A Spring Ritual Worth Returning To

This recipe feels years in the making because, in many ways, it is.

Every spring, Sidonie and I gather to pick elderflowers and make syrup together. It has quietly become one of those seasonal rituals I look forward to every year.

Today she came by again to pick another seasonal ingredient, though that recipe will have to wait for another day. As we worked, I realised how often I return to the same ingredients each season. Rhubarb. Courgettes. Elderflower.

Sometimes I feel silly building multiple recipes around one ingredient. Does it feel mundane? I still remember my sister joking about her boyfriend’s “lemon phase” years ago. At one point she wanted to tell him to ditch the lemons entirely.

But seasonal ingredients work that way. They return again and again, and learning how to transform them keeps cooking interesting. It is also how we truly learn a flavour.

Learning to Circle Back

I have noticed this especially with my family.

The kids and my husband will happily eat broccoli and cauliflower if I broil them. The ingredient stays the same, but the preparation changes everything.

That idea has taught me the value of circling back instead of always chasing something new. Sometimes all it takes is a different texture, temperature, or pairing to make an ingredient feel exciting again.

Thankfully, sorbet is usually an easier sell than cruciferous vegetables.

This rhubarb elderflower sorbet tastes fresh, floral, and bright. It also happens to be incredibly pretty.

The Secret to the Colour

The colour is part of what makes this sorbet so special.

Unfortunately, I grow what may be the greenest rhubarb on earth. I know I could force the stalks under pots to keep them pink and tender, but honestly, I cannot be bothered. At this stage of life, there is simply a lot more green than red happening in my garden.

A few months ago, while waiting for elderflower season to arrive, I noticed the small red sections at the base of my rhubarb stalks. I trimmed them off, weighed them, and tucked them into the freezer for later. And I leaned into the green for tarts and other recipes.

It worked beautifully.

Because trust me, brown sorbet that is not chocolate flavoured is rarely a success especially if. you have a 6 and 8 year old for critics!

A Recipe One Year in the Waiting

I actually wrote this recipe last year.

Then I immediately after writing it I ran out of elderflower syrup and used up all my pink rhubarb. I could not properly test the recipe again, so I kept it to myself and waited an entire year. But also, I’ve tested it with my recipe for Elderflower cordial, as well as the one from BBC Good Food which is a much sweeter version. So I had to make adjustments to see how it would work under both conditions. Testing, testing and testing again…

I’m not known for this kind of patience.

Now the syrup bottles are full again, the freezer is packed with rhubarb, and even the kids have started deciding for themselves that they like this seasonal vegetable with it’s tangy acidity. What’s more is they LOVE this sorbet.

So at last, I can finally share it with you. If you need a recipe for Elderflower Cordial (syrup) to make it you’ll find my recipe here!

Print

Rhubarb Elderflower Sorbet

Course Dessert

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 250 g Red rhubarb stalks chopped
• 50 g sugar
• 1 lemon for zesting
• 2 Tbsp Lemon juice
• 3/4 cup elderflower syrup*
• 1 Tbsp Gin

Instructions

• Cook down your chopped up red rhubarb (yes RED, or you'll end up with brown sorbet) with some sugar over a medium low heat until it starts to really soften and no chunks remain (if you need to mix it with a stick blender that works too)
• Remove from the heat and add the zest, lemon juice, elderflower syrup and the gin stirring until it's perfectly incorporated
• Place the mixture into the fridge to cool for at least 3 hours to fully chill before churning it in your ice cream maker until you get that lovely silky sorbet texture.

Notes

*note that I’ve used my own recipe for elderflower syrup which is a little lighter in sugar than most. It will still work with a traditional recipe like the BBC good food recipe which uses 2.5kg of sugar to 1.5L of water and the texture is amazing but if you want it a little lighter and brighter in flavour use 5 Tbsp of elderflower cordial and 7 Tbsp of Water instead of the measurements listed above.

My recipe for Elderflower cordial : Elderflower Cordial

The post Rhubarb Elderflower Sorbet appeared first on Vine and the Olive.

A creative pull

2026 seems like the year I’m craving more creativity, more exploration and play.

I’ve gone through seasons where creativity feels harder to come by and I know anyone in a creative field of work knows this. What once felt exciting sometimes loses it’s peps.

