A Quiet Peaceful Evening at Home

This is a follow up from my previous post, Bienvenue! Here are a few photos of our little mas to share with you.

Kitchen Entrance

Vintage Pieces for Dishes and Storage

Kitchen With Induction Cooktop

Cozy Kitchen Breakfast Nook

Living Room with Original Hearth

Comfy Sitting in the Living Room

Stairway Up to Second Floor

Master Bedroom

Stairs to Terrace

Outdoor Terrace and Entrance Into Studio

Studio Stairs, Loft, and Bathroom

Studio Loft Bedroom

Enjoying My Neighbors

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

In Front of Our Little Mas, May 2025

Bonjour, the photos of our mas didn’t come through in the last email I sent you. So sorry. I am resending again hopefully with more photos.

I confess, it has been harder to write here in France than I thought. Days are filled with activities, exploration, market shopping, festivals, friends, a bit of gardening, and yes, a bit of cooking. Evenings are the same. Simply, it is a rich life.

Many of you have asked to see photos of our mas. I don’t know our mas history, but wish I did. I have asked at the village Mairie, or town hall, and they don’t know. I do know that it is a little stone mas from 1850, situated in a hamlet in an older part of the village. Close by the village, our road butts up next to a protected forest and vineyards. The house is small, but very sweet, and now has a separate studio, which was a former tiny barn. I imagine a hundred years ago, previous owners would walk their small herd of sheep up into the forest and garrigue landscape to graze.

From our paperwork on the mas, for roughtly the last twenty years, previous owners have been women and interestingly enough foreigners, not French. Each have made their mark on the tiny mas with their style and improvements like skylights, new doors, new bathroom, new appliances, rooms with climate control, etc.

My husband John, and I have owned our mas for two years, and been here over five visits. Since most of the mas has been tastefully modernized, I really wanted to decorate with the purpose of creating an inviting charm, and a warm feeling with vintage and brocante pieces. I mentioned, I worked with a very special and talented lady for the last six months long distance. First, we put together our plan together (John had great suggestions), from our wishes, such as different dimmable lighting, new kitchen backsplash tile, sisal rugs, wrought iron railings, window treatments, vintage paintings, antique pieces, lamps, and decorative pillows.

It is not quite finished, but the small changes have really made a difference. Here are a few photos to share with you.

Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Sunset at the End of the Day Outside of Uzès, Occitane, France

Admiring the Eden Rose in Séguret

Eden Rose is one of my favorite roses, and this one was a beauty in the medieval village of Sèguret. My husband, John, and I were here for an organized wine walk with winemakers and group of about 100 people, up in the Dentelles de Montmirail, a small mountain chain in Provence, and in particular around Gigondas. The terroir is perfect to make lush red wines from vineyards grown at the base of these mountains. The views are spectacular looking down upon the lush green Rhône Valley floor.

After the 9km invigorating day hike, hikers were rewarded with a lovely outdoor dinner in the little Gigondas village square.

Hiking La Croisée des Terroirs

Well Deserved Sips of Wine

Bon Semaine…Bonnie

Entering Our Village We Ran Into a Shepherd Grazing His Flock

Bonjour to all of you! It has been a while since I have written. It has been a very busy beginning of the year, and sometimes one benefits from a nice long pause, to catch your breath, reflect, and reset if necessary.

I am back in France again and wanted to share some of my first week here. Coming into our village after being away for almost six months, my husband and I were greeted by a surprise thunderstorm of rain and lighting, as well as a shepherd grazing his huge flock of sheep in the protected forest. Welcome back to France, and be ready for the unexpected.

All is well with our little mas (house), and it was very exciting to unlock the door and see all of the incredible changes in person. I have been working with a special someone here in France the last six months, who has a great design eye, and a team of artisan trades people at her fingertips to make a few needed changes with lighting, wrought iron railings, etc. Our little mas is cute, but some little tweaks here and there have made it especially charming and inviting. I will share more in another post.

Running of the Bulls at Fête de L”Etang

The French are full of fun, and always have festivals and events happening. Some we stumble upon, and others we are told about. We were told about the annual celebration, Fête de L’Etang in La Capelle, the next village over, where there is food, music, and even running of the bulls. L’Etang is a beautiful rare protected freshwater lake in this region among the typical garrigue (scrubland). Surrounding this lake you see a lot of vineyards, fruit orchards, and dark brown bulls are even raised here. These French cowboys and cowgirl are running three bulls in the middle of them around a small portion of the lake. You can hardly see the bulls, but if you look closely in the middle of the photo, you see two bull’s curved brown horns. It is a fast pace, and very exciting to watch. The beautiful white horses, it seems to me, have such a big sweet heart, and are a special breed typical of this area, that I have got to find out more about.

Mussels in Marseille

Still within our first week here, we met Colorado friends in Marseille for a day. We had never been to Marseille, and rented an AirBnB down by the Vieux Port. Marseille is interesting, a gritty melting pot of many cultures and history. Our friends were on a week long Mediterranean cruise that docked in Marseille for the day. I love mussels (moules) from my Brussels, Belgium days. I was in heaven having Mussel Meunière and frites for lunch.

It has been a whirlwind week full of surprises and adventure! Sheep, horses, and mussels!

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

The Garden is Awakening

Although we can always use more rain, the late winter rains we have had are perfect for waking up your garden. I wanted to share with you a few photos of spring emerging at Domaine de Manion.

The all-white narcissus bulbs come up first in the barn lawn. White flowers and green grass make for a traditional classic color combination.

