for two days, and I got a few things for lunches. Today I made myself a guacamole grilled cheese, Elise a BLT, and Roger leftover Sheperd's Pie. I also made a carrot apple salad that you can find the recipe for on my cooking blog (casiecooks.blogspot.com). It is healthy and delicious and easy and different than regular old salad. I'm afraid this travel blog is going to turn into a cooking blog for a while.

Before I forget, at the store they have a fresh milk "station." You buy plastic bottles from a vending machine type thing for ,20€ each and then you pay as much as you want for the fresh milk. You hold the bottle up to the spout and the machine moos as it pumps the fresh milk in! It's awesome!!! Delicious too. Best milk I've ever had, for sure.

I got some time to relax today which was nice. I just sat around and laid down for a while. I looked up recipes and ideas for lunches/dinners for crazy Roger. Thank you Pinterest and allrecipes.com. You have saved me.

2 guests arrived at about 4:30. They are an English couple, and the wife teaches French so she speaks it fluently. They're lovely...and rich. They went for a walk while we prepared dinner.

It was very stress free as Elise and I made everything. I guess it was stress free because it was the only thing we had to do all evening. She made tuna tomato pies as the appetizer. The main course was pork with some weird, yummy, mashed vegetable and roasted vegetables. MY roasted vegetables. I made them with the chicken the other night, and she liked them so much that she added them to the menu for the guests. Golf clap for Casie! Ha. All you do is chop up cheap vegetables...the more colors the better. I used potatoes, carrots, and broccoli tonight but broccoli doesn't roast well so I don't recommend that one. Red bell peppers would be good. Cauliflower does ok but it's not very colorful. Carrots take forever so either steam them a bit before you roast or just start them before everything else. Anywayyyy...cut them up and put them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Put two cloves of minced garlic into some olive oil and let that sit for a bit (while you chop!) Pour the olive oil over the vegetables and toss to coat. Add some thyme, basil, and a little rosemary and then roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until soft. About thirty minutes. Carrots take like an hour...a pain, yes, but the color they add is worth it. It's a really easy warm vegetable side dish!

And there you go. No more recipes today, I swear. After the main dish we served cheese and then the dessert was raspberry apple crumble. Everything was delicious, and I had fun waitressing. I didn't spill anything so that was good.

A French couple arrived at about 8 so we had to do everything over again for them. I practiced my French..bon soir, pardon, and bon appetit! Pretty sure I sounded like an idiot.

I have learned many English and French words, and the best part about being over here is learning about the differences between people and the way we do/say things. Roger calls a napkin a serviette, and I call treacle molasses. All day long, roger, Elise, and I just compare France and England to America. I don't think many people envy Americans or America the way a lot of Americans dream about France/Europe. I love the good old U S of A, but I don't blame the people here for feeling the way they feel. At the same time, they don't know much about it so if they want to talk they'll need to go on over for a visit.

One last thing, Elise's dad came over for a minute tonight. He is a French guy through and through, and he greeted me with kisses on the cheeks. That is such a strange tradition, and I'm glad we don't do it at home. I like my space. I have always wanted to experience it though so there it is! I have officially been kissed on the cheeks, by a Frenchie, while saying bonjour. Special!

After cleaning up, Roger and I watched Master Chef again. Today went by so fast, and it is fun to have other people staying here. The B&B is officially in action! But only for the weekend. I get to set up breakfast for the guests in the morning!