Almond Crusted Buffalo Chicken Fingers

Here is my first recipe post.  Please bare with me as I learn through my mistakes of posting recipes on the internet.  I have already learned my first lesson that I should be taking pictures throughout the cooking processes.  This post we only get to see the end result.  I also do not measure my ingredients when cooking so most of measurements that I share are approximate.  I encourage all cooks to go with the flow when cooking and don't waste time making sure your measurements are exact.

Without further ado here is the recipe.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 cup crushed almonds on a plate
1 egg beaten in a bowl
1/3 - 1/2 cup franks hot sauce
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Dredge chicken strips in the egg mix and then in the crushed almonds.  Place on a foil lined greased baking sheet (or on a rack on the baking sheet).  Cooked the almond crusted chicken for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Once chicken is almost done cooking, pour franks hot sauce into a pot with the butter and heat through on medium high heat.  Turn down to simmer once butter has melted.  Note: franks hot sauce is spicy if you want less spicy add more butter.

Remove chicken from the oven and dredge each piece of chicken in the franks hot sauce making sure to cover entire surface of chicken.

Serve with a great big salad or veggies of choice.

Almond crusted buffalo chicken fingers with green beans and baked fries

  
Ok I think I also need to work on making my pictures look prettier too for my blog.

Eating Paelo

Now that we are back home it is time to start eating Paleo again. The croissants and baguettes were wonderful in France, but those at home just don't compare.

What is Paleo you ask ...

While the quick answer is that you cut out all the grains and processed foods from your diet. This means no bread, cereal, pizza, bagels. Instead you get to eat meat, fish, veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds. We choose to keep diary in our diet which makes us more primal then paleo, but I like to refer to it as lacto-paleo.

There is a ton of science and reasoning behind what foods are and aren't paleo and the reason for eating some foods and not others. The basic and most simple way to remember what to eat is to ask yourself "did this come from a factory?"

What convinced me to eat paleo? ...

After reading material from Gary Taubes, Dr. Cordain, and The Wheat Belly I thought I would give it a try.

The results were amazing. The first thing that happened was that the numbers on the scale dropped and everyone starting giving me compliments. But there were a lot of other positive side effects. I was sleeping better, I wasn't as tired, I wasn't always bloated, I wasn't hungry all the time. I just felt better overall.

For those interested in more information about eating paleo of some form or another I recommend the links to the books above as well as a couple of really good blogs.

Marks Daily Apple
Nerd Fitness  This one is my favorite blog.

Les Bourcherie Restaurant

Our final night in Aix en Provence so of course we had to go out for dinner. We consulted Rick Steve's again and went to les Bourcherie.

The three course menu started with a salad bar that was just ho hum. Nothing special on the salad bar and not really done that great. The main event was the steak. These steaks are cooked in a wood burning oven in the middle of the dining room. Both our steaks were cooked a beautiful medium rare and came out perfect. They were delicious. The server had also put a giant jar of Dijon mustard on our table. Following the "when in Provence" philosophy, we added the mustard to our plate and dipped our steak in the sauce. The mustard itself was fantastic and went beautifully with the steak. A+ main course.

Our dessert was creme brûlée. Somehow we went 26 days in France without eating a single creme brûlée, and then get to eat it two days in a row. No complaints here!

To finish our trip in Provence we had one last look at the Cours Maribeau. A perfect way to end our trip by looking at the beautiful plane trees lining the street with green covering the trees. Spring time in Provence is a wonderful thing.

French Restaurants

Well most of our meals were eaten at the apartment we were fortunate enough to get about for a few great meals as well. Here are some of the great meals that we were lucky enough to enjoy during our time in Provence.

Steak Tartare

Articoke Salad

Sea Bass in a spicy broth

Escargot

Duck Breast on a bed of Mushrooms

Ailoi

Moules frites

Monday, April 22, 2013

Home Again

We made it home safe and sound.  Yesterday was a very long day but little R survived it with only a few very tired tears.  We were able to get him home and in bed by 6 pm local time and he slept till around 6 am, so I think he has gotten over the time change.  I wish I could say the same for us.

The flight was relatively uneventful.  Unfortunately Air France was not very baby friendly for our flight home.  We asked multiple times for a seat with a baby cot starting from when we checked in at 9 am in Marseille.  Then again 3 times in Paris.  We were not able to get the seats and then come to find on the flight that all these seats that are suppose to be reserved for people with babies was full of men.  Then there was only one extra seat on the plane, but the lady who sat beside us refused to move so that we could have a row to ourselves and more room for the baby.   Amazing how inconsiderate people can be.   But we got what we paid for and made it home in one piece.

Now that we are back home I have access to a ton of great photos from the camera and a real computer so the next few posts are going to be looking back at our time away.  I promise to have a ton of food photos for those who are interested.

Happy to be home! Sad to have left Provence.