Jennifer Rebecca Iris At Her Best

A sweet friend of mine gave me a some Jennifer Rebecca Iris a few years ago. I have moved them around in the garden trying to find the best place for them. I finally decided they needed a more central focal sunny location in about the center of the garden. A great spot for them, I have never seen them so happy blooming as now.

i recommend planting iris in your garden. They require little care, are fairly drought tolerant, leaves look great even when not blooming, and when iris do bloom, they look fabulous in your garden or your flower arrangement.

Wisteria Over The Storage Shed

Wisteria are especially spectacular this year in our area. A few of my friends have shared their gorgeous blooming wisteria with me. My wisteria spruces up my storage shed in late winter with a showy splash of cascading purple blooms that are all too brief but memorable. Wisteria are great pollinators too, but be aware they need strong support and their roots can be invasive.

Across many cultures, wisteria symbolism varies, but generally they represent love, romance, longevity, resilience, good luck, and sometimes, humility and reflection.

Blossoming Peach Tree

My orchard was an orchestra of blooms this spring, and so I am hopeful it is an excellent year for fruit, and for the budding vineyard.

French Blue Flowers of Yankee Point Ceanothus

My Yankee Point Ceanothus is showing off this spring too. A great drought tolerant ground cover, I have it planted between my Crape Myrtle Natchez hedge for a little interest. When it blooms, it is a French blue bonus.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

A Tiny But Mighty Well-Engineered Nest

Out in the garden today, I noticed this beautiful tiny bird’s nest on the ground. I thought to myself what a symbolic nod to the spring equinox. It is not a hummingbird’s nest, yet very tiny, only 3” long x 2” wide. It is beautifully engineered, incorporating dried leaves in the mix, and deep to hold precious eggs.

I immediately saw this tiny nest also, as symbolic of a good omen ahead for this year. It spoke to me of new beginnings, prosperity, health, happiness, family and friendship time, and good luck.

Years ago, I had another bird’s nest omen, which was so strong symbolically and meaningful in my life, it was like it thumped me on the head. Funny thing, these bird’s nest omens don’t happen frequently, which makes them that much more special.

We must use our awareness to seize and appreciate these symbolic moments when they appear in our lives, as they give us simple joy and insight. It won’t necessarily be a bird’s nest, but something special to you, in your life.

Related Post:

Bird’s Nest Omen

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Last Scoop of Tomato Truffle Bisque

Tomato Truffle Bisque

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced small

3 carrots, diced small

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. tomato paste

2-15 oz cans or 1-28 oz can, San Marzano tomatoes

2 tsp. Herbs de Provence (optional)

1 -1/4 cup vegetable stock

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

½ cup heavy cream

2-3 tbsp. black truffle oil

1-2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Grated Gruyère

 Directions:

-In a medium saucepan, sweat the onions, carrots, and garlic until translucent; add tomato paste and cook for two minutes.

-Add San Marzano tomatoes, Herbs de Provence, chicken stock and cream; simmer for 30 minutes.

-Add truffle oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

-Blend carefully in a blender until smooth.

-Return soup to saucepan and heat slowly before serving

-Finish the soup with a drizzle of truffle oil and a sprinkle of Gruyère cheese

-Serves 4-6.

Last year I lovingly adapted Jeffrey Scott’s recipe from Tablas Creek Vineyard, Paso Robles, California, in a menu for one of my cooking classes. His recipe further inspired me to create my own version. In my area in South France, near Uzès, En Provence Occitane, the culinary treasure—black truffle is found, and is in season from November to March. This being March, and the end of the season, I thought to share this recipe with you.

Easy to make, with almost everything readily available in your pantry, with possibly the exception of black truffle oil. Trader Joes, around the holidays stocks a black truffle oil /white truffle oil in a two pack. Other places to find black truffle oil are online, and where specialty foods, vinegars, and oils are sold.

For these blustery March days, make this creamy dreamy bisque, and pair it with a yummy grilled cheese sandwich, a French Croque Monsieur, or even a Trader Joes warmed Garlic Naan.

Black Truffles for Sale at Local Village Truffle Festival

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Prepping Garlic Confit

I learned this recipe from Cat Bude, an American who married a Frenchman, started a family, and uprooted to Normandy, France about 15 years ago. Their dreams came true when they found a run down farm, they later came to lovingly name Rabbit Hill Farm. With a lot of hard work, trial and error, and pure grit, they transformed this property into a thriving, vibrant Normandy gem, and created a business along the way as well.

What kind of business? An incredible online shop called, Rabbit Hill Lifestyle, which features their loving and expertly restored copperware, French kitchen items, flea market treasures, and much more. Cat has recently authored her first cookbook, French Kitchen Lessons, Recipes & Stories from Normandy’s Rabbit Hill Farm.

I have taken her “Cooking with Copper” workshop a couple of years ago, and last month her first online Rabbit Hill Cooking Class, featuring many of the recipes, skills, and techniques from her new cookbook.

I really like her new cookbook (and hope she is able to write more). She is a natural photographer and food stylist, as she shares with you the rich Normandy seasons and life at Rabbit Hill Farm. Her recipes are easy to make, imaginative, and delicious. She has a warmth and authenticity that shines through each recipe.

As Cat Bude explains in her cookbook, the French love to use confit in their cooking which is a method of cooking food in fat or oil at low temperature for a long time. An easy way to elevate your cooking, especially French cooking, is to have garlic confit on hand. It can be used in any recipe calling for garlic cloves, and or olive oil. Think salad dressings, soups, sauces, etc. Once removed from the oven, cooled, and put in an airtight container, it should be used within two weeks.

For this recipe, and many more, please check out French Kitchen Lessons, and Rabbit Hill Lifestyle, you will be glad you did.

Finished Garlic Confit Out of the Oven

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie