Peach and Crème Fraîche Pie

When it's June and stone fruit is everywhere, I highly recommend looking into baking a Peach and Crème Fraîche Pie with this really sweet peaches that you found at the market.

I found the recipe at Smitten Kitchen and it's sweet but not overly because of the crème fraîche. 

It's quite possible that Jenica and I throw pie parties just to eat pies.  Our friends know how to deliver very good pies and this was not all of them.  

France Adventure Day 5: A Wedding

Meliss and I had planned on going somewhere spectacular in 2014.  The plan was to go to Australia until I received a Save the Date from JB for his wedding which got me thinking.  I asked Meliss if she was up to a trip to France and she is always up for a trip to France.  I was so excited to be able to see a very dear friend marry the love of his life.

But first we had to get out of our parking space in Biarritz.  You know when you kind of freak out because your rental is parked too close to a cement pillar and no matter how much you think you're moving it away from the pillar, you're actually moving it closer.  That was us.  Thankfully a staff member at the hotel drove tractors and she had absolutely no problem getting the car out of the spot.  It was the miracle we needed that day that made us feel really foolish.

Before we left though, we wanted to visit our favorite chocolate store in Biarritz and eat these incredibly delicious macarons and more chocolate.

We also stopped at the Halles to grab lunch and to look one last time at jamón. I found and bought dried figs which made me so very happy.

I drove to the Pyrennes and we saw gorgeous fairy tale-like scenery.  This was the perfect place to hold a wedding.  Lots of photos follow because everything deserved to be documented.

The marriage took place in the Hôtel de Ville where JB grew up.  The mayor performed the ceremony and even the city hall looked like it belonged in a fairy tale.

My friends and I got stuck in the building while the photos of the wedding party were being taken.  But we soon escaped and went to JB's family's home for the cocktail hour.  

I should have taken more photos but I was just amazed by the perfect setting and the music.

This is Madeline.  I took a lot of photos of her because she's fun to take photos of and also because she has an awesome Scottish-accent.

Our car got very lost on the way to the hotel where the dinner was taking place.  We arrived late but dinner hadn't started yet.  I learned that French wedding dinners do not begin until at least 11 pm.

The place settings were perfect and we lit sparklers when the newlyweds entered the room.

Madeline and I were goofing around just a little bit.

This dessert was delicious and gorgeous.

I am so excited for Maggie and JB. The wedding was gorgeous and the trip to France for it was completely worth it.

Love for Bébé Ricks

It's always an excellent day when you are able to celebrate a dear friend. Nancy (on the right) is having a baby boy in days from now.

I walked in with Hannah to a house in motion.  Charity was making beignets and folks were cutting fruit and mixing dishes.  The party organizers did an amazing job.  And the warm day was the prefect respite we needed from the bitter cold weather.

Jenica, Sunny and Kim catching up. Friends always look at me suspiciously when I have a camera in my hands.

The gracious host Mary with Nancy.  It was so much fun to see friends that I haven't seen for years and years. 

English Crackers

I made a discovery this year that any party with crackers is a very good party.

If only because of the paper crowns inside of them.

My Favorite Holiday

I try not to throw around favorite too often but sometimes it cannot be helped.  I have fully embraced a holiday created by Parks & Recreation and this was my third year of celebrating Galentine's Day.  I love celebrating my lovely friendships with my girl friends.  They mean the world to me and I only wish that I could host a much larger party with all of them wherever they are in the world (Break into the Golden Girls theme song right here).

I really felt the spirit this year and actually crafted.  I don't craft but then this happens.  I found this amazing paper at Target with Jenica and then I turned it over and found it is from Orem.  Of course it is.

I used a needle and thread and made lots of garlands.  It only took a Sunday afternoon and I genuinely enjoyed creating.  It's a lot like cooking for me.

The night before I made these popcorn cookies for the gift bags.  I found the recipe in Smitten Kitchen's cookbook but then found an improved version (in my opinion) with the addition of dark chocolate and sea salt.  I forgot to take a photo of the baked cookies but pretty delicious.

If you enlarge this photo, you can see snow falling.  This has been such a crazy winter.

I know Leslie Knope celebrates the day with waffles but I really don't like having to be in the kitchen making the food while my friends are having fun.  I made a Potato Frittata with Prosciutto and Gruyere from Food & Wine.  Crazy delicious and so very easy to make.

The Polenta Pound Cake with Mascarapone and Rosemary was good but it was dry.  It was my first time making it and I even took it out of the oven early.  I served it with dried figs which I could eat everyday.

Pear and Arugula Salad with Goat cheese also from Food & Wine.  I was excited to show off my new salad bowl from my Mom and sister that I received for Christmas.  It took me so long to find arugula.  Apparently, it was really popular during the one day snow storm as it was out at both Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. 

I loved having Rhoda at the other end of the table.

May also loved having Rhoda at the brunch.

At the end of the meal, I brought out the hearts and chocolates.

Kimber brought me these gorgeous yellow roses.  It's been a week since the brunch and I don't want to throw them away.  They remind me that Spring is very close.