Day 163 from France: Off Piste

Shaboom writes to us from Paris, France...

I do not subsist on pain au chocolat and crêpes alone. I just had a wonderful Andorran goat cheese salad in order to celebrate no injuries or death on the slopes. Yay!

A little off-piste...

Ah... there's the piste...

Joyeux Dimanche

Here's a lovely peak into French life and culture in this city that I love...

If you want to see the Americanized trailer with English subtitles (be prepared, it's a completely different trailer) click here.

It's just good

"Good"

(Photo by Karen at French Skinny)

Homemade bread, olive oil, roasted garlic, mozzarella, tomato, basil, bacon and a little parmesan on top.

Mmmmmmmmm.

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This post was written before the devastating earthquake happened in Japan. My heart goes out to everyone effected by this tragedy. The Red Cross is a good place to start if you want to help.

God Bless.

Day 162 from France: Not Dead Yet

Shaboom writes to us from Paris, France...

I can't believe I haven't smashed into a tree, or a person for that matter, and splattered my brains (and theirs) all over these mountains yet. I'm impressed by myself right now. If you were to see me swoosh by screaming at the top of my lungs, arms-a-flailing, you would definitely put me at the top of your "next to die" list. Seriously.

I apologize for the lack of artistic merit in the photos. It's hard to simultaneously balance, breathe, not panic (too much,) have the fear of God in you, not get frostbitten fingers, not drop your phone thereby losing it forever AND take pictures standing atop a mound of murderous snow and ice.

Bread-My first loaf

My First Loaf

Photo by Karen at French Skinny

When I was a little girl my grandma would come to visit for 3 months a year during the winter. She grew up on a farm and was used to feeding the hungry farmers when they came in from a hard day's work. So when she came to visit she would make bread. Loaves and loaves of it. She would make me my own little loaf that was so cute I never wanted to eat it but couldn't resist. The hardest part was waiting until it cooled enough to eat.

Today I made my first loaf of bread. I wanted to start with something easy and found a "Super Easy Bread For Beginners" recipe.

4 helped me pour the ingredients and stir it all together. He didn't want to get his hands "goopy" when it was time to knead the dough so I had that all to myself. There is something very primitive about making bread. Punching the dough, watching it rise, punching it again and the anticipation of that first bite.

When I took the bread out of the oven, 4 was there watching with excited eyes. I remember my grandma would take a stick of butter and and go over the tops of the loaves to make them shiny. Sometimes the wax paper from the butter would be on top of a shiny loaf like a hat. I put some butter on top just like grandma and set it on the counter to cool. 4 couldn't wait to have some. The hardest part was waiting until it cooled enough to eat.

And so it goes on.

Day 161 from France: A Little Getaway

Shaboom writes to us from Paris, France...

I am actually writing from Andorra (which is not just a fictional place that exists on soap operas.) It's a tiny country between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains that serves as a tax-haven to the rich.

I plan to eat my weight in Andorran chocolate, buy a lot of tax-free booze, and I'll try not to die while snowboarding. For those of you who know me personally, you know I'm neither an athlete nor an outdoorsman in any way, shape or form. Don't worry, I have the hospital on speed-dial. Wish me luck!

Weigh In Week 23 - Goodbye Comfortable Mom

Photo by Karen at French Skinny

Goal: Lose 35 pounds the French Skinny Way.

(In 6 months)

Lost: 2 pounds this week

Total lost so far: 31pounds

4 pounds to go.

That should make me so very, very happy. But I have to say there is a very strange phenomenon happening. I try on my clothes and nothing fits right. I have nothing to wear. Intellectually I say to myself "Oh poor you, your clothes are too big. Get over it!"

But, to be honest, I don't see it in the mirror. Shaboom told me she didn't really notice it when she was losing weight and I don't either.

I see it on the scale so it must be true.

Nothing in my closet fits, so it must be true.

People are telling me how skinny I look, so it must be true.

The truth is, I feel normal. Like I felt before I had my kid. Which is weird because I thought I felt normal before, but 31 pounds later I'm realizing that I wasn't where I thought I was.

I thought I'd mention this because my friend is going through the same thing. She has been doing the French Skinny with me and has lost 30 pounds. But she's not seeing it. She's sad because her clothes don't fit. I see her and she looks AMAZING, but she doesn't see it. I can't believe she can't be excited about it. But then again, I understand because I'm going through the same thing.

Today 4 and I picked many tomatoes. I made pasta sauce for days. While I was cooking I came to the realization that thin doesn't mean happy. Sometimes thin means saying goodbye to the comfortable. Sometimes getting what you want is sad.

Goodbye comfortable mom.

You were safe, funny and nice.

You've served me well for 4 years.

I'm just being honest.

I know that I will fit into my new life.

But it might take awhile.