Recipe: J'adore Paris

J'adore Paris

Circa: 2015

 

      Tomorrow is a special day to show someone how much they mean to you and what better way to toast to a great love or friendship then with a cocktail! This delicious drink is perfect for Valentine's Day in Paris whether you are in France or Texas!

 

       To complete my Paris inspired week I wanted to add my own special touch to one of my favorite cocktails, the French 75. I was introduced to this cocktail classic on an anniversary trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. Chris and I wandered into Arnaud's French 75 Bar and several of the locals insisted that we have the bar's namesake drink. We'll as they say, when in Rome! It was delicious and has become a staple in our household. While the original is perfect I wanted to add a special touch to it in honor of Valentine's Day. 



 

For my take on the French 75 I wanted to add a little romance through the use of the Rose Brut Champagne, St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur and a flower petal garnish. I love using St. Germaine because it adds a beautiful floral sweetness to any cocktail which absolutely perfect for this romantic holiday! While these beautiful flowers are courtesy of my husband and his garden, if you don't have a green thumb (I can sympathize) you can find edible flower petals in many grocery stores today in the produce section.

 

 

I hope that you enjoy this beautiful and simple cocktail inspired by one of my favorites! Also, be sure to visit the blog next week to check out a few more of my favorite places in "I Love Paris" Part Two!

 

 Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Recipe: Petite Napoleons

Petite Napoleons
Circa:1600's

Today I am bringing you a delicious and easy treat to share with someone special this Valentine’s Day! As some of you may know the first floor of our house filled with water while we were out of town and thus we have embarked on an unexpected home remodeling project! Since we are basically living out of a small portion of the house it forced me to be creative and create a dessert that was easy to make, didn’t require a lot of counter space but was still delicious! I knew that I wanted to continue my "I Love Paris" theme from a previous post but with a Texas twist so I present my take on Mille-Feuilles with Chantilly cream, raspberries and a spicy chocolate sauce!  This dessert is so simple that it barely required a recipe! If you can unroll dough, turn on a mixer and stir a pot you can make this sweet treat!

               
     Mille-Feuille translates into “a thousand leaves” and refers to the layers of flaky puff pastry used to make it. In America it is also known as a French Napoleon. Interestingly enough, while Mille-Feuille is traditionally French some attribute the French Napoleon as we know it to the Italians. Either way it is delicious but can be rather complicated and I was not prepared or equipped to spend hours in the kitchen this week. So instead I whipped up my own simple and bite sized version of this delicious dessert. Maybe one day I will tackle the real thing! 

                The star ingredient in this dish, in my opinion, is the delicious Chantilly cream! The invention of Chantilly whipped cream is often attributed to the great  French Chef Vatel who worked in the kitchens of the Chateau de Chantilly. In April 1671 Chef Vatel was commissioned to organize a dinner party for the Duc de Conde, owner of Chantilly, and his cousin Louis XIV. Interesting fact, Louise XIV is also known as the “Great Sun King” and the man responsible for building the gorgeous Palace of Versailles. The two-day event included lavish meals, illuminations, entertainment and hunting excursions. However, Vatel faced a dilemma!  Due to problems in the kitchen and lack of supplies Vatel felt that the party would end in failure and being unable to face everyone he committed suicide before the party even ended.  It was a tragic fate for a remarkable chef but was Vatel truly responsible for this decadent cream? Well some historians beg to differ!

Chateau de Chantilly

They believe that Chantilly cream goes back much farther and recipe books contain a special cream made with vanilla and egg whites that should be “light like snow.”  Others say that the name Chantilly cream wouldn’t be used until the 1700’s and would include sugar as we know it. A final theory on the origin of this delicious cream comes from the the Hamlet of Chantilly created by Prince de Conde’s desire for a more natural, simple peasant life in the late 18^th century. It consisted of a dairy, mill, stables, inn, and barns and cottages. However, the simple exteriors hid grand interiors where concerts and grand dinners were frequently held. One of the prince’s wealthy guests wrote about “the cream Chantilly, Chantilly!.”  While it’s origins may be a bit of a mystery, this deliciously sweet French cream is a delicious addition to our dessert!

Finally, for those that can’t imagine a Valentine’s Day without Chocolate, never fear! I have a fabulous recipe for you! Since my Valentine’s Inspiration is Paris, Texas my chocolate sauce had to have a little Texas kick to it! Thus I give you a delicious, spicy and decadent chocolate sauce. What I love is that it is not overly sweet which compliments the Chantilly cream perfectly. Enjoy!

Personal Post: I Love Paris...Texas (Part1)

I Love Paris...Texas

 Circa: 2015

I spent last weekend in Paris....well, Paris, Texas that is! At the last minute, I had the opportunity to head home before the big rush at work this Spring and I took it. While I love our new home and the life we have built in one of the sweetest towns in Texas, it is always nice to get back to my roots and where my heart is... Paris!