Friday, April 19, 2013

The Wonderful Avignon

Our final road trip of the vacation was to Avignon. Things did not start out that great for us this morning. We were about 2/3rds of the way to Avignon when I realized that we had neither the stroller or the baby carrier. By some miracle the Avignon highway exit is right at a big outdoor mall and this is where we found our first Toys R Us in France. New stroller purchased and we were back in business.

It was around noon when we finally arrived, and in Provence there really is no point in trying to shop between the hours of 12-2 because that is when all the shops close for lunch. Rick Steve's guide book has been our source for this trip and so we consulted Rick on where to eat. This took us to an off the beaten path restaurant that is down an alley that you would never find on your own. Aka the perfect place for lunch. Restaurant Au Jardin de la Tour. Wow what a meal this was.


The weather was cold and windy so we were unable to sit in the garden however the inside was even more beautiful. The chef Jean Marc greeted us and helped get us and little R settled in (including heating R's food for him).

The chef brought menus to the table but we didn't even glance at them. He proceeded to tell us the entree, plat du jour and dessert of the day. Well we had only planned on having a plat du jour before we entered the restaurant the descriptions sounded so wonderful we both order the full menu. J with the chicken and me the fish.

I know that I could never do justice in describing our meal so it is much easier just to show photos.

Our appetizer was a tomato that was seasoned and then baked for over 2 hours. Inside the tomato was a beautiful cheese all sitting on crostini.

My main was a zucchini flower stuffed with sea bream accompanied by some wonderful eggplant.

J had a cassis poulet in a curry sauce with a potato side dish.

Dessert was creme brûlée. Somehow we had made it an entire month In France and not eaten a creme brûlée. This made it worth the wait.

After lunch the chef sat down and talked with us, providing some history of the restaurant and all the places in the world he has worked. We were also provided with a small tour and a sample of a cake that he makes on a rotisserie.

By the time we were leaving the weather had gotten worse and was now raining. This is some thing that we were not prepared for. The chef then insisted that we could not take the baby out in the cold rain and instead he drove us to where our car was parked. We couldn't believe his generosity. Even when we told him that we were fine he would not here of it and ran to get his car.

This was one lunch experience that we will never forget and definitely goes down as one of the highlights of our trip. If you ever are in Avignon then you must go to Jardin de la Tour.

Oh I almost forgot one of the best things. The menu for the three courses was only 26 euro each an amazing price for such fantastic food and experience.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Arles

For our last week in Provence we planned out a road trip for every other day. Yesterday was our day trip to Arles. About an hour from Aix en Provence it was easy to get to and little R napped on the way so that gave of plenty of exploring time with a happy baby. And of course we planned it so that we were there on a market day.

Having been to the markets in Aix, Cassis, Marseille, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, and St. Remy I was expecting more of the same goods and vendors at the market in Arles. Arles market however had a much more multicultural vibe to it and was a place with different items and we quickly learned somewhere that was easy to get a deal. It reminded me more of the markets that I visited in Portugal then the others I have seen in Provence.

The only thing we purchased was a travel bag and it is more British then French, but it is something we needed in order to bring home all of our other purchases.

We wondered the streets go Arles in the historic centre and were surprised at how few people and shops there were. There are many roman historic sights in Arles including a beautiful (from the outside) amplitheather however we were there to shop. Sadly the few shops we did find were closed for lunch.  Which lead us to our fabulous lunch at Le 16. 

A simple yet absolutely lovely salad with walnuts

And a pork tenderloin done in a scrumptious sauce with some potatoes au gratin and delicious roasted vegetables.

A wonderful meal that was for sure the highlight of our trip to Arles.

Oh and the vineyard we stopped at on our way home from Les Baux was Mas Sainte Berthe. A beautiful some wine at 7 euro a bottle that went well with our beef tenderloin and our second night of lamb chops.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Les Baux de Provence

We took a beautiful hours drive north of Aix en Provence today to visit Les Baux de Provence. This is a medieval town that has been preserved and turned into a tourist town.  Touted as one of the most beautiful villages in France,it sits high on a hill top with the ruins Chateau Baux at the top.

Once arriving in Baux our first stop was Carrières de Lumieres. This is where the old limestone quarry caves have been turned into a large multimedia art gallery. This activity was recommended to us from our wonderful "landlords" for the month and did not disappoint.   A spectacular show where famous artist works are displayed encasing the caves and set to music. (My description is horrible and does not do it any justice.). Little R loved watching the walls of the cave and for a quite while was singing along to the music.  I really believe that the enjoyed it as much as J and I did.

After the light show we headed to the village of Baux for lunch and to tour around. The town is beautiful. The streets are lined with small boutiques, some beautiful Provence tourist shops, and restaurants.  As we wondered our way up towards the Chateau Baux we popped into a few of the clothing stores and linen shops. One of the things I love about shopping in Provence is that in almost every store you go into you are greater with a warm bonjour and friendly au revior when you leave. It just makes the shopping experience feel that much more personal.