In these seasons where my creativity has felt lacklustre I think of the quote by Brené Brown, “Unused creativity is not benign. It metastasizes. It turns into grief, rage, judgement, sorrow, shame.” Given the climate of the world these days, it’s feels more necessary than ever to put our energies into something good, something that gives back. Creativity is one of the ways I do this.

Finding a means

One of my friend from my 20’s insisted she wasn’t at all creative. I think she, like many, thought it was only for the obviously talented. I called her on it and said she just hadn’t found her “thing” yet. The fact is, we all need creativity and it comes in many forms. A few years in she discovered she loved fibre arts like knitting and weaving and has since become a master weaver. Clearly, she was creative, she just didn’t know it initially. She surprised even me with just how creative she really was! I think it’s for all of us, it’s just a matter of finding the ways we connect with that creativity.

Anyone can feel small or uncreative when they see the work of others who are in their peak. But comparison or not some seasons feel like deep valleys… times when our own creativity feels elusive and here is when we need it most.

As someone who loves to create so many different things, I realised a couple years ago I had forgotten to fill my own cup with various forms of creativity like recipe writing, gardening, creating natural cosmetics, drawing or even just going back to basic study. But 2025 was the year I leaned into that need and allowed myself to come back to the person I’ve always been. It started with my garden and literally and figuratively “grew” from there.

A necessary framework

I remember one of my university professors telling us about one whole semester at the London College of Art just drawing eggs. As rote as the assignment was, the goal was to find as many ways possible to interpret it once they finally got over the monotony of the task. It created a creative opening. Sometimes the limits are how we find the edges of our own creativity.

So this fall I created a little framework for myself. I decided if I wanted to get my own creativity flowing again, I needed to stop thinking about the outcome. Being prolific is better than creating one perfect piece. I needed to get curious, noticing the world around me and be in the moment.

On one of my Wednesday walks while my daughter was at dance class, I wished I’d had my camera with me. I had found myself caught up observing random details as I wandered. So that became the starting line. My first photo walk would be about observing the colour green, then blue and finally textures. And one day I decided to pull out one of my lights and a few modifiers (umbrellas, reflectors, softboxes, scrims…) to observe the subtle changes in reflection or highlights from one angle, and one static subject never adjusting the intensity of the light just based on what I put in front or around the light. Time flew by, I was utterly caught up in the process of noticing the most minute details and they aren’t made for beauty, just observation.

Thoughts

But what happened is the ordinary stopped feeling so basic. I was present enough to observe, to document and to see the subtle details around me. Time started to slow down again and the news reel stopped feeling so loud and oppressive. Below you’ll find a few examples from these studies in creative play and hopefully you might try and see for yourself.

So please share with me if you have tried to lean into your own creativity or if you feel like this is the nudge you needed to give it a shot. I’d love to hear what medium you choose and the experience you have below in the comments!

Happy play time!

The post Creative Play appeared first on Vine and the Olive.

A Dream That Changed Everything

I thought about this moment for years.

The feeling of holding a French passport in my hands and officially becoming a dual citizen.

It started as a dream. I saw myself living in France, sitting at a long table surrounded by people from all over the world. It stayed with me enough to disrupted my everyday life and eventually set a series of events into motion.

I made a list of everything I would need to make the move possible. I needed savings in the bank, furniture to sell, a place to live, and a plan for work. Finally, I needed the courage to leave my stable job in the marketing department of a scientific imaging company.

Within six months, every item on the list was checked off.

With a plane ticket to France in hand, I knew I was embarking on something life changing.

Starting Over in France

Moving across the world alone was terrifying.

I still remember when the phone number for my only friend in France wasn’t working as I landed at Orly. I struggled to find her home on the outskirts of Paris with too much luggage and exhausted from the journey. Or eating alone in a Paris restaurant for the first time. I felt awkward and uncertain.

One of the biggest surprises was realising how much French I had forgotten. I had grown up speaking the language, yet I found myself struggling to ask for simple directions near the Champs-Élysées.

It wasn’t long before I rebuilt my confidence.

I was loved everything about France and who I was becoming. Then I fell in love with someone who lived here.

