same same but different

it's beginning to taste a lot like Christmas

tonight my good friend Lauren is hosting a make-up Thanksgiving for those of us here in Switzerland who couldn't really justify doing anything all too big yesterday. I myself only went as far as explaining the lovely sugary story of Thankgiving to Tarik (who responded "that's a nice story, I just don't really like that those people didn't like the King. I think you should like everyone"... sweet. We then got into a huge discussion on fairness, which is a concept my poor little six year old "brother" doesn't quite understand yet.) and making corn soup. Tarik got in a really thankful mood and started talking about all of the things he is thankful for... the kid has depth, but my personal highlight was "Cheryl, thank you for cooking great dinners every night. You're a good cooker, but sometimes I just don't like the food"

Which in a strange way filled me with a lot of Thanksgiving joy.

Anyway, tonight is the big blowout at Lauren's and she has been fastidiously busting her ass all week to make what I am sure will be spectacular. I felt like I should contribute something though, and felt really inspired by this recipe for sweet potato tarte tatin.

Sweet potatoes? Puff pastry? New Orleans? Sold.

I made a few little tweaks, like infusing ginger into the caramel and sprinkling a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg onto the sweet potatoes.

I popped it into the oven about 25 minutes ago, and it smells divine in here. Which is a phenomenon I hope to hold onto until after Christmas!

There are a ton of recipes I want to try, including one for gingersnaps, grape pie, and chewy chocolate cookies. and then there is the absolutely epic Lebkuchen that I will be reprising from last year. pictures and whatnot to follow.

T minus 24 days until I am stateside!

giving thanks

ah, the reflective season is upon us.

I like the holidays because they give us a reference point and help us remember where we've come from and what we've accomplished.

there are so many things I am thankful for:

skype
the ability to make impulsive decisions
applesauce oatmeal muffins
expatriate friends
Dent May and his Magnificent Ukelele
mobility
thekitchn.com
being above the cloud line
World Radio Switzerland
a job that will in the end make me a better person
a job that makes me laugh
reconnecting with old friends
honey bees and maple trees
adventure
mommy, daddy, and liddo brudder

have a wonderful thanksgiving.

love letter

o sweet spontaneous earth,

thank you so much for being so full of surprises. day before yesterday I was bored, now I am looking forward to booty shaking this weekend, a fantastic thanksgiving, dressing up like Mrs. Claus and running in a fun run, potentially driving across the good ol' US of A with my favorite brother and sailing the Caribbean before finally relocating to some great metropolis next summer.

keep up the good work, I know you'll never let me down.

Love Always,
Cheryl

lust.

goodness me, take a gander at these shoes:



and all these years I thought I was happy with minnetonkas.

Nebula

the concept of home has become unclear the last few years.

that being said...

I'M COMING HOME!

check this itinerary:

Gevena-LAX-San Francisco-Tahoe-gambling with Mommy-8 hour drive Christmas eve night with Devin-Long Beach-Races at Santa Anita-Catalina-Swiss Consulate-Vegas with Emily and Westbrook-Rose Bowl-Ventura-San Francisco-Vegas for Jessica's birthday-LAX-Geneva

said it once, and I'll say it before. Life ain't bad.

Fragments

or the life of an aupair (I can't seem to formulate complete sentences anymore)


planning a Winnie the pooh birthday party
dance parties in the playroom
Excalibur en Francais
Lucky Luke auf Deutsch
lots of Halloween crafts
harassing crabbers
excessive amounts of espresso
forcing grown-up food on two year olds
realizing I have lost all grown-up capacities
(can't sit still, can't properly converse)
play dates
play dates
naptime
ah... naptime.