homemade, finally

Since I moved into my new apartment, I've been getting a lot of requests for pictures. I'm sorry to say I have yet to take any. Although I'm certainly settled at this point (it's almost been a month!), I haven't finished decorating, and I'm not about to photograph bare walls :). I will share photographic evidence of my favorite new apartment perk though... homemade meals:

If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll know that my previous apartment didn't really have a kitchen. At first I was fine with it--most summer produce is best eaten raw anyway--but then the cold and gray set in, and I wanted to make stove-top oatmeal, and hearty soups, and roast... anything, and I couldn't. Needless to say, I've been l-o-v-ing this legitimate kitchen of mine now.

Par exemple, I've already enjoyed this sautéed zucchini, this seared salmon, and this orzo salad. The "trouble" with whipping up recipe-led meals is that I end of having left-over ingredients. So, one night last week, I finished off the rosé and threw together this Greek-inspired salad

1 large cucumber
1 cup of cherry tomatoes (bonus points if they're multi-colored--it looks prettier)
1 shallot (or 1/4 medium-sized red onion)
1 oz of feta cheese
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
black ground pepper (optional, of course)

1. Slice cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and shallot.
2. Toss with feta.
3. Drizzle with EVOO and balsamic vinegar.
4. Season to taste.
5. Be thankful for your kitchen, and enjoy.

yoga en plein air

I feel... so gosh darn good. This morning, I awoke at 8:30am. I left my apartment forty-five minutes later and entered the calm, quiet streets of Paris. I hopped on the metro to venture to the northeastern corner of the city. As I ascended the metro steps, I noticed a yoga mat sticking out of the backpack of a man in front of me. Excusez-moi monsieur, vous allez au le yoga dans le parc? Obviously he was going, too. Together, we wandered into Parc de la Villette in search of the géode. I swear, if I hadn't already been proud of myself for having gotten up early, I would've blown myself away with my French conversation skills ;).

Eventually, we found them: a group of about thirty French people dressed in various outfits (shirts and jeans, tees and sweatpants, actual yoga clothes) on a range of yoga mat interpretations (think straw, cotton, nylon). It was the least intimidating environment I've probably ever experienced in Paris; such a vast difference from the Lululemon-clad yogis of New York.

My new French friend and I were a bit late so we quickly set down our mats and entered the first posture. It felt amazing to stretch again. The sequence moved slowly and thoughtfully--each posture was thoroughly explained (fortunately for me, the French names are literal translations of the English ones) and held for longer than I'm used to. As such, it wasn't so much physically challenging as it completely tackled my otherwise racing mind. At the end of the hour and a half, I felt calm, quiet, centered.

I wished my friend a "bon journée"and exited the park a different way than we'd came. It was my first time there so I walked down to the canal, stopped at a market to pick up basil for this recipe, and made my way home. One of the nicest Sunday mornings I've had in a while, and thus, definitely not my last outdoor yoga class. I'm hoping to return to Parc de la Villette one night soon as well. A date night at "the cinéma" with a boyfriend I've been missing like mad (he's been traveling a lot for work) sounds perfect.

five-euro mojitos

It's been an adjustment getting used to an office environment again. And working 9:30am to 6:30-7pm. And trying to understand French for nine hours. (I'm working on the speaking part, but for now I mostly just listen really carefully... and join the conversation in my head. I'm really as cool as I seem). So, it took no time for me to embrace after-work happy hours! They're the perfect opportunity to wind down from a long day and catch up with an English-speaking friend. As of late, I've been frequenting  Le Kitch.

Their entire cocktail menu is 5-euros during happy hour (5.30-9pm, sometimes 11pm). I prefer the Shrek, a frozen mojito that tastes like a refreshing smoothie and packs an alcoholic punch--not that the second part is necessary, but I'm also not complaining. It's delish. The Princess Fiona is pretty good, too, if you have a thing for strawberry. I absolutely love the laid back vibe and quirky decor though. It's just what I need before a leisurely walk to the metro, a quick commute home, and a real, homemade dinner.