What followed were years of travel between Canada and France. For four years, I moved back and forth every other month while balancing work, relationships, and the dream of eventually settling here permanently.

The Long Road to Citizenship

The administrative side of immigration tested me in ways I never expected.

There were visa renewals, missing documents, contradictory information, language exams and endless waiting. I felt as though my future depended entirely on a single appointment or a single signature.

I was once sent back to Canada because my renewal could not be processed in time. During another application, I was required to undergo an X-ray for tuberculosis screening while pregnant in order to maintain my right to stay.

Every renewal brought uncertainty.

Even when I knew my paperwork was complete, I worried something would go wrong. One missing photocopy or one misunderstanding could send me back to the beginning.

The hardest part was the lack of control.

When your right to stay in a country depends on decisions made by others, it can feel impossible to relax. Each application period left me emotionally exhausted.

Yet somehow, one step at a time, I kept moving forward.

Becoming French

2025 was the year I decided I would stop talking about it and apply for citizenship once (okay twice) and for all. (*find that story here) I set in motion the fingerprints, the criminal record checks and endless translations.

My husband and I had to go through a police visit to our home to ensure we truly lived together. I laugh as they showed up and I had a backpack just as my in-laws had arrived for a weekend stay. At the prefecture we also underwent an hour and a half interview asking everything about us, even down to how we divide up the household chores. Then the waiting began.

Oh the waiting. It feels endless.

In October 2025, I officially became a French citizen.

I didn’t learn the news until December, which made it feel like an unexpected Christmas gift. I could exhale

Thirteen years had passed since I first arrived at Orly Airport in January 2012.

The dream that once felt impossible had finally become reality.

A Ceremony of Unexpected Grandeur 

In June 2026, our region held its citizenship ceremony at the Château de Fontainebleau. A first time outside of the usual administrative building.

The setting could not have been more meaningful.

The president of the château spoke about its history and the people who shaped it. She mentioned François I, Napoleon, Leonardo da Vinci, and Primaticcio. She charged us with writing our part of that continuing story.

The Sous-Préfet shared his own parent’s experience with naturalisation. He spoke about carrying our cultures and experiences with us while helping build a diverse and evolving France.

The atmosphere was warm and welcoming.

As if the day were not already special enough, my village presented me with flowers. When my name was called, I heard an audible “ohhh” from the crowd. I was the recipient of the only bouquet presented.

I felt completely taken.

For the first time in years, there was no paperwork waiting for me. No renewal date circled on a calendar. No uncertainty about whether I would be allowed to stay.

There was only gratitude.

A closed loop

I will always be Canadian.

But France has shaped me in profound ways. I have re-learned a language, adapted to the culture, I’ve made friends in both languages. I’m forever continuing to weave the different aspects of who I have been and who I am becoming into the person I am today.

For thirteen years, I asked permission to stay.

Today, I no longer have to.

I am a French citizen.

The post French Citizenship – At last appeared first on Vine and the Olive.

It was confusing at first. I thought filet mignon was beef? This doesn’t taste like beef… And sure enough I was right! I might not have eaten it if I had known. In France, you’ll receive what North Americans refer to as a pork tenderloin. It’s so simple and easy to make I have to share my recipe for filet mignon with mustard and herbs.

Growing up we ate pork chops and I really hated them. Dry, difficult to pull the meat off the bone… a fight on a plate and a meal to get through. That’s what I remember. Believe it or not, I was a vegetarian for 17 years prior to moving to France. I was entering a whole new world and trying to be open in a country that wasn’t really known for it’s vegetarian dishes.

Cured meats, bacon and porchetta were easy love but the filet mignon of pork was an unexpected surprise! Lean, easy to cut through, full of flavour and even easier to prepare. As the primary cook in our household, I always embrace a recipe we all enjoy especially when it’s quick to prepare.

What I love about this recipe is also it’s flexibility. If I have mushrooms on hand I sauté them in a little butter and add them. Whether you put them under the meat before it goes in the oven or at the end when you’re making the sauce is up to you. Speaking of the sauce, mix it up! While you can easily just add a little water to the pan drippings as I’ve noted in the recipe, substitute the water with a little white wine or crème fraîche if you have it on hand. All are delicious and subtle changes keep it interesting. To me, this is what French cooking is all about, flexibility and using what you have.

