Katie's French Language Cafe

Never too old for adventures...

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 16:52:00 +0000

If you have followed this blog for very long, you know I can get pretty busy with projects.. and that I love adventures. Last fall, while I was already a few semesters into a second Masters in History, I decided to add "get my 200 hr yoga teaching certification" to my to-do list. (You know, in my spare time, around traveling, homeschooling 5 children, laundry, etc) LOL. My husband thought I was just a little crazy, but just like Bilbo had Gandolf, he supported me and encouraged me to take that adventure.

I am happy to report that is officially off my to do list and I finished this month.

My blogs were quiet while I wrapped up weekend intensives, practicum hours and observations, but it was so worth it. (And, yoga is the perfect exercise program for those who travel...it takes minimal "stuff" and you can do it anywhere.)

Me, at a park near my house...

I'm 41 and I love learning new things, seeing new places, taking new adventures, and working towards new goals. I love being curious about things and wanting to learn more, more, more. Being a lifetime learner is one way to grow, stay inspired, and nurture ourselves~~which was a quintessential lesson of The Hobbit. Bilbo Baggins took his adventure (if ever so reluctantly) and his life was changed for the better for it.

Are you a Bilbo? Are you a reluctant adventurer or do you just dive in? Half the battle is just showing up. Showing up for that first yoga class, that first language lesson, buying that ticket...

I'm still working on my History degree (slow but sure)...I'm still working on my French and Italian. I will get there, and I am so thankful that you share in these adventures with me!

What journeys are you currently taking or pondering? Share them in the comments!

P.S. Several of you have asked me about the recipe link up? it is returning in APRIL!

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Missing Paris...

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 05:57:00 +0000

There are times, in quiet spaces of busy days, when my mind goes back to Paris. A longing for it; like you would long for company, an old friend, an old love.

There are some thoughts and memories of Paris that immediately make me smile. And other times, music will remind me of Paris and a sad longing comes over me, because I am not there. Lately, that music has been The Words soundtrack. Each time I listen to it, it gets better and before it even gets to the second song, I am back in the 16th Arrondissement, walking across Paris, and I feel that chill in the air, and that feeling of being home.

My husband is a CPA, so we don't travel during tax season, but anytime after April 15th is fair game for adventure taking. This year, April 16th will find me on a plane headed to Maui, but even in the midst of planning other trips, I am thinking about when I can get to Paris again.

In those moments I am missing Paris, there is melancholy and longing, but also a feeling of being lucky~~Lucky enough to have had the opportunity to fall in love, over and over again, with the City of Love.

Today, it rained all day. The house was quiet. I put on that CD and spent some time enjoying my memories of Paris. To allow music to take you back to a journey; to allow a city to have a piece of your heart...that is inspired living.

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You might also like:
Inspired by The Words
How to Pack Lightly: 5 tips to keep you in one bag

Win a new Cookbook Collection for 2013 Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:52:00 +0000

I joined up with 7 of my favorite bloggers and we put together this amazing collection of our favorite cookbooks that are going to one lucky winner! And when I say amazing, I mean A-MAZ-ING! Nine cookbooks, over $200 in value! One of my favorite cookbooks, and the one I have added to this lovely collection is Mastering the Art of French Cooking, 50th Anniversary Edition by Julia Child .This is considered the French Cooking Bible and with good reason, it is thorough, accessible and the recipes are delicious.

In addition to this one, The lucky winner will also win...from

Fresh Eggs Daily Blog is sharing Macaroons: 30 Recipes for Perfect Bite-size Treats

Brighton Park Blog is sharing La Tartine Gourmande: Recipes for an Inspired Life

Mad Mad Me is sharing Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006

Tikkido Blog is sharing 50 Easy Party Cakes

1840 Farm is sharing Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets

The Slow Roasted Italian is sharing The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs

Blessed Beyond a Doubt is sharing Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (Fix-It and Forget-It Series)

and

Mindfully Frugal Mom is sharing Weelicious: 140 Fast, Fresh, and Easy Recipes

That's NINE amazing favorite cookbooks in all. there are 18 ways to enter, with several "easy entries". Good luck, and maybe someone from our Katie's Language Cafe community will be the winner! The giveaway ends Jan 31 at 11:59pm.

Lots of love and inspiration to you! ~~Katie

p.s. If the RAFFLECOPTER entry box widget does not show up, just refresh your screen. (Depending on what browser you use, If you are getting a "read more" prompt at the end of the post, then click that for it to load.) Sign in with your name/address or via facebook prompt and get your 18 entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The MERCI Method Part three: Explore the Culture

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 06:13:00 +0000

Me, in a favorite Paris cafe, Nov 2011

When learning a foreign language, we shouldn't learn it in a vacuum, meaning we need to learn it in a context of the country(ies) it is spoken. If we are learning French, then it is important to expand our study and learn about the French culture as well.