My weekend started at my favorite place, Paris Bakery! It has all the charm and beauty of a hundred year old bakery tucked away on one of the many streets of France but or version includes a cowboys on the wall, paying tribute to our rough and tumble past! 

Everything they make is delicious, but I was lucky enough be there for my FAVORITE lunch, the oven-fried green tomatoes with monterey jack on cheddar scallion bread with a cup of chili! Words can't properly express how much I love this sandwich..and really fried green tomatoes in general. I even devoted a blog post to the subject that you can find here. Once again they did not disappoint! And if once wasn't enough I stopped in the next morning for breakfast. If you are ever in the Paris area Paris Bakery is a MUST! 

After a delicious lunch and shopping at some of my favorite stores in beautiful downtown Paris (coming in Part 2) I had to stop and take a few shots of these amazing murals right off the square. It is such a clever and beautiful way to offer a glimpse into the city's past while bringing life to some of the town's older buildings. It makes my heart happy to see how local artists are helping to revitalize and preserve our downtown. 

I personally adore this lovely lady with her bike! 

My next stop was to visit my sister and her husband on their gorgeous farm just outside of Paris. I can't wait for them to finish their guest bedroom so I can spend the night and wake up with the sunrise and have coffee with the cows. While I enjoy the conveniences of the city I love getting away to the country every now and then!   


Ever since I heard that they had a new, four-legged, addition to their family I was dying to meet her. This sweet girl was abandoned by her mother after her birth and my sister and her husband have been caring for her ever since. After a few close calls and long nights I am very happy to report that she seems to be on her way to a happy and healthy life. Who knew my sister's nursing skills would come in so handy on the farm? 

While I was there I took it upon myself to name her Little Miss Elly May Dejoux. I am not sure if the name stuck after I left but that is what she will always be to me. Since she is still a baby and nursing she tends to think anything and everything is a bottle ...including fingers. Someone please get that sweet girl a pacifier stat! Just Kidding! I am still debating on bringing her back to Houston with me sometime while she is still small enough to ride in my car. I think our backyard is big enough! Not kidding! 

After playtime and snuggles with Elly I couldn't wait to see my sister's home and her newly remodeled bathroom. It looked amazing and of course I forgot to take pictures! I am going to just have to talk her into coming on the blog occasionally as a guest writer because she has amazing decorating skills of her own, just with a rustic touch. When I reach for a silver tray or tea cup she grabs a piece of antique barn wood and a mason jar! 

We'll this is where the first part of "I Love Paris" ends and look for part two next week when I can't wait to share some of my favorite shopping spots with you! I hope that everyone has a a wonderful week! 

New Year

New Year

Circa: 2015

       It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone and 2015 is here! First of all I would like to thank all of you that have followed me since the beginning and embraced my style, voice and love of the past! What was intended to be a small personal blog that would probably only be seen by my family and friends now has nearly 400 followers! I am beyond honored and blessed and hope to continue to inspire you to add a little vintage touch to your own life. 

       I know that just like everyone else I  always make, and often break, my new years resolutions. We'll this year my resolution was simply to become healthier and happier in body, mind and soul. I feel like this can only aid me in my mission to inspire others in daily life and through my blog. One of the ways to do that is through meditation and reflection on a daily basis. Whether it's few minutes in the morning with my coffee or unwinding after a long day at work I want to take a moment for myself to find my inner peace, creativity and have a release from stress and negativity. Therefore, I thought that I would start this new year sharing my own personal haven and some of my favorites items in it.

      I created a peaceful and relaxing environment in the corner of my office/guest bedroom and invested in a few items I wanted to share with you today. Of course I had to add my own personal and vintage touches to the space to stay true to my authentic self!

  
    My first purchase was my Riverrock Essential Oil Diffuser by Deneve. I was introduced to the power of essentials oils by a close friend and I have been a believer ever since. I love this diffuser because it fills the room with soothing aromas and produces the calming sound of a babbling brook when in use.  My personal favorite oil blend to unwind after a long day is lavender and rosemary. For the mornings at home and at work I like to use grapefruit, lemon or peppermint.

      In this space I also wanted to incorporate elements of nature and chose flower petals from my garden and a beautiful miniature Orchid plant. Orchids have always been one of my favorite flowers and I love how this petite version perfectly fits on my table. I was curious as to the symbolism surrounding orchids and I discovered that different cultures throughout history have believed in the healing, disease-fighting and protective properties of this beautiful flower.

      
        For Christmas, my mother-in-law gave me a few of these wonderfully petite candles that are perfect for dinner parties, bubble baths and meditation and prayer. I love their light scent of Eucalyptus and Mint after a long day.