I’d love to hear what foods you had an aversion to that you changed your mind about. Was it finding a new technique or just changing tastebuds? In any case, this filet mignon with mustard and herbs is a hit every time and I hope you’ll give it a try.

Looking for other inspiration? Why not try my recipe for a French Courgette Tart now that they’re starting to grow in the garden or Roasted Strawberry Gelato for dessert!

Print

Filet mignon with mustard and herbs

A simple and easy dinner that delivers great flavour, no fuss

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Keyword filet mignon, herbs, mustard, pork, simple dinner

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Resting time 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 filet mignon of pork
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 stalks rosemary
• 4 stalks thyme
• 1-2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp butter
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F
• Salt and pepper your filet mignon and sear on all sides in a preheated pan to develop flavour and seal in the juices.
• In a baking dish (or your pan if it's oven safe) place one of your fresh rosemary sprigs and 3 stalks of thyme and place the filet on top of the herbs. Generously cover with a layer of dijon mustard and then place the remaining herbs on top and then put a few cubes of butter on top before placing it in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Once the 20 minutes are up, oven the oven door, and turn off the heat and allow the meat to rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving (or remove it and use foil to tent the meat while it rests.) I also like to add a tablespoon or two of water to the base of the dish which creates a light sauce with the drippings.

  *Alternatively you can swap out the water for a little white wine or crème fraîche which also work wonders and mix it up depending on what you have on hand.

The post Filet Mignon with mustard and herbs recipe appeared first on Vine and the Olive.

I was 200 meters into a run with my headphones in when the thought came to mind.

“You were born the fail.” No, not the kind of kick in the teeth that it sounds like. With it came a more comforting image of a child learning to walk. It wasn’t meant to be easy, you weren’t meant to get whatever you wanted on your first try but you certainly weren’t meant to stay down. You were born to fail… and get back up.

I have to admit, it was a pretty deep thought at the beginning of my jog. Flooded in with the reminder of a time where I felt hit pretty hard by failure. A time when I nearly abandoned my camera.

Going back in time

My life had been turned upside down. I was suddenly staring divorce down the barrel and newly single. As a (then) wedding photographer, I had several clients lined up and contracts to fulfill. Only now I didn’t have a second shooter to assist me. I went out to find competent to help to ensure I could finish out the season. What I didn’t expect was an experience of getting kicked while you’re down. Help, that really only put me in a terrible situation when the photographer didn’t deliver the images after the wedding.

Normally, photos from the second shooter are just backups. I’d never absolutely needed them in the past, so I didn’t think it’d be any different. However this one wedding, I needed to stay with the bridal party which was running behind. The second shooter offered to shoot the groomsmen while I was tied up to keep everything on schedule. As she was in her second year of photo school, this didn’t seem like a big risk. I was wrong. While I did eventually get the photos several months later, they were terrible. I worked whatever magic I could on them. Hiring the wrong person came with some hard lessons and some photoshop flexing I hadn’t anticipated.

The sting of the situation was immense. I was trying to hold everything together as my inner world felt like it was crumbling. The way it made me feel as a business owner was excruciating. I knew I had to carry the weight of what had happened even if she wasn’t holding up her end. My name was on the line. I held the shame of that job for years. I struggled to pick up my camera after that wedding season. Every time I thought about it I saw failure in bold. Yes, I apologised to the client and was able to deliver in the end, but it soured the experience. It crushed my spirit.

Taking a second look

All these years later it came to mind on my run. The reminder of feeling like I’d been shoved to the ground, face against the cold hard pavement at a time when things felt hard enough. Wondering would I ever be able to pick up my camera without holding that shame? But in hindsight I could see it hurt so badly because the work I made that season was my best yet. I was struggling and yet somehow my work was more beautiful and creative than ever. I was SO proud of the shots I’d created for that family and I had wanted to share them. And yet, I couldn’t, they were too heavy with the emotion of what had happened. It haunted me.

