Maggie: Thank you to our sponsors

A  HUGE thank you to the sponsors of our Thanksgiving fundraising raffle.  Thanks to their generosity (and that of members and friends who bought raffle tickets), we were able to donate 400 euros to the FAWCO Disaster Relief Fund for victims of the recent typhoon in the Philippines. 

Un très grand merci à:

Bistrot de l’Ancien Courrier        
      Ban Thaï         
           Le Bookshop       

                     
                Brasserie Les 3B       

                      Cave Coopérative de Montpeyroux        
                            Château Fondouce  
    

                                   Château de Fourques       

                                          Cinéma Le Royal        
                                                Cygory     
   

                                            Domaine d’O    
                                Domaine du Mas de Barthe       

                           Héliotel  
                       
                       Le Jardin des Sens        

                 M. le Maire de Montferrier-sur-Lez       

           La Maison de la Lozère  
      
  McDonald’s Alco    

        Memphis Coffee American Diner       

           Mondial Market  
  
                  Musée Fabre            

                        My Little America                
                                 O'Carolans Irish Pub  

                                          Société Roquefort         
                                                V. Marchand des Vins  

     

and members Chris, Mariannick, and Leslie for their donations.

Please think first of our sponsors when you are shopping or looking for a way to spend an afternoon or evening.

Maggie: Castries hike, the final hike of 2013

Photo credits:  Maggie

Although a fair number of members turned out for our final hike of 2013 along the aqueduc in Castries on a gorgeous sunny day, we were almost outnumbered by friends who came along.  The more, the merrier, as the saying goes, and it certainly was a merry walk.



Also very instructive, thanks to Rosie's friend, who guided us along the ruins and explained what is being done (by volunteers) to restore them.  He mentioned that the aqueduc now belongs to the community of Castries, as does the château, so we are now waiting for a guided tour of the château as well, and perhaps an invitation to afternoon tea there, although it probably would not be as nice as the afternoon tea at Rosie's that followed our hike.

Too much talking or photo-oping while walking the aqueduc can be dangerous for one's health.  I was lucky not to have mis-stepped and fallen into the trough where some of the cover stones were missing.  (Laura was adept ....)

Editor:  That's some view (and this is a photo not a painting!)

Of particular interest (in my opinion) was the square building with the ancient water filter system inside.

The bent trees along the aqueduc near the end of the walk (just before the grapeless vineyards) were almost psychedelic. 

 

Happy holidays to all.  Looking forward to seeing you on the trails of l'Hérault in 2014.

     -m

Katharine C: wreath-making at Peggy's

Photo credits:  Katharine C and Peggy R

I believe that the Garden Group's annual wreath-making morning was the last
holiday event for AWG members this year.  What fun it was.  The day was balmy
and our morning's work (both inside and outside in Peggy's garden) was enjoyable
and full of companiable chatter as we worked on our wreaths and festive table
decorations (the base of which was the reliable potato).

Mariannick and Leslie adding trimmings

 

People brought garden contributions - greens, rosemary, laurel,
souches (vines, for making the wreath circles)and baubles, ribbon trimmings, etc.  Peggy had saved hortensia (hydrangea) flowers that were a pretty addition to a finished wreath. 

Leslie's thrilled with her wreath, trimmed with hortensia

Katharine C stayed warm

Rosie kept warm also

Peggy set a very festive table for our delicious potluck lunch

A big thank you to Peggy who hosted this event, and gave us wonderful wine,  and to everyone who came and contributed tasty dishes to our lunch, including a set of delicious desserts.

Those present were (above photo):
Dalene, Katharine J, Rosie, Sue Rich, Robyn, Anne, Peggy (standing), Mariannick,  Martine M and Terri T (hidden), Sue Rey (standing), Leslie L and Maggie.

Around the table this way:  Martine, Mariannick, Terri, Leslie, Maggie, Dalene, Kath J (hidden), Rosie, Sue Rich (hidden), Robyn, Anne.

Peggy was able to make her wreath only after finishing her hospitality duties, and splendid it is below:

Maggie writes: 

Peggy in garden room surveying the clean-up project she'll have after we've all gone home

Leslie enjoying being creative

In from the outside for lunch

I was all set to make holiday decorations with the group at Peggy Rig's on Tuesday, 17 December, until I got an e-mail that morning asking me to represent AWG at the renaming of the MRI as Maison des Relations Internationales - Nelson MANDELA.  That meant I had to rearrange my plans to finish on Tuesday morning what I had intended to do after decorations and lunch at Peggy's. At least I arrived at Peggy's in time to take some photos of the lovely decorations, and to share in the delicious luncheon.  Unfortunately, I never did get around to making any decorations for my own house.  Fortunately Serge put some lights on the outdoor sapin I had already bought. 