This can have many benefits and is a necessity. For example, take French greetings. We can learn "bonjour", but this will leave us ill prepared for our first greeting with a French speaker if we don't also know that depending on the relationship between us, and the region they are from, that simple "Bonjour" might be spoken with one, two or even three kisses on each cheek!

When learning a new language, it is beneficial to think of it as a journey (even if you don't leave your home country). While I have been lucky to visit the countries of which I am learning their language (France and Italy), I also use the following to expand my knowledge of the culture and customs, even when I am in my home, here in the United States...

1. Books: including but not limited to: fiction set in that country, non-fiction (particularly history), cookbooks, and Art/Museum Books

2. Movies: including but not limited to: movies set in that country, movies that are from that country and spoken in the foreign language we are learning, and documentaries. (It's a great time to go see Les Mis!)

3. Cooking/Restaurants: learn the cuisine of the language/culture you are studying, try things you haven't tried (escargot, perhaps?), try a French wine...

4. Seek out native speakers: Ask them about greetings, customs, and traditions that might not be listed in your text or language books.

5. Maps. You may be surprised for me to list this one; but it is one of my favorites on this list. Different types of Maps help you to see how/where areas are related to others and gives perspective. (Remember how Peter Jackson opens Lord of the Rings with Bilbo's hand drawn maps of the locations of the movie...it gave perspective.)

6. Music. Invest in a few CDs of music from that region. One (at least) instrumental and one (at least) sang in that language. Lately, my favorite French CD is the soundtrack to the movie Amelie .

7. Be open-minded. Learning a language and about a culture, can change you~~ just as traveling can; and for the better. (I don't think it is a coincidence that after I started learning French, I started dressing more fashionably!)

To read the first two posts in my MERCI method of language acquisition series, Introduction and Master the Vocabulary, click HERE.

BONNE ANNÉE

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 06:19:00 +0000

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The best travel souvenirs...

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 21:50:00 +0000

My husband and I have always loved traveling, and it was something we did early on.

When he decided to propose, the proposal was preceded by a surprise, flight destination unknown (to me), trip to San Francisco to do so.

When we got married, we had a destination wedding; getting married in a small village in Scotland, followed by a honeymoon of traipsing around Italy for two weeks at our leisure to see the sights of Florence, Venice and Rome....

A year later, when we found ourselves new parents of twins, we still traveled. The twins' first year saw us taking them with us to Hawaii and then taking them on a 3,000 mile cross country road trip from CA to FL. I guess you could say the very best souvenir we ever came home with was the twins from that honeymoon trip, but as far as tangible souvenirs go, we started buying something every trip...beginning with that trip to San Francisco when we got engaged...

Christmas ornaments.

Christmas ornaments make a great souvenir, whether you are married or single because...

1. They are small, easily packable and take up very little space.
2. Unlike a picture, clothing item, or other souvenir that you might grow tired of, may go out of style, or out of favor, Christmas ornaments are always timeless.
3. They are, for the most part, very economical.
4. Single or married, house or apartment, doesn't matter.

My favorite part about having started this tradition is every year when we decorate our tree, it becomes a tree of memories and a lovely out of the box, instant reminder of our travels. Here are a few of my favorite ornaments I have collected from my travels over the years...

Trip to Paris, 2011, Marie Antoinette, and a (French) Men's shoe, from Versailles

Caribbean Santa from a St. Martin trip, 2002. It says (read in Caribbean accent) "Ho. Ho Ho. Mon".

Double Decker Bus and Queen Elizabeth,
Wedding Trip (which started with 3 days in London), 1999.

San Francisco Trolley. We go there often as it is a special town to us, but this one was picked up on our trip in 2005. We took our daughter, then 18 months, with us. Her first airplane trip.

Napoleon and Josephine, Paris Trip, May 2012. My two year old makes then "kiss", then laughs and runs away.

This year, Marie, Queen Elizabeth, Napoleon and Josephine were joined by Mozart; a souvenir my husband picked up at the Mozart Museum in Austria while he was there in October. Being that I am working on a second Master's in History, I do love all these little historical people!

Our tree has ornaments from trips to England, Scotland, Italy, France, Austria, Germany, South America and more and also most of our domestic trips with the kids. (A favorite is Santa in a Hawaiian shirt paddling a canoe). It's funny the ones we forget about until we start decorating the tree and the ornament always prompts one of us to say "I remember that trip".... Next time you are on a trip; be sure to pick up a Christmas ornament. It's never too late to start a tradition.

Merry Christmas!

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Bonjour mon Amis! I missed you!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 18:49:00 +0000

Well, I guess the problem with a travel blog is sometimes you just aren't home to write and manage everything. And sometimes other things just take over your time. I'm sorry for the extended break; I have missed you and our community here!

While I was gone, I finished up my French History Class I was taking via ULM and got an A.

I took a few domestic trips that included Tombstone and Las Vegas.

We had alot of family visitors.

I reached the halfway point in my yoga teacher training program (Did I mention I am getting my yoga teacher training certification?)

I finally (and I do mean FINALLY!) got my daughter and husband unpacked from their trip to Austria and Germany.

Now for a few announcements!

The weekly recipe linkup will return JANUARY 2013. Be there or be ~~square~~ hungry. The recipes you all have been linking up have been amazing. No one is looking more forward to the linky returning than I am!

I have several giveaways planned for the new year. A few from our generous sponsors and a few are some of my favorite things that I am just dying to share with you and one I am doing in conjunction with several other bloggers and it is big in a culinary way! You don't want to miss it.

I am increasing my own French language study time in the new year and with that I have tentatively planned more language acquisition posts, so if you are here because you are learning French or teaching French in your homeschool, you will be happy with what I have planned.

Come back tomorrow for a fun Christmas themed post.

Seasons Greetings,

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French Cuisine Fridays Recipe Link Up #7

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 13:46:00 +0000

Bonjour, everyone! I knew the week had been CRAZY busy, but when I realized that the last post was the last linky, even I was surprised. I have some fun and informative posts planned for this coming week, so thank you for being patient.

Also, when you come back for NEXT week's linky, everyone who links up next week will be automatically entered into a giveaway...you don't want to miss it!

There were some amazing recipes posted last Friday, Here are the featured link ups from last week...(If you were featured, be sure and grab an "I was featured" button for your sidebar!)

First, I was loving this recipe for low-calorie Coq au Vin! from Skinny Kitchen.

photo credit: Skinny Kitchen

Next, I can't wait to make these Toffee glazed cake mixed blondies, linked up by Lori Ann's Food and Fam!

photo credit: LoriAnn's Food and Fam

Lastly, check out this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins from What's cooking in the Burbs. We have company coming this week and I think I am going to have to try these out on them! They look delish.

photo credit: What's Cooking in the Burbs

And now its time for this week's French Cuisine Friday Recipe Link Up.

Linkup Guidelines (they are easy-breezy):
Your post must be a recipe or a cuisine related post from a family friendly blog (it can be a new or old post)
You must link to your recipe post and not your blog home page
You are welcome to link up to three recipes or cuisine related posts.

By linking up, you grant me permission to share your recipe and a photo from your post if you are featured the following week. Merci Beaucoup!

I would love you to link back to Katie's Language Cafe, but it is not required. Bon Appétit!

Grab the code:

I can't wait to see what you link up this week!

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French Cuisine Friday Recipe Link Up #6

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:56:00 +0000

Bonjour, everyone! I am just loving all the amazing recipes being linked up each week; some for every level of cook! I find myself checking the blog post often to see what new recipes are there that weren't there the day before! Thanks for sharing with our community here and again I'm sorry I wasn't able to visit everyone this past week....I am still "single parenting" 4 of our 5 children while my husband and eldest daughter are on their trip to Germany and Austria and to top it off this week, I had a cold, but I wanted to make sure you know how much I appreciate you stopping by each week and I love all the recipes you are sharing.

There were some amazing recipes posted last Friday, Here are the featured link ups from last week...(If you were featured, be sure and grab an "I was featured" button for your sidebar!)

First, I was loving this recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate from Suburban Girl Gone Country.

photo credit: Suburban Girl Gone Country

Next, I can't wait to cook this French Onion Fondue linked up by Kaylee from Couponing and Cooking! (By the way, Kaylee hosts a recipe link up on her blog on Mondays if you want to join it this Monday! And if you host a link up, you should stop by her blog and add it to here linky party directory!)

photo credit: Couponing and Cooking

Lastly, check out this healthy and amazing looking Chicken Biryani from Ambreen at Simply Sweet 'n Savory!

photo credit: Simply Sweet 'n Savory

And now its time for this week's French Cuisine Friday Recipe Link Up.

Grab the code:

I can't wait to see what you link up this week!

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Wordless Wednesday: the extraordinary ordinary

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 02:14:00 +0000

Every time I go to France, I come home with well over 400 pictures (if not more) each trip. Sometimes the pictures are of the obvious, sometimes they are of the people, sometimes they are of those normal everyday things that catch my eye, like these did...

Window Boxes Everywhere...

Rows of bicycles waiting for riders to rent...

Small park behind Eiffel Tower...

The Metro...

and this little flower shop...

Wishing you a week where you find inspiration and beauty in often overlooked places.