But as I ran under the suns warmth was the reminder that I haven’t thought about the experience for years. Somehow I did overcome, I kept going and rebuilt. I see that despite everything I was going through, I showed up. I pushed myself in that season when my heart was breaking and made my best work. There were no excuses, just showing up. That season and job was hard, but I got back up. Not only did I get back up but I grew new skills. Life and business are an art of getting back up. It’s about learning lessons, big and small and choosing to keep going. Showing up in an act of bravery and courage and it’s okay to keep going even when it feels scary and uncertain. It’s where the best things happen… through the failures and missteps if only you’ll keep going.

The post You were born to fail… and get back up appeared first on Vine and the Olive.

My parents had just flown into Bordeaux from the west coast of Canada. I opted to join them for a micro visit before they went wine tasting through the region on a river cruise. Bite sized vacations are so under rated. Planning a quick getaway is the perfect remedy for the regular routine. I’m likely to pack well in advance just out of sheer excitement. Not to mention a weekend in Bordeaux is a snap from Paris with a short train ride from Gare Montparnasse. The last couple times I always went by car but this was just SO easy. I figured if nothing else I could help them with train tickets and translation through the fog of jet lag! They’re seasoned travellers but I was eager to join in.

Bordeaux is a vibrant city that’s easy to navigate with lots to see, do and eat not to mention sip! My mom took care of getting us a hotel just off of Saint Catherines street so we were very central. We were serenaded nightly by an accordion player and I didn’t mind one bit!

Cité du Vin

Given our very short visit we hit the ground running with a visit to the Cité du vin. The museum is very interactive which teaches you about aromas, regions, wine throughout history, how it’s made and marketed. The ticket can be purchased with tastings at the rooftop bar (the Belvédère – a perched viewpoint) and I highly recommend you take the option for two glasses as they have a lovely selection that’s always changing and it’s a great little space perched high above the river. A perfect cap to the visit. Being with family we all let each sip one another’s choices. We had white and red Burgundies, a Chateauneuf de Pape and both a rosé and red Bordeaux blend from what I remember. Everything was delicious. If you’re jet lagged, a dark museum is best saved for another moment. But we worked with the constraints we had!

One thing I like about traveling with my parents is that there’s no fuss. We opted for classic French food at Bouillon Des Quinconces, with it’s typical dishes and great value. Plan to make a reservation if you want a seat as it’s a busy place. We skipped dessert as I’d planned to pick up some Canelés on the walk back to the hotel. They’re a staple in Bordeaux with a slightly crispy caramelised exterior and chewy vanilla rum centre. They date back to at least the 18th century in the convents of Aquitaine. Egg whites were used for filtering off impurities in red wines leaving many egg yolks leftover. Vanilla and rum, which had become available after the French conquest of the Antilles were added to create a custard that is baked in beeswax coated copper moulds. They’re a little divisive but try them all the same!

Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat

Soulac-sur-Mer is somewhere we love to Vacation but I’d still never been to Arcachon and the dune du Pilat (the largest coastal dune in Europe.) This isn’t ideal for a weekend trip as it’s a little rushed. BUT it was our chance to seize and seize it we did! The architecture from these old Bourgeois towns is fascinating and sea air is always good for the soul. It meant an early start to our day to take the train from St. Jean station and with it, the quiet streets of Bordeaux in golden light. Let it be said, the French rarely start their weekends before 10am so plan to get out early. It’s nice to see the city wake up.

We ate our lunch at the beach with a view before heading on a bus to see the Dune de Pilat. This was high on my list, because as a high school graduate, my first job was on the Dunes of Bouctouche in New Brunswick, the longest coastal dunes in North America.

Visiting in the off-season was ideal. Fewer crowds but also cooler temperatures, especially important when you start the uphill climb to the top. There are some stairs, but the lead up through the sand, still means a lot of leg work! Hot weather wouldn’t help. The wind was whipping but it’s beautiful to be perched up high above the coast to watch the paragliders.

Back in Arcachon we headed back to a stand selling Tissage Moutet just outside the covered market where my mom purchased a table runner. Since I initially moved to France in 2012 one of my favourite souvenirs is a good tea towel. Moutet have some great designs and they’re 100% made in France. Admittedly, I’m still thinking about them.

Final thoughts

I’m so grateful I could make the short trip south. The train ride was simple, getting around on the trams and buses was fairly seamless. The only hiccup was buying tram tickets at the Place de la Bourse, the only stop without a ticket machine. It was minor, but noteworthy. I’m already looking forward to my next visit. Of course, we did a little shopping and we caught up over a bottle of wine back at the hotel room, listening to the accordion player below. French city life can be a nice change from our rural setting. If you’ve been I’d love to hear some of your favourite places!