     -m

Peggy and Sue Rich had gone out into the garrigue to bring back foliage; note those berries:  doesn't that mean a cold winter?

Katharine C: Festive Cook&Eat

 Photo credits:  Katharine C

In the interests of providing the most festive holiday food for our families and guests this 2013 season, Caroline gave us instruction in preparing our own foie gras - four different ways. We use the foie (liver) of canard (duck), not of oie (goose).   Caroline did most of the work today, walking us through the steps of preparation. 

The liver is prepared .......

... by opening it up and taking out the main veins (a short task, not complicated)

This is one of the foie placed in a terrine prior to being baked in the oven

This is another foie being wrapped in (cooking quality) saran wrap prior to a very short cooking time in the microwave

Foie gras custards to be accompanied by .....

... veloute of chestnuts, seen cooking in broth on the stove

Master Chef Caroline, Robyn, Leslie, Anne, Sharon

The chestnuts and broth are pureed

Sharon, Anne, Leslie, Katharine, Robyn, and Caroline

Lunch was ...... lots of foie gras, served as a starter:  foie gras custard with chestnut veloute.  Then there was a choice of:  foie gras gravlax (foie gras cured in the refrigerator;  foie gras terrine (cooked in the oven);  and foie gras cooked in the microwave.  This very scientific experiment (ha!) enabled us to determine the different flavours of the different cooking styles, and also the ease of preparation, of cooking and of serving.  It was a very interesting comparison.   (Do note:  foie gras can NOT be prepared in the course of a morning.  It's not complicated but the process takes place over a few days.  Caroline had pre-prepared all the foie gras that we ate today, and those that we prepared in this session went into the refrigerator for later consumption). 

Michel, Philip and Michel (they received a special invitation since it's Christmas)

Caroline provided us all with a treat of champagne to accompany this very festive occasion, and we had special jams (apple, pear) and chutneys (prepared by Anne S on a separate occasion) to accompany the meal, along with a light salad.  For dessert we ate airy chestnut, flour-free, cakes.  Yum.

Thanks Caroline for yet another year of great cooking and great information in making us better cooks. 

Maggie: Seasonal readings at Anne's

Robyn presents Anne with her present, watched by Peggy R

Seasonal readings once again at Anne's, just in time for her birthday.  Funnily enough, Anne didn't even have to open her gift from the group to know that it was a book.

 The readings were varied, and some were quite amusing. 

Katharine J, Julie M and Karen De Z

Sumptuous tea - always a given at this annual event

Kathie added a musical touch with a guessing game.  Try playing an eight note descending scale, with pauses after the first, second, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth notes, and you will be surprised to hear the world's greatest news.

Kathie B, Leslie L, Marianniock, Robyn, Peggy

 Happy holidays to all.  See you next year. - m.

    

 

Joy to the World

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

                                                          No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Katharine C and Maggie: AWG's main holiday event at Linda's

Photo credits:  Katharine C and Maggie

A crisp and sunny December day greeted us in Poussan.  Some of us were able to take a short walk amongst  the vines before lunch.   But as Anne pointed out - plenty of vines but nothing to drink.  On to Linda's for a champagne greeting!

Anne, Katharine, Robyn

Relaxing over our apéro

Linda and Christophe made us all feel most welcome.  Linda had set the table inside, where we were bathed in sun.

Anne, Linda in full reindeer gear, Katharine C, Katharine J

Robyn, Peggy, Jan, Alice, Maggie

Desserts as ever were bountiful and scrumptious

Happy Christmas AWG (Cerese and Susan Rey had joined us here)

Many thanks to Christophe for taking the group photo above (and for allowing us to invade his home at lunchtime).   Linda and Christophe - thank you so much for hosting this fun event. K.

                         #####

Maggie writes:
 

Kath J, Cerese, Kath C

A beautiful sunny winter day in the warmth of a beautiful Languedoc house, with a beautiful reindeer-like hostess, and a wonderful, if small, group of AWG members for this year's holiday luncheon.  Many, many thanks to Linda for once again opening her house and her kitchen to us.  The food was fantastic, and the champagne apéro was a treat.
 
It was Human Rights Day, and the last day of the 16-Days Campaign Against Gender Inequality, so while we were enjoying the fiendishly delicious desserts, we watched a 10 minute video produced by UN Women which gives an overview and highlights the UN’s work on the issue of human rights for women in several countries. You can find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co3-Uech1Fc . 

Special thanks to Christoph for, among other things, setting up the video and taking the group photos.  Happy Holidays to all.  See you next year. - m.