This post is linked to the following Wordless Wednesday memes: NF Photography Meme, Days With Dylan, Coffee Jitters, Heartbeat Mag, Secondary Roads, Our homeschool Reviews, JaMonkey , Renaissance Woman, Verena's Schone Welt, and Royal Legacy.
And, Love Bug, Sakura Haruka, Black House Studio, etee2K, Laugh Quotes, Dominique's Desk, Mom's Bookshelf, Aquariann, BBAD, RMB, Angry Julie Monday, TWW, Eagle Rock Scenes, Stacey Uncorked, and Grapefruit Princess Reloaded.
And...
Project Alicia, The Crumby Mummy, Baby Baby Lemon, Live Love Outloud,
Jenni from the Blog..Mom Caboodle,

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French Cuisine Fridays Recipe Link Up #4

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 03:29:00 +0000

Bonjour, everyone! Wow...again over 45 of you linked up last week and the recipes you linked up were as inspiring as ever! There are some amazing cooks and bakers out there and I was thrilled to see so many of them linking up here with us last week. Again, You inspired me! Thanks for sharing with our community here and I'm sorry I wasn't able to visit everyone....I was busy helping my husband and daughter get ready for a trip to Germany and Austria and seemed there was a million things to do. But now they are taking their turn off traveling and I can do a little blog visiting!

There were some amazing recipes posted last Friday, Here are the featured link ups from last week...(If you were featured, be sure and grab an "I was featured" button!)

First, I was loving this perfect fall Pumpkin Spice Swirl Cheesecake linked up by Lisa at Fresh Eggs Daily. Just the ingredient list alone had me drooling...

photo credit: Fresh Eggs Daily

Next, A great recipe tutorial, Goat Cheese the simple Way, linked up by Miranda at Pressing On. I always wanted to know how to do this; now I do!

photo credit: Pressing On

Lastly, Can you say hooray for this fabulous recipe that teaches how to make homemade thin mints? This delightful dessert was linked up by Noelle of Norrey.

photo credit: Norrey

And now its time for this week's French Cuisine Friday Recipe Link Up.

Linkup Guidelines (they are easy-breezy):
Your post must be a recipe from a family friendly blog (it can be a new or old post)
You must link to your recipe post and not your blog home page
By linking up, you grant me permission to share your recipe and a photo from your post if you are featured the following week. Merci Beaucoup!
I would love you to link back to Katie's Language Cafe, but it is not required. Bon Appétit!

Grab the code:

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Travel Tuesdays: San Diego Festival of Sails

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:56:00 +0000

We do alot of traveling with our kids. Sometimes we go all together, all 7 of us (yes, I have 5 children under the age of 12) and other times, especially with International Trips, we "divide and conquer" like we did in May when I took our daughter Charlotte to Paris or this week when my husband and eldest daughter, age 8, head to Austria.

Our most recent family trip with all 7 of us was to San Diego earlier this month. My eldest daughter is a competitive Irish Dancer and had a feis (pronounced "fesh" and is a competition) in San Diego. We jumped at the chance to turn the competition into a long Labor day weekend getaway in Gorgeous San Diego.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn on the Bay on Harbour Blvd; right across from the Ocean. This allowed us to have amazing views, easy access to the Ocean and was only a few miles from Audrey's competition which was being held in Coronado. My girls loved the glass elevator that overlooked the ocean. The hotel is right across the street from the Star of India. The Star of India is the world's oldest active sailing ship. A piece of maritime history, it is worth the visit.

We were in luck that the annual Festival of Sails was going on the same weekend we were in town. This festival allows you to purchase a ticket and then tour all the boats near the Star of India. Ticket holders are given a "passport" and then with each ship you board and tour (self tour), your passport is stamped. The kids thought this was great fun. People on each ship were more than happy to answer questions and share knowledge about each boat~~its size, speed, type and its history.

San Diego is a favorite family vacation spot of ours. This short weekend trip was no exception. Friendly people, the ocean and the days we were there, the weather could not have been more perfect. I will leave you with a few more shots of our Labor day getaway at the Festival of Sails in San Diego...

Wishing you safe and happy travels...always,

French Cuisine Friday Recipe Link Up #3

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Bonjour, everyone! Wow...over 45 of you linked up last week and the recipes you linked up were amazing. I loved the variety and creativity that were on display in your recipes. You inspired me! Thanks for sharing with our community here.

There were so many great recipes posted last Friday, Here are the featured link ups from last week...(If you were featured, be sure and grab an "I was featured" button!)

I fell in love with these lemon ricotta pancakes, shared with us by the blog Fudge Ripple.

photo credit: fudgeripple

I was happy to see this slow cooker pizza dip linked up by Cooking with Libby. Our evenings in the fall get so busy; I'm sure I'm not the only Mom looking for tasty crockpot recipes...

photo credit: CWL

And last but not least, check out this Halloween Ghost cake from the Chica Chocolatina Bakeshop blog!

photo credit: Chica Chocolatina

And now its time for this week's French Cuisine Friday Recipe Link Up.

