Christmas French Market Basket

Get your Christmas decorating organized by gathering supplies into one place, like a French market basket. 

Every little bit of organization in the busy, busy, busy, busiest season of the year helps your day go well and helps you get more done just when you need more time. 

The number one organization tip that helps me the most, at any time of the year, is to gather supplies I will be using for a project into one spot where I can find everything quickly. 

French Gardener Gift Guide

Here are six suggestions as a Christmas gift guide for a French gardener in your life. Or for someone, who like me is not French,  but who loves all things in French-inspired gardens. 

French Country Thanksgiving Table Setting

A French Country Thanksgiving table setting sets the stage for a traditional French Country recipe, Coq Au Vin, for you to cook  for your family during the Thanksgiving holidays. 

Welcome to my French-inspired home for ideas for your family to Gather 'Round The Table this Thanksgiving holiday. In this season of thankfulness, I am grateful for Amber at Follow The Yellow Brick Home for hosting a Gather 'Round The Table Blog Hop for 20 of our blogging friends to share ideas for Thanksgiving with all our readers as you prepare for your family's celebration of the holiday. 

If you are coming from Rosemary-Thyme, I so glad you are here. Be sure to see the links to all of the other Gather 'Round The Table ideas for Thanksgiving at the end of the post.  

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Coq Au Vin is a traditional French recipe made using chicken thighs and legs for a new recipe for your family Thanksgiving meal. But, if your family insists on a traditional Thanksgiving meal, you can adapt the Coq Au Vin recipe to use any poultry leftovers for the day after Thanksgiving. 

No dried out leftover turkey sandwiches. Instead the recipe makes a moist sauce great for sopping up with freshly-baked rolls. Serve with a fresh salad, and you have a delicious day-after Thanksgiving meal. 

A link to a Coq Au Vin recipe is at the end of the post for you if you are game for a hearty meal with a wine-based sauce. 

Louvre Glass Pyramids

A visit to the Louvre in Paris, France is filled with light from glass pyramids that were controversial when the Louvre's total remodel and reorganization began in the 1980s. Now the pyramids are recognized as beautiful landmarks to the former Royal Palace, the Musée du Louvre. 

Travel plans are often part of the upcoming Christmas season with most holiday travel destinations to homes of family members. However, there is a growing trend for families to travel to holiday destinations for new experiences together in place of exchanging traditional Christmas gifts. Instead of spending money on things, people are choosing to spend money on traveling together. 

Plus some travel is a surprise Christmas gift from a husband, a wife, or parents. Wouldn't you love to receive plane tickets and hotel reservations to your dream destination? 

Could it be P A R I S  is your ultimate dream destination? 

Delicious Double Chocolate Caramel Apples

Making delicious double chocolate caramel apples required a couple of tweaks to the directions last Saturday when we made these for the first time ever.  

This summer one of my nephews and his family, wife and five children, moved near me. To say I am excited is an understatement. I love having family close by, and am enjoying spending time with them, especially the children. 

Yes, I love seeing my nephew and his wife, but being around children keeps you young and up-to-date with the world. Being with curious, creative, happy-to-be-alive, frustrating, crazy teenagers is one of the things I miss since I retired from education. Every day was a new world in a high school classroom. Some days were routine, others fraught with drama, but there were those days when the best teachable moments occurred . . . either me having a chance to really reach a student . . .  or a day when a student really reached me and taught me something. 

This past Saturday my nephew's wife, her mom (visiting from out of town), and four of the five children came over, and we made double chocolate caramel apples for the first time for all of us. 

Saturday was one of those perfect Fall days you look forward to all year. Clear blue skies, low humidity, and temperatures in the low 70s. Pure perfection after so many days of overcast rainy days. 

And topped off with a family Fall activity!