Road to Paris (Just Say Yes)

Monday, April 13, 2009

The Scalloped Potato Recipe

Posted by Karoline at 6:22 AM

Mamy Charneux's Gratin Dauphinois:

Ingredients:
Butter, peeled potatoes cut in thin round slices, one diced onion, grated gruyère (swiss cheese), salt, pepper, milk.

Directions:
Butter the bottom of a casserole dish with a good spoonful of butter, put down a layer of potatoes, cover that with a layer of diced onion, cover with a layer of grated cheese. Salt and pepper the entire layer and repeat (layer of potatoes, onion, cheese, salt and pepper). Stop at two complete layers. Cover this with milk (not completely) and put in the oven for 30-45 minutes (I put it in for a little longer) until the milk evaporates and cooks the potatoes. I did this at about 200 degrees celcius/375 degrees celcius.

Damn, it was good, too!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

You All Need To Be Patient!

Posted by Laura at 4:56 PM

I promise you that I will blog more when I get home on Thursday, I am journaling everything, so I won't forget. I was a true Hooligan last night at the soccer game - but you will all have to wait for details.... too much fun to have and not enough time to sit here on the couch and blog.

Happy Easter!

Posted by Karoline at 5:33 AM

I'm home doing the things that I didn't do while I was training for the marathon and while we were in Paris. Staying home feels kind of good. Especially since I have these nummy creme eggs to keep me company (I did give ONE to sweety who liked it enough to be disappointed when he found the other box I had hidden to eat all by myself later...). They're so disgustingly delicious, and how could I celebrate Easter without them? Impossible.

And since good cooking is all about NOSTALGIA, I have some Gratin Dauphinois (scalloped potatoes, sort of, but a lot more delicious) in the oven, a recipe that I got from Valérie's grandmother's recipe book. It smells like Belgium in my kitchen right now. Yum! I'll let you know how they turn out. The roast is already out on the counter.

What are you doing today?
By the way, my bones and muscles feel great one week after the marathon. I'm dying to get out there and start running again. I took the week off and now I am raring to go!!

Friday, April 10, 2009

We had fun fun fun

Posted by Laura at 4:23 AM

This is a photo that our friend Christine took - not 5 minutes after leaving church early to go watch the marathon; not thinking for a minute that she'd actually see us. Due to this chance meeting, they followed us the rest of the way to the finish line - FANTASTIC!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

The After-party!

Posted by Karoline at 9:04 AM

Lots of sitting down, lots of CHAMPAGNE (Thanks to Christine who brought 6 bottles!!!), yummy pasta (thanks Giorgia and Marco), great friends!

This was actually later, but I had to include a picture with everyone and their Rotary shirts.

Our Fanclub!

Posted by Karoline at 8:59 AM

THE REAL REASON WE FINISHED THE MARATHON!

(not pictured but equally fundamental: Cristian, Christine, Valérie, Véronique, Nikolai, Dima, Maegon and her sweet friend, the other Marco)

Race Day!

Posted by Karoline at 8:53 AM

I am wearing my Jell-O shirt from LeRoy, New York!

Not us, but that's okay. Our numbers had our first names on the front of them so that people who didn't even know us could cheer us on! Allez, Les Filles! Allez Karoline, Allez Laura! It was awesome!

They gave us these neat ponchos to keep us warm after the race. Then we had to walk back to the hotel, which was not fun, especially going up and down curbs! OUCH!!! Ice baths followed and a Loooooong Nap followed by much partying (sitting down).

This was the best day ever!

**Laura, here. I might add that while you don't usually equate Paris with ponchos, these little beauties worked wonders and kept us toasty warm for our very painful walk back to the schwanky hotel Hilton - I saved my poncho and is currently lost somewhere between Paris and Rochester**