Grab the code:

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday...Autumn in Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 03:38:00 +0000

Getting my Wordless Wednesday post in right under the wire this evening. I've been busy writing three papers for my French Revolution class. Pretty sure that day last summer, when over coffee I told my husband I wanted to go back to graduate school for a second Master's in History, I must have been drunk, or on some kind of something. In other words, 15 months later, "what was I thinking!?"...

Don't forget our "old" Wordless Wednesday" link up has CHANGED to a Friday Recipe link up. Please come back by this Friday and link up! I feature three link ups each week; maybe next week it will be you!

(ALMOST) Wordless Wednesday...

Paris in the spring gets all the accolades, but Paris in Autumn is absolutely breathtaking...

Me, reading a book...a park near Notre Dame...

Wishing you a happy and photo worthy autumn...

This post is linked to the following Wordless Wednesday memes: NF Photography Meme, Days With Dylan, Coffee Jitters, Heartbeat Mag, Secondary Roads, Our homeschool Reviews, JaMonkey , Renaissance Woman, Verena's Schone Welt, and Royal Legacy.
And, Love Bug, Sakura Haruka, Black House Studio, etee2K, Laugh Quotes, Dominique's Desk, Mom's Bookshelf, Aquariann, BBAD, RMB, Angry Julie Monday, TWW, Eagle Rock Scenes, Stacey Uncorked, and Grapefruit Princess Reloaded.
And...
Project Alicia, The Crumby Mummy, Baby Baby Lemon, Live Love Outloud,
Jenni from the Blog...

Merci Beaucoup to you and you!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 18:34:00 +0000

I am so lucky that at the very beginning of Katie's Language Cafe, I was approached by some like minded friends and businesses who wanted to be a part of it. Thank you to these October sponsors...

Real Language Right Away~~ A great language program for learning (or teaching) conversational French quickly. Read my previous review HERE and be sure to checkout their facebook page.

Busy as A Bee in Paris~~Maria is raising three kids, pregnant with a fourth, in France, and everyone is tri-lingual. How does she do it? Check out her tres fun blog HERE and you can also follow her on facebook.

Eclu Etsy Shop~~full of gorgeous gifts and handbags, sashes, hair accessories, and more. Check them out for stylish and sophisticated accessories of all types. I love their hair flowers!

And check out these great blog partners...

Online Croissant baking course by Craftsy...

And you are going to love the super cute, aprons at Flirty Aprons. If you are going to spend time in the kitchen, you might as well protect your clothes WHILE you look tres chic!

Have a great week everyone. I have lots of new posts planned for this week. Thanks for being part of this community and thank you to my lovely sponsors.

French Cuisine Friday Recipe Link Up #2

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 16:32:00 +0000

Bonjour, everyone! I've had a crazy week and now I am just ready for a weekend of reading and some cooking! I loved the recipes that you all posted for our first link up last week! Merci Beaucoup!

There were so many great recipes posted last Friday, several I have been cooking in my own kitchen this week and they have all been amazing! Here are the featured link ups from last week...

I loved these Candy Apples from The Magic Onions...

photo credit: The Magic Onions

And being a love of all things fromage I couldn't resist these Smoked Cheddar Gougères linked up by 1840 Farm!

photo credit: 1840 Farm

Lastly, I loved loved loved this party favor recipe idea for fall/autumn Fleur de Sel Caramels (Sea Salt Caramels) linked up by Nicole of Tikkido, (one of my favorite party planning blogs).

photo credit: Tikkido

If you were featured, be sure and grab an "I was featured" button from the sidebar! And now its time for this week's French Cuisine Friday Recipe Link Up.

Linkup Guidelines (they are easy-breezy):

Your post must be a recipe from a family friendly blog (it can be a new or old post)

You must link to your recipe post and not your blog home page

By linking up, you grant me permission to share your recipe and a photo from your post if you are featured the following week. Merci Beaucoup!

I would love you to link back to Katie's Language Cafe, but it is not required. Bon Appétit!

French Cuisine Friday Recipe Link Up #1

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:43:00 +0000

Four weeks ago today, we started a link up here at Katie's Language Cafe and I loved how many of you were linking up! We decided to change it to a recipe post from a photo post to accommodate more and different genres of blogs so here it is...the new and improved link up (starting back at #1)!

Link up any recipe post (it doesn't have to be French) and it can be old or new. I would love it if you would link back to Katie's Language Cafe in someway but it is not necessary. But please don't link up your own link up...everybody knows that is just tacky!

If you want to grab a pretty button for your side bar or blog post, you may (but not required)...the only thing required is have fun and please visit the posts above and below you so that everyone gets some comment/visit love.