The post A weekend in Bordeaux appeared first on Vine and the Olive.

The second week of January we had our first snowfall of the season. It’s such a grounding experience when it happens. How the world seems to quiet down as the sound is absorbed in the snow. I felt a deep gratitude that my friends down the street were willing to indulge my need for a snowy walk. We were all home with our kids given that the roads weren’t cleared. We didn’t get very far but I think it did us all a world of good to get outside. It also felt good to put on all those layers that usually only come out for ski holidays. But January is also a deep season of reflection for me. I’ve been trying to spend time thinking about what did and didn’t work in the past year. I pulled back a little more and spend some time accessing my own needs, my own creativity and reconnecting the dots a little differently. It has felt really good.

Creating space

I carved out space to get back into recipe writing which felt very fulfilling. Was I a ghost on social media most of the year? Yes! But in the end I shared a few posts that connected to the season I was in, a little less pretty, but they were rich in life and in the slow moments. It has to be said that shooting my own food is exhausting. Beautiful presentation excites me, but not after I’ve done the cooking the cleaning and the recipe writing. It’s a lot. I admit, I don’t usually go the extra mile to style it all for the sake of my sanity. I think this is why I prefer shooting on locations for others with their food, their wine and in their beautiful spaces. It allows me to come in with fresh eyes seeing all the details as I move through the moment and capture it on camera. Without feeling like I have to juggle it all. Also it means I get to work with others, and I love that too!

Going forward

To show up better for myself and for you, I’ve written down a few ideas for each month. Topics I’d like to cover, recipes I’d like to create. I hope this will help guide me through as I go so I’m not scrambling for photos or asking myself what to post. Will be the secret sauce for easing myself back into the rhythms of working on my business while also showing up to give value to you? That’s the goal!

And as it’s January, I think I should update my galette des rois recipe! If you’ve never had a galette des rois it’s a January institution in France. Lucky for you, it doesn’t have to be hard, and you can whip one up easily. While I admit it’s best with homemade puff pasty, I skip it most times and buy store bought because life is short (and we have 3 kids!) Just be sure you have a ‘feve’ which is a little porcelain treasure to hide inside. If you don’t have one, check out etsy for some great options! I found this little Mozart character at the grocery store this year, great for my budding pianist!

Print

Galette des Rois

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword almond cream, frangipane, puff pastry

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Author Christina (Vine and the Olive)

Ingredients

• 100 g butter, room temperature
• 160 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 200 g ground almond
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 1 egg beaten for egg wash

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400F / 200C
• In a medium bowl or stand mixer, beat together room temperature butter with sugar until it becomes light in colour.
• Add in eggs and thoroughly incorporate them before adding the ground almond meal and the almond and vanilla extracts.
• Roll out your first layer of puff pastry and place it on parchment lined baking sheet. Prick the surface with a fork.
• Place your Almond mixture onto the centre of the puff pastry with a piping bag or offset spatula leaving ensuring to leave a half inch/ 1.5cm edge without the almond cream. Place your feve inside. Wet the edge with a touch of water before adding the second layer of puff pastry and press the edges together to create a seal.
• Using your extra egg all beaten together, paint the top of your puff pastry. Next using s sharp knife, score the surface with the pattern of your choice, poke a few holes through the surface to let the steam escape and place in the oven for about 35 minutes until it's nice and golden brown.

The post January update and the Galette des Rois Recipe appeared first on Vine and the Olive.

2017, I’d finally made it to England in the deep of winter. My friend Chanon was hosting me and another friend the night before a big photoshoot we’d be doing the following day at a manor house in London. We’d all met the summer before in France for a Portrait masterclass. She knew all the in’s and out’s of the city and was a great tour guide before we settled in for the night back at her house. We met in the kitchen in our jammies with hot mugs of tea and the coals hot in the fire. At some point Chanon brought up sloe gin. I think I’d heard of it, but never tasted it so of course she offered to serve us. It was a delicious and ripe in flavour and a beautiful cranberry red. This was right up my alley as it’s something I could make on my own… If only I knew what sloes were or where to find them of course! The next step would be finding or creating a sloe gin recipe.