      

       To complete the space I added a few personal touches such as my angel statue, gilded heart ornament and very special mirror. The mirror is a beautiful wedding gift that Chris and I received from my Aunt/Godmother Melody. She created this beautiful piece of art with a heartfelt message on the back that I treasure to this day!

  
    Finally, for those that are interested in trying meditation for the first time I would suggest beginning with guided meditations. In the past when I have tried meditation it was very difficult to quiet my mind, focus on my breathing, relax and sit still for more than five minutes on my own. However, I have found that guided meditations allow me to relax and  and focus and find release after a long and stressful day or needed energy in the mornings. I have found several wonderful free meditation podcasts online including Meditation Oasis and My Meditation Station. 

  
    I hope that this helps inspire you to create your own meditation and prayer space in your home and more importantly take a few moments for yourself each day. As for the blog I have some wonderful plans in store for the new year including a way to bring my vintage life into your own home. At the beginning of January a dear friend told me that this is the year of positive change and growth and I am looking forward to every moment that of it and continuing to sharing my life with you in 2015.



D.I.Y.: Pomanders

Pomanders

Circa: 1500s

 

 

 

          Since I was a little girl one of my favorite things to make during the Christmas season were pomanders. One of my first memories I have is decorating oranges with cloves in elementary school with one of my closest friends and I have kept up the tradition ever since. Not only are they a beautiful and natural decoration for your home but the fragrant combination of cloves and citrus smells amazing!  This is a wonderful D.I.Y project to for adults and children alike during the holiday season.

 

 

All you need are:

• Oranges
• Whole Cloves 
• Ground Spice Mixture (Cinnamon, Nutmeg Cloves, Ginger)
• Plastic Bag 
• Rubber Band (optional)
• Ribbon (optional)  

 

 

Directions:

1.   Knead the orange gently in your hands to soften the skin.

2.   Poke cloves into the orange in your desired pattern. You can use a wooden skewer to pierce the skin of the fruit first before inserting the cloves. Rubber bands can be placed around the orange and serve as guides for your designs.

3.  Once you have finished your design place your orange in a plastic bag with a combination of spices of your choice and gently roll the orange in the bag until it is lightly dusted with the spices.

4.   If you would like to hang your pomanders you can add a ribbon at this time or simply place your pomanders together in a bowl with greenery.

 

While pomanders have been popular throughout the ages, their form and purpose have changed significantly over the years.  The word pomander originates from the French pomme d’amber or apple of amber. Pomanders became popular during the Middle Ages when the Black Death and other ailments ran rampant in Europe. As you can imagine sanitation during this time was greatly lacking and unfortunately there was no real concept of germs or how they spread. During that time many attributed their health problems to the stench lingering about the city and therefore believed that the pleasant scent of a pomander could repel disease.

     Pomanders were worn regularly around the neck in the Middle Ages by men and women, and was a perfumed ball, containing scented herbs that were set in waxy substances and could include ambergris, musk, spices, and rose water. They were typically made from gold or silver and hung from the neck or belt.

Queen Elizabeth I rarely went out without her pomander.

     Fast forward a few centuries and the pomander evolved from a piece of jewelry worn to repeal disease to an orange with cloves dusted in spices and placed around homes at Christmas.  Pomanders enjoyed a revival during the 18th and 19th century with the greater availability of citrus fruits and Victorians expanded the use of pomanders to include household decorations, natural air fresheners and Christmas ornaments. While the cloves help to preserve the fruit from spoiling the spices and citrus would add a wonderful fragrance to the home. Pomanders are traditionally hung in bunches from ceiling beams. At times cloves were even inserted in symbolic shapes and as the fruit dried the pomander became a good luck charm.

 

I hope that you will continue this Victorian Christmas tradition and  add this fragrant, fun and festive decoration to your own home this year.

 

 



Personal Post: Life at the Museum

Life at the Museum 

Circa: 2014



Historic 1883 John and Lottie Moore Home

It's been a busy few weeks at the museum to say the least! Between a Murder Mystery Event, Thanksgiving and Christmas Candlelight Tours I have hardly had time to sleep, let alone blog. However with Christmas quickly approaching things are beginning to slow down  and  I will be able to bring you some fabulous holiday posts starting today!  While I love sharing my favorite recipes, D.I.Y. projects, decorating ideas and more, I thought that it would be fun to share something a little more personal and give you a  glimpse into my life at the museum.  

 

This fall we had the opportunity to create new and wonderful events for the museum, many of which we have been dreaming about for a year or two! In November we hosted our first Murder Mystery Event at the Historic Moore Mansion. Following the untimely death of our speaker, guests searched the home high and low for clues in an attempt to solve the mystery and bring the killer to justice. Now, when I say search the home high and low I meant it.  One of my first tasks was to clean a 131 year old attic. To most it would be a daunting and possibly depressing job, however I jumped at the chance and dragged/recruited one of our amazing interns to help! I discovered that all you need is a great attitude, plenty of brooms and a fabulous soundtrack! "Shake It Off" was a favorite for the day and very appropriate due to the large amounts of dust on everything.  