Now go link up those awesome recipes, I'm starving! Then come back next week to see if your recipe is one of the recipes featured! p.s. By linking up, you grant me permission to share your recipe and a photo from your post if you are featured the following week. Merci Beaucoup!

Please link up the link to your post and not your blog homepage. Merci!

Coming next week...a new weekly recipe link up party

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 18:28:00 +0000

Bonjour, dear friends! I missed you! While the blog was only offline for 5 days while Blogger did maintenance, I missed it and you, and our community here! I am also so happy to report that Katie's Language Cafe is officially now a(dot).com. HOORAY! Check it out!

http://www.katieslanguagecafe.com!

The weekly link up will be back next week It is moving to Fridays to coincide with our French Cuisine Fridays we have held here since the beginning, and we are changing the format from a photo post to a recipe post to accommodate more and different types/genres of bloggers! So next week, come check out our new improved linky party and link up your favorite recipe to coincide with our French Cuisine Fridays we hold here!

Join me next Friday for the recipe link up!

We are growing and I am so happy you are here on this journey with me. Today is my birthday. I have realized that I no longer wish to chase youth, but wisdom. I no longer crave possessions, but experiences. I'm spending my birthday weekend on a retreat in the painted desert, and I'll see you when I get back!

C'est la vie...

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 00:36:00 +0000

One of four views from Eiffel Tower

I have not stopped blogging and Katie's Language Cafe is still going strong. If you tried to visit my blog this past week, I'm sure you noticed...none of the links or pages were working. But if you tried to visit today then you noticed something else: now you can't even visit.

What?

Yep. Blogger is having an issue with blogs pointed towards custom domains and "doing maintenance" and going on day 6 of that now.

How did this happen?

Three days ago I switched the domain of this blog from blogspot to a custom domain; a (dot).com. A relatively easy (and usually painless) process that allows Katie's Language Cafe to be a (dot).com, and grow my blog further while still being a blogger blog.

Had I waited 12 more hours to do this switch; I would have been locked out of the custom domain feature and my blog would still be working as a blogspot.com blog.

But as (bad) luck would have it, I switched over just in time to be effectively locked out and now my blog is not working; affected by the "issues" that blogger is reporting on blogspot blogs who have switched to a custom domain.

Long story short: My blog is currently not viewable accept to those of you receiving posts via email (me to you). You cannot visit me back in any way or link at this time while Blogger does maintenance on this problem. I am told it could be just a few days before all is well again or (gasp) that it could be a few weeks~~Je vais devenir chêvre si cela se produit. -- I'll be so mad if that happens! But what is a girl to do...

I'm very sorry about that.

In the meantime I will keep writing quality content on France, traveling, learning the language, cuisine and posting fab travel pictures and... practicing the virtue of Patience. The Wednesday link up will not be up again until the blogger issue is finished. And so, C'est la vie (we accept these circumstances as they are) and in the meantime I still get to visit you in your inbox, but I hope the blog is back online soon so you can visit me too.

French Cuisine Friday: Bruschetta Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 11:00:00 +0000

**I meant to post this recipe last week for "French Cuisine Friday" and then low and behold we went and adopted two bunnies and in the excitement I completely forgot this post was only on "draft" and not "scheduled"... so here it is for you today! You will love this recipe made with farm fresh garden fare that is plentiful this time of year and tastes as good as it looks. ~~Katie

French Cuisine Friday: Bruschetta (pronounced Bru-sketta) Salad

My favorite type of cuisine to cook and eat is actually what is known as "California Fresh", which is known for lots of fruits and vegetables, and prepared very naturally. Think seafood, light pastas, salads, bruschettas, etc, all loaded with in season produce and loads of flavor...

CA Fresh Cuisine takes advantage of in-season produce, making it more economical, in addition to being very healthy. While this is a very different type of cuisine than French cuisine, the using of seasonal produce is common across both. Food is meant to be enjoyed in seasons, one to come after the next, and the best food has a simple journey...it is picked, washed, cooked and eaten. That simply.

A simple bruschetta salad, as shown above, is a perfect way to use summer tomatoes and corn. Every time I make this, I make it in a different way. Add or subtract as you wish.

Bruschetta Salad

Diagonally slice rustic or French bread. Cut in on the diagonal, lightly grill or bake. Rub with a small amount of roasted garlic or flavored olive oil once warm.Instead of oil or garlic, you can lightly spread homemade pesto on the bread instead. Whatever your preference; but be sure to do one of the three so the bread is not dry.

Arrange around plate. Top with tomatoes (I like to use a combination of halved cherry tomatoes and diced heirloom varieties), diced red onion, and fresh herbs of choice (I like basil).

Add to the middle of the plate fresh salad greens. Top with corn that has been lightly grilled and cut off the cob, and a few slivers of red onion for color.