We finished our day off with a quick tour of Chateau Baux.  After having toured Europe in my early 20's and returned in 2011 to Rome and Pompei, I was not expecting a lot from Chateau Baux.  To both J and my surprise it was actually a really great place to visit.  They provide a free audio guide (with the admission) as well as hold demonstrations and shows.  We arrived just in time to watch a
battle and demonstration of the tools used during the medieval times.   It was really well done.

On the way home we stopped in at a random winery to pick up a bottle of wine for tomorrow's dinner.  So stay tuned to see how that turned out.

Real Life Popped By

Real life popped in for a visit today...

Way back in September 2011 when I was 5 weeks pregnant we got on the wait list for 3 day cares. Now 19 months later we have finally been accepted into not one but two of the day cares (the third was our third choice anyway).

Prior to leaving for our trip we checked in with both day cares to see where we were on the wait list. The first place, we will call Q, told us there were 30 people ahead of us and to call back in mid June. We need a spot for May, so this was not good. The second place, we will call Y, said we should get a spot for May.

We got our first acceptance call last week from Y. A big sign of relief that we had secured day care. And then we rationalized to ourselves that even though it was a few hundred dollars more a month it really was the much better option anyway.

Fast forward to today where we have a new voicemail from Q telling us they have a spot.

So the discussion begins. Which day care really is the better option for little R.

Do we believe that Y is better and worth the extra money? Or were we just telling ourselves that to justify the extra costs that we thought we had to pay?
What about location, is one better then the other for us?
Do we need our child to be feed organic food (of course not but you still have to ask the question).
What about R eating paleo like we do (except when in France 😊), will one be better able to accommodate the request?

R is going to be spending the next three years of his life at the day care we choose. I really hope we make the right decision.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Show me the Bacon!

I love bacon. At home I was eating it almost everyday. We had an 11 lb box of bacon in the freezer that I would just keep taking from and then suddenly one day it was gone. Of course my love of bacon did not end just because I came to France and so I have been on the hunt for bacon.

On day two we were lured into a butcher shop by the wonderful smell of meat. This butcher shop as it turned out specialized in pork. Ahhh I have found my bacon supplier for the month I thought. I quickly rehearse out load how I am going to order the bacon in French and get in line. I successfully order the "poitrine sel". I knew something was amiss when the woman wanted to cut me a chunk of the bacon and seemed confused as to why I would want it sliced.

Get up the next morning cooking a big batch of bacon and eggs, so excited ... Can't wait to taste the bacon so I cut off a small piece while it is still cooking ... Blaaa it tasted like pure salt.

It took a couple of weeks for me to get over my bacon mishap but then I couldn't resist the lure of bacon any longer. We go to our favourite butcher shop (not the pork one) for the lamb chops. There was a big line up so I was going in alone while J and R waited outside. I was assured by J that they did have bacon.

So focused on how I was going to order the lamb I wasn't paying attention to the bacon. Get my lamb no problem and then order "bacon". Ah yes no problem the butcher tell me to my relief. He turns around and grabs something that looks more like back bacon. Defeated I order 4 slices.


But then while waiting for it to be sliced I see the "poitrine fumee". There is my bacon!! I order at the same time as the man beside me. His helper gets it first and shows him a nice thick piece of bacon, which he thinks is great. Somehow in the confusion of this crazy busy French butcher shop, my bacon is sliced at the same time with the same crazy thickness. Ok if that is how the French eat their bacon then that is how we will eat ours.

Next morning I get up all excited for my bacon and eggs. Get the fry pans out and cook up the crazy thick bacon ... Well lets just say this time it was more edible but still extremely salty.

I have decided to leave the bacon eating until we return to Canada. I think one of the first things on my to do list will be to get another 11 pound box.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Loves Eats Travels

After being told by numerous people that I should, I have decided to start a blog. As I write this I am in Aix en Provence with my husband and beautiful ten month old son.   This made coming up with a theme for my blog easy because I am here doing what I love to do. I am loving my wonderful little family, traveling the world and eating some of the most magnificent meals.

A big focus of this blog will be all about family life and the meals that I create. If I am lucky I will also get to post about my many travels.

In Canada we are lucky enough to have a year for maternity/parental leave. J (husband) and I decided to take full advantage of that year. When R (son) turned 8 months, J took 4 months off and the three of us are living it up together.

Not wanting to stay home during a crappy Canadian winter we hit the road. We did a road trip down to Florida for 5 weeks and now are doing 4 weeks in the south of France. We have even been fortunate to have family and close friends join us for small periods during our travels.

So much has happened over the past few months that I know there will be a few looking back posts about our time off, as well as some lessons learned.  I have always loved traveling and always thought I did it well but traveling with a baby is a whole new experience.   So far R has survived two 24 hour road trips (Florida and back) and a flight to France with a connection.  Hopefully we also make it home in one piece.

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