Quiche

I have decided that I am going to embrace the kitchen challenges that my teeny tiny Parisian apartment presents.

I have all the basics: small refrigerator, induction burner, toaster oven, and electric kettle. The catch (other than lack of space)? Only one heating appliance can be turned on at a time, and that includes the space heater in the other room. If you turn on more than one at the same time, ka-pow!, the power goes off. I have made this my personal mission to avoid said power outages (truth be told, I am afraid that I won't know what to do to turn it back on), which has proven to be an act of extreme coordination and planning.

I am also determined to not let the space and electrical challenges get in my way of preparing the types of culinary treats that you would expect from a Parisian. So yesterday I embarked on my first quiche in Paris, from scratch. No, I did not cheat and prepare a frozen entree quiche form the box. Although I did purchase the pastry dough.

The toaster over:

The pastry shell:

The filling:

 The point, where I almost turned back (aka the only fire alarm in all of Paris). I faced this set back head on and removed the battery like any real chef would do:

The end result:

Here's to a new year filled with facing new challenges with enthusiasm, not turning back when they get complicated, and to a belly full of amazing culinary delights!

Bonne année!

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I feel like every year has a theme, and 2010's theme seemed to be centered around patience. When I was in Paris earlier this year, I found myself learning the lesson of patience over and over. And now that I am back, this time for a lengthy stay, I wonder if I have finally come full circle. Yet getting here was certainly no picnic. There were moments when the obstacles seemed unsurmountable and never ending. I can't even begin to recount the number of times I had to remind myself to put one foot in front of the other, and that things will eventually work out. And now, here I am, ringing in the new year back in Paris!

Today I received my final 2010 horoscope that reverberated this very subject.

"Life-changing moments are often the result of prolonged effort. You may feel like you're at the end of your rope, but keep the faith-- you've got a few more feet left and that's all you need."

A few more feet left? But I am here. I suppose that getting here wasn't my life changing moment, but rather, it is just ahead of me. A few feet ahead, to be exact.

Here's to the new year! Welcome 2011.