Drizzle with a good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

It's not fancy or difficult but it looks gorgeous, is very healthy and seasonal. Your taste buds, wallet, and waistline will thank you. Bon Appétit!

This post is linked up to:

Inspired by The Words

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Bonjour...

So this week I have been a day behind all week. I thought Monday was Sunday, Tuesday was Monday, I completely missed Tuesday to post my Tuesday Travels post, and nearly missed getting my new Wednesday Link Up posted on time.

I guess this can be attributed to lots of travel, coupled with a recent Monday holiday. When I travel, which I have alot lately, I forego calendars or watches; am rarely on my phone, and allow the days to flow seamlessly, one into the other.

I always come home from a trip feeling inspired. But I have learned that I don't have to come home from a foreign country to feel that way. Sometimes a book can do the same thing. Other times, a movie. I saw "The Words" starring Bradley Cooper this past week.

Personally, I liked the movie (though I am still undecided on its ending) and was pleasantly surprised that it takes place in NYC and Paris (well, it is SET in NYC and Paris, it was actually filmed in Montreal). Bradley Cooper's character in the film is a writer and an avid reader and I can relate to both of those traits. I can also relate to one character's love of Paris and now, another's love of New York. But I love how the main characters were inspired by words and places and I came home from that movie feeling inspired by my love of Paris all over again.

New York City Library

Me, reading at a Park in Paris, near Notre Dame

Inspiration is necessary for creativity. We seek to be inspired so that we may then strive TO inspire. For this reason, I want to allow myself every opportunity to try new things; from new countries to new cookbooks, and to be sure and laugh along the way. I don' t want to look back on my life, as one character in the film does, with regret. I want to live my most inspired life; all the way through.

What inspires you?

Wordless Wednesday #3: Still looking for a name

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 04:58:00 +0000

New York City, taken from the Empire State Building, Aug. 26th.

Bonjour, everyone. I felt it appropriate for my WW post this week to be of NYC, in honor of this week being the 11th anniversary of 9/11. NYC is so beautiful; not that I was surprised, but what did surprise me is just how much I am already looking forward to going again.

Last week's featured post is: the gorgeous Hollyhocks photo linked up by 1840 Farm. Stop back by next week and get your "I've been featured button" for your blog, if you like. It should be available here by Friday!

credit: 1840 Farm

Still working on a better name than Wordless Wednesday...maybe we will have that by next week and by next week, we will have a button for the linky party and a button for those who get featured!

In the meantime, link up with me...

~~A post (or two) that inspires you (can be recent or old, but must link back to Katie's language Cafe in the post or in your sidebar, and doesn't necessarily have to be wordless either!)

~~Family friendly

~~Visit the link up participants above and below you so that everyone gets some visits and comments

~~ I would love you to share on your facebook about this new linky!

Can't wait to see what you link up this week!

Wordless Wednesday Link Up #2

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 07:00:00 +0000

After the show, we looked for her picture. We knew it had to be there and it was! I was so excited to find one of my all time favorite performers, inspirations, and heroes on the wall at the Gershwin Theatre.

Can you guess who it is?

(drum roll)....

****************************DAME JULIE ANDREWS*****************************

My favorite Julie Andrews role is Maria in The Sound Of Music. But what I love love love about her is how lady-like she is. How diplomatic she is. How classy she is.

The world would be a better place if young women quit emulating the stars of Jersey Shore and started emulating the classy women of eras past. Julie Andrews inspires me to rise to be the best version of myself.

Who inspires you? tell me in the comments! Want to link up? Here's how!

all you have to do is find a great photo post from your blog you want to share!

It can be new or old, must include one photo and be lighter on text.

Please link up to Katie's language cafe via word link or my button in your post so other people can find this new weekly linky.

Please follow Katie's language cafe via either GFC or NB.

I pick an entry or two to share on my fb page each week!

Please visit the blogs linked up above and below you.

Can't wait to see what you link up!

Travel Tuesdays are here: NEW YORK CITY & The Art of the Short Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 03:23:00 +0000

It is my firm opinion that traveling, whether domestic or international, whether big or little trips, or long or short trips, improves a person for the better. I know many people who don't travel because they don't have the time, feel it is "too hard" to get away and they miss out on wonderful opportunities that short trips can provide.

My husband and I are the master of the short, on the fly, spur of the moment trip.

Last weekend, we left Phoenix, AZ on Saturday afternoon to do a date night in New York City (my husband's idea...he's awesome that way...). We returned home to Phoenix 10pm on Monday night. We were gone 55 hours. But here is what we accomplished in that time frame, in order...(remember all this was done with one full day in the city, and one morning after)...

