Bon Appetit!

I'm back, my friends! 

Should we start with the food?

 I think so... it's probably the one thing I miss most so far. I don't know what it is about French food, but everything is so much richer, fresher and more flavorful - including the drop-dead ripe peaches and the dreamy-creamy yogurt. If anything, the French are obsessed with their food and they are willing to pay for the best quality. Cows graze in actual fields (crazy!) and veggies are bought daily at the peak of freshness. All you have to do is look at the size of Parisian refridgerators - teeny, like the size of a dorm fridge - to understand. Shopping is a daily activity; stops at the baker, the butcher and the produce seller revolve around selecting meal ingredients that are simple and incredibly fresh. From there, it's pretty easy to make an amazing meal!

Take a look at the highlight real.

These were just a few of my favorite meals during the trip -- I didn't take pictures of everything I ate, you guys.

I especially want to highlight this place: Le Soufflé, a restaurant completely devoted to light-as-air souffles for every course.

Dinner soufflé...

... and dessert soufflés

And you don't think we stopped at eating, do you? Never! We cooked food, too!

It was Mom's idea to take a french cooking lesson and we were ready for the adventure!

The Boy was an excellent whisker (and the only man there) so he did a lot of the heavy mixing

While I was more focused on the drinking...

Ok, I did some plating too.

Our main course was roasted fish with a very French sauce and herb flan.

Delicious!

Our fearless leader, the chef, helped us prepare this dessert...

Molten chocolate cake with cream sauce. Gah! To die for. It was so fun spending an evening doing something other than just sitting and eating - we were standing and chopping and eating! We had a fun time chatting with our fellow students and doing something out of the ordinary. Good idea, Mom!

 And finally, I must leave you with my favorite meal of the trip. Nope, no soufflé involved. In fact, my favorite meal was the most simple - breakfast at the apartment. Each day we'd gather fresh bread, yogurt, cheese and fruit for the next day's breakfast. Add some coffee and juice, a croissant if you have it, some Nutella for good measure, and you're set! 

Ahh, bliss.