Katie and I cleaning up the attic

The Murder Mystery event was amazing and we already have plans to host another one this spring! My husband was a great sport and provided the "dead body" for our evening. Sadly to his dismay he was murdered before the hors d'oeuvres and champagne were served. He is truly the best and I don't know what I would do without him.

Chris and I before he was murdered on the stairs...

Following the Murder Mystery I turned my attention to my next project, preparing the Cottage for our annual Candlelight Tours. Every year during the first week of December  our museum offers special evening tours of our beautiful historic homes that are decorated for Christmas and lit by candles. This year I had the pleasure of decorating our historic 1850's cottage for this holiday season with the assistance of our wonderful docents and staff. Our cottage is a wonderful home that was built in Richmond, Texas in 1855 by the grandson of the Jane Long "The Mother of Texas."

The theme was Christmas during the Civil War in Texas and we led guests on a guided tour of this home sharing a glimpse of how the family would have celebrated Christmas Eve in 1861. It was a magical evening and sitting in the home filled with candlelight and Christmas carols echoing in the background, for a moment you felt as is you had been transported back in time. 

Oh and did I mention that I had to dress in costume to lead our tours? It is a tough job but someone has to do it!

While the museum may keep me busy, it also offers wonderful opportunities and memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.  If you would like to see a little more of my everyday vintage life you can  follow me on Instagram at Jessn012!

Recipe: Compound Butters

Compound Butters

Circa: 2014

 With Thanksgiving approaching I thought I would share one more recipe with you before Thursday!  I love making compound butters for special dinners or  during the holidays. Not only are they delicious and add so much flavor to a dish but they are very simple to make! Today I am providing you with some of my favorite flavor combinations to share with your friends and family this holiday season.

 

When I became Education Coordinator at the museum one of the first things I learned to do was make homemade butter. During our busy season we can make up to six batches in one day! At the museum we use a wonderful vintage Daisy Churn similar to the one pictured in the ad below. While it still gets the job done after all these years it tends to take a lot of time and elbow grease. It's a wonderful teaching tool for our younger visitors and helps them appreciate how hard people had to work in the past even for simple things, however,  at home I like to take advantage of our modern technology and let my mixer do the hard work!  While you can certainly add any of these flavorful ingredients to pre-made butter, homemade butter is so easy to make and adds a delicious and special touch to your holiday meal.

 

 

How to Make Homemade Butter

 

To make homemade butter all you need is heavy whipping cream and a stand or hand held mixer. You will typically get half as much butter as the amount of cream used.

 

1.  Place the heavy whipping cream in a bowl and begin mixing on a low speed. You can increase to a medium speed as the cream begins to thicken. However, be careful not to increase the speed too soon or you will have cream flying everywhere! (I learned this the hard way)

 

2. The cream will transform into fluffy whipped cream; this is what I consider the half way point. Keep whipping the cream until it breaks down into soft cottage-cheese like curds.

 

3. The butter will then begin to stiffen as the butter fat separate s from the milk, clump together and turn yellow.

 

4. Once the butter separates turn off your mixer and pour off the milk. You can press the butter with a spatula to squeeze out any remaining milk.

 

5. As a bonus you can keep the buttermilk to drink!

 

It is that simple! I often get asked "How do you know when you have butter?" Trust me you will know by the consistency and color of the butter.  At this point in time I return the drained butter to my mixer and begin to add my ingredients. Rather than provide measurements for my butter combinations I have found that it is all about personal taste. For example, I love a lot of fresh basil with my lemon zest, however my husband prefers just a touch. Also if you are making small batches you may need a teaspoon of an ingredient rather than a tablespoon. I suggest adding a little bit at a time until you reach the perfect combination! For my savory butters I also added a touch a kosher salt.

 

I hope that these combinations inspire you to create your own delicious compound butters!

 

Here are my favorite combinations below!

 

 

I love the combination of lemon zest and fresh basil from my garden. They create a delicious and fresh flavor combination that works well on everything from a baguette to a roasted chicken!

 

 

 Roasted Garlic and Rosemary is my husband's favorite! I roast a head of garlic in the oven, extract the garlic and let it cool in a dish before I add it to my butter.

 

 

My favorite way to serve my cinnamon and honey butter is on my husband's homemade cornbread while it is still warm from the oven.  

 

 

Once you have created your compound butters I suggest rolling them in plastic wrap or parchment paper and placing them in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes to an hour before serving. They make a wonderful addition to any holiday table! 

 

 I hope that you have a very Happy Thanksgiving with your family and friends! Peace and Love always!