Three flights
Arrive NYC

Checked into Waldorf-Astoria

Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral

Lunch at Rockefeller Center

Broadway Show~"Wicked"~ at the Gershwin Theatre

Carriage Ride Through Central Park

Times Square and Dinner at the Renaissance Hotel, overlooking Times Square (it was dark in the restaurant but I loved the Wicked billboard was behind us!)

Empire State Building, to get a view from the top of the city at night

Back to hotel/bed--The Waldorf-Astoria is a little piece of NYC (and Hollywood) History. It is full of old school glamour and it was thrilling to stay in there. An upgrade got us a suite. Not that we had much time to use the sitting room... Here is my in front of the famous lobby clock.

(next morning), 1/2 day NYC...Subway, Grand Central Station, walking tour of Wall Street/downtown area, View Brooklyn Bridge, Lunch. After our walking tour we wanted to get a shot of the Brooklyn Bridge; of course then it started raining, but other than that our weather was pitch perfect the whole visit. Perfect for walking the city.

Travel to Newark, NJ to start back home. Two flights home.

What can you do in 55 hours? That my friends is what you can do with 55 hours. That 55 hours included all of our travel/layover time.

Wait, did I miss anything? Oh yes, we also went to the Hearst Tower (eh; it was so/so) and we also went to FAO Schwartz toy store (worth the visit if you have children).

After the Broadway Play and after our Carriage ride through Central park, we decided to stop by the famous toy store on our way to dinner, where, kid you not, a little girl from England asked her father "Daddy, are they famous?" as we walked by. In that moment, I knew I had picked THE right dress for the Broadway Show/NYC trip...and in that moment, Mr. Darcy (my husband) was glad that he too had dressed to the nines, and while I'm on the subject...if you are ever in attendance for a Broadway show, dress for the occasion! Flip flops are a no. tshirts? Never. You don't have to black tie it (unless it's opening night) but for God's sake don't dress like your going to a barbecue. (and if you do, don't tell me, I can't bare it!)

Let me tell you, it was awesome and fun. Here's a few tips for short trips...

Travel Tips:

You do not need a full week to see most places. A full week is nice, but a few days can get you the highlights of most cities and even some countries. My first trip to Paris I had only 3 full days in the city. In that three days I saw 15 attractions.

When we do short trips like this to places that are on the other side of the US, we use our points for the flights. Getting the flights free makes the short time in the destination more pallatable.

Utilize the flights/wait time. My husband and I don't mind flights. They give us much needed time to talk and visit without the interruption of our 5 small children. They give him time to do computer work he needs to catch up on and now that I am in graduate school again working on a new Master's in History, they give me study time.

Plan ahead. While we do take weekend trips where we do everything "on the fly", this particular trip we planned out our day in advance, which allowed us to maximize what we were able to do.

Be flexible. You will probably not be able to see every single thing you want to in a weekend. Save those for the next weekend you are in that city. For me, my next trip to NYC will start with a visit to the 911 Memorial, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Statue of Liberty. It is good to have things to look forward to.

We are light packers. When you are going on a trip that is 3 days or less you should never check a bag on the way there. Are you a heavy packer? read this "how to travel light" post and practice packing less.

Make intentional shoe choices. This is important. The dress I took for the Broadway show has an amazing pair of 4 inch black patent leather heels I normally wear with it. Did i pack those? NO. I knew we would be doing alot of walking and those heels would have been great~~ if i were into self punishment; since I wanted to have a good time and look fashionable, I chose a pair of black patent leather ballerina flats for that night. What I sacrificed in fashion I made up in enjoyment by being able to walk the beautiful city in comfort. If you can't live without the heels; make sure you are doing short walks or taking taxis. Trust me, your feet (and your companion) will thank you.

I found New York to be busy and beautiful. I was anxious to finally visit there as it was one of the destinations I have always had on my bucket list and I was especially anxious to visit there ever since I learned that my husband and mine's grave plots, which are part of his family's plots, are there in the same cemetary as Irving Berlin (writer of White Christmas); actually Irving and I will be plot neighbors once I am interned, not that I am in any hurry to move in.

Have any other short trip tips? Share them in the comments!

Labor Day in France...

noreply@blogger.com (Katie Sullivan) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 12:30:00 +0000

View of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées

Bonjour and If you are in the United States, Happy Labor Day! While last weekend found me exploring New York City, this holiday finds me enjoying one of my favorite cities, San Diego, CA.

Did you know that Labor Day in France is celebrated on May 1st? May Day (La Fête du Muguet, La Fête du Travail) in France is a public holiday to campaign for and celebrate workers rights. Trade unions and other groups organize parades and demonstrations to campaign for workers rights on May Day. People in France also use these events to campaign for human rights in general, to demonstrate against racism or highlight current social issues. **

My series on the MERCI method of language acquisition will return next Monday with the third Installment, "Explore the Culture". Come back tomorrow for our new Travel Tuesdays series!

**source http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/france/labor-day