Have you ever heard about "Mardi Gras"?

Have you ever heard about "Mardi Gras"?

"Mardi Gras" is a carnival in France. I remember that my children celebrated it every year at their school. They made a "Mr. Carnaval"  / Mr. Carnival " with their teacher and the big day, they were wearing costumes. The whole school dressed in costumes, they walked around the village like a parade. The Parents prepared games and snacks for the children after their parade. At the end of the day, as is the tradition, they burned Mr. carnival.

History of "Mardi Gras":
"Mardi gras" is the biggest day of the carnival period. It is a day of celebration because this is the last day before entering the period of Lent. Before fasting, it was customary to eat fatty food and empty the reserves of meat and eggs. This is why we speak of "Mardi Gras/ Fat Tuesday . That day the families cook waffles, beignets or crêpes!
During the Carnival, anything goes! The rules of normal life are in brackets and everyone does what he pleases. This is the world upside down, a world where people have become accustomed to disguise themselves. In the past, children dressed up as adults, rich as poor, slave as masters, etc... This allowed all social classes to mingle and have fun. 

In my house when you say "Mardi Gras", my kids understand crêpes. So we usually have them for dinner and if we have some left over batter, we have some for breakfast the next day too...If you want to celebrate "Mardi Gras" next year, you need to have crêpes too! 

Crepes

Ingredients:

2 cups of milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup of flour

3 tbsp of melted butter

2 tbsp of sugar (not an obligation)

Directions:
1- In a blender, pour milk and turn the blender on to the lowest level.

2- While the blender is on, add eggs, flour and last, butter. Mix until the batter is smooth.

3- Heat a crepe pan over medium high heat. Lightly oiled the pan with vegetable oil (fold a paper towel, pour oil in a small bowl, dip the paper towel in the oil and grease the pan (this is a personal tip;).

4- Scoop the batter onto the pan, tilt the pan with a circular motion or use the T accessory so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

5- Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the outline is light brown. Flip with a spatula and cook the other side. Serve hot with the topping of your choice (sugar, jelly, nutella, fruits, chestnut spread…)

Bon Appétit !!!!

Valentine's Day or Saint Valentin

Valentine's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world, but do you know it is not celebrated in the same way in all countries?

I didn't know until I move to US and my kids celebrate their first Valentine's Day at school. They came back from school with a lot of little presents and cards but they didn't bring anything...Why? Because in France Valentine's Day is the day of Love. So the custom is to exchange presents and enjoy a good restaurant with your loved one and only your loved one. In US Valentine's Day is as much a celebration of friendship than love. 
I learned my lesson and now my kids are bringing Valentines for all their classmates and teachers.

In Japan, women must give chocolates to all their male colleagues and receive gifts in return a month later, on March 14 on the occasion of the "White Day". Can be useful to know if you move to japan one day!

It is not easy to accept and follow customs that are not yours, but know another culture, understand, see and appreciate the differences enriches us, forces us to moderate our judgments and bring us closer.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!!!
Joyeuse Saint Valentin a tous!!!

Interesting fact:
Valentine's Day is the second most celebrated holiday around the world second to New Year's Day!

FUN FACTS ABOUT OLIVE WOOD...

FUN FACTS ABOUT OLIVE WOOD...

The wood comes from older trees that are no longer productive for fruit.  No trees are ever destroyed for the use of their wood.

The wood is very valuable, because it can't be matched by any other. The best grains and textures come from the older Olive trees. The wood is heavy, dense and durable with distinctive colors.  As it ages, it gets darker and richer in color.

The wood was not only used by Jesus, but as a decorative wood for King Solomon's temple. Even today, this wood is one of the world's best kept secrets. However, it is getting more difficult to get, because of its high demand.

The thing that makes Olive Wood so attractive to wood workers is three factors. First; it is very hard wood. Second; it is easy to work with despite its hardness. Third; it is very beautiful and looks better as it ages. Items made from this type of wood are special as gifts.

Each piece is unique and may be variations in veining, knots, or dimensional changes.

The olive wood is not only beautiful it is also very practical. By its natural content of oil, it kills bacteria and is therefore more hygienic for food than other products of wood or plastic.