Well I did find them eventually! I caught sight of clusters of dusty blue berries along the forest and I knew I’d found them. Still, I waited a year. I was in no rush to make any mistakes in my foraging. But after being absolutely certain, I dove in… Only by the following year I’d forgotten where I’d seen them so I had to content myself with a little crop I found closer to home in a public park. I’m pretty sure there were many curious onlookers as I picked the fruit from strange plants they didn’t recognise. I tried not to think too much about any possible judgement and kept on picking!

Getting Started

Now I make it year after year, and thankfully I’ve finally re-discovered the wooded area full of berries. Far more than I could ever need. In France they’re called “prunelles” and like England where they’re known as blackthorn bushes, they line the hedgerows with berries between September-December. For the best flavour, you’d wait until after first frost if the birds haven’t devoured them yet. The other option is to pick them a little earlier and pop them into the freezer at least one night after having given them a rinse, this also allows the fruit to burst in the gin more easily. Just be sure to note, these are a thorny plant, so be careful. Also, these aren’t berries you eat raw, they’re too tannic and astringent so don’t bother trying.

This year, I was fortunate that while I made a few bottles early in the fall, fruit was so abundant, I went back in December. It was a very chilly and foggy day and the berries were bursting on the branches. How they hadn’t been picked over by the birds I fail to understand but I think we’ll be happy to have lots of this to share for next year. You’ll need a little patience while all the flavours mingle, but you will be richly rewarded. Hope you love our sloe gin recipe and be sure to share it with your friends!

If you love this and are looking for more ideas for your homemade tipples check out my recipe for Rhubarb Gin or Elderflower Cordial (non alcoholic)

Print

Sloe Gin

Course Drinks

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Maceration time 90 days days

Author Christina (Vine and the Olive)

Ingredients

• 475 g sloes
• 250 g sugar
• 750 ml gin

Instructions

• Rinse off your sloes and if you have the patience take off any stems that may still be attached
• Pop your sloes into the freezer overnight to ensure any underripe berries get a "frost treatment"
• In a large sterilised jar (I use a 2 litre jar from le parfait) place your sloes, cover with sugar and finally a whole bottle of gin. Give it a good stir
• Your gin needs to remain in contact with the fruit and sugar for 3 months in a cool dark place (like at the back of a cupboard) If you think of it, you can give the jar a good shake from time to time.
• After 3 months, strain off the fruit and bottle your sloe gin. This is perfect in a cocktail or even very simply over ice.

_{*L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé / Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health}

The post Sloe Gin Recipe appeared first on Vine and the Olive.

It finally feels like time to celebrate. Time to say, I am a runner at 41. I’ve stopped myself every time before this, worried I might give this rhythm the kiss of death. Now after several months of going out twice a week, rain or shine it feels real. This morning I even found myself turning down a street without thought or hesitation. Previously I had to muster courage, knowing it would make my simple loop a little longer.

It feels like ever since I hit 40 my body has made me aware it’s a little rusty, my joints aren’t quite as youthful as they once were. Instead of sinking into the discomfort and my growing waistline, I made the choice to meet the moment. I bought myself new trail shoes (I love Asics for comfort) this summer to support my decision. Even when the weeks have been busy, I’ve still found a way to meet my targets. While my parents were here last week, I still put on my runners and got outside. No excuses.

I think the success has also come with being kind to myself. I used to beat myself up if I didn’t follow the protocol just right and in my rigidness came self sabotage. This time, the goal is simply to get out twice a week, it doesn’t matter for how long, how far or how fast. The goal is to build the habit. I’ve also been adding a long midweek walk on Wednesdays. It’s nice to have a mix and to help my body through the aches and pains that inevitably show up as I ask more of my body.

I knew before I turned 40, I wanted to be my best self. To choose the habits that would support me which I wrote about in this post. I never imagined it would look quite like this, but it has… for now! In my late 20’s and through my 30’s I’d try to run but come head on with the most brutal side of myself as I struggled along. I wanted to keep up with my husband but I didn’t have the stamina and instead of being honest with myself I’d encounter my inner gremlin annoyed that I didn’t feel enough. But that’s changing and the gremlin is gone, thank goodness! I also feel like, I don’t have anything to prove at this point. Every kilometre I’ve run, I’ve done for myself.

Now does this mean you’ll see me running a marathon anytime soon. Absolutely not. I don’t foresee that at all. My goal is to feel great, feel strong and feel healthy. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I also don’t want to keep outgrowing my clothes. While I think I sort of look the same as I always have, I outgrew many items and what was left felt tighter and more uncomfortable than ever and I wasn’t feeling very vibrant anymore. It’s not a new normal I wanted to accept. I get a choice, and I’m choosing what feels good. I’m grateful it means I get to climb volcanoes with the kids on a whim, walk 20,000 steps with my parents around Bordeaux or skiing in the Alps as a family because my health allows it.

My younger elementary school self would not believe this was happening as I loathed running the chip trail in school… but here we are. I am a runner at 41! Should I chose another sport in the future, I won’t beat myself up. But I will cheer on the fact that I’m still going.

The post I am a runner at 41 appeared first on Vine and the Olive.

Before my ice cream maker arrived back in May I was thinking about all the delicious treats I’d make with it. I was reminded of all the great flavours I had made in my old machine. But also, I had this excitement to try creating new recipes. Pear was something I’d never tried making into sorbet before but I waited patiently until fall for ripe fruits and a chance to play. I grew up with pears, mostly canned by my mom and lined up on pantry shelves for winter. As a twenty something I learned to make wine poached pears and it felt like the “adult version” that was perfect for entertaining. Needless the say a poached pear sorbet recipe was a no brainer.

A perfect dessert for fall and winter entertaining

I’m not sure everyone thinks of icy treats in fall and winter, but every so often it’s just perfect. Last month we had a friend from Champagne staying with us. He and my husband went on a famous 14km hike in the forest next to our home called the 25 bosses, or the 25 hills. I knew they’d be hungry when they got home and so I prepared one of my best boeuf bourguignons to date since it had been a cool, wet weekend. But when company comes it’s so nice to have dessert ready too and I love having lots of homemade goodies. My first batch of pear sorbet was born!

What I learned from the first batch was the importance of straining the mix through a sieve to remove the gritty bits from the pear. While I can overlook them, they are a nuisance and distract from the poached pear flavour and when you make the effort, that little extra counts. We ate the first batch so quickly, I got to try again right away! It really was a perfect dessert after a heavier main course.

I tried to keep the flavour crisp, light, bright and delicious. I used a sauvignon blanc wine from the Loire valley called Touraine. A very budget friendly wine but also works well with these clean flavours and I don’t mind sipping it while I work. Rosé is also a great option or if you like the hint of sweetness in wines from Alsace, they could also provide some great flavours and nice acidity. I hope you’ll give my poached pear sorbet recipe a try and let me know what meal you paired it with!

Print

Poached Pear Sorbet

Course Dessert

Keyword Ginger, Pear, Sorbet

Equipment

• Ice cream maker

Ingredients

• 1200 g Pears, (peeled, cored and roughly chopped) (you want about 1kg after prep – this took me 7 guyot pears)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup glucose syrup
• 1 Tbsp Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 Tbsp Ginger, freshly grated

Instructions

• Peel, core and roughly chop your pears. You're aiming for about 1kg of prepared fruit. Add the pears and remaining ingredients into a medium sized sauce pan along with the remaining ingredients over medium heat bringing it to a simmer to soften the pears and melt the sugar. This should take about 10 minutes.
• Once it's starting to soften, take it off the heat and allow to cool a few minutes before proceeding.
• Place the mixture in a blender and get the smoothest possible purée. *Please don't skip cooling the mixture to some degree as exploding hot liquids from a blender is dangerous.
• Prepare a sieve over a large bowl and strain the liquid to remove any fibres or the gritty bits in the pear as this will greatly improve the finished sorbet. Don't forget to scrape the bottom of the sieve to get all the liquid.
• Place in the freezer 4 hours or better yet overnight
• Give it one last stir before adding it to your ice cream maker and churn until you get a creamy beautiful texture. You can return it to the freezer in order to firm it up a little further.

The post Poached Pear Sorbet Recipe appeared first on Vine and the Olive.