Bonjour!

Took Sunday off from blogging, but I have kept at it nonetheless.

Up .4 pounds today.  My experience tells me this is normal: now that I've lost 5 easily, I will start fluctuating up and down as I go. Ate nothing out of the ordinary yesterday, and I did exercise.  So up or down, I did my body good. :)

Cool stuff to report:

1. The quiche turned out A-MAZE-INGLY.  Delish... can't wait to make it again!  It was a little taste of France on my fork... I literally had memories flashing before my eyes!  (Next time, a rolling pin would probably help - I thought I had one but I didn't so I used my hands and fists to roll out the dough - my grandma Dorry and Aunt Cathy would be proud.  Oh well, tasted the same to me!)

2. *New find* for gourmet chocolate lovers: Ghiradelli Cabernet Matinee dark chocolate squares.  My tongue was doing fireworks... starts out with a hint of blackberry and smoothly transitions to a silky Cabernet grape wrapped in the finest dark chocolatey goodness.  This would pair well with a fruity dessert and/or a glass of cab (duh!).  I am not a huge fan of American chocolate, but this rivals the stuff in Europe!

3. New trick for portion control of those delectable Haribo gummi bears (Mom, this is you): buy a regular bag of them at the store.  Then, buy a small set of the smallest tupperware you can find.  When you get home, put 1 serving (17 pieces) each into the tupperware immediately after you get home.  I did it and so far it's working!  I'm not just grabbing handfuls out of the bag until, oops, I did it again...

4. Made a delicious dish last night: shrimp in butter sauce with garlic and parsely and fresh steamed asparagus.  How much butter, you ask? 1/4 cup. Okay, I hear you: "Yikes! That's a lot of butter! How is that even okay?!" Yes, you use a lot of butter, but the dish is surprisingly light (most of it stays in the pan or on your plate).  Plus, the extra fat (which the asparagus and the shrimp hardly even provide) increases satiety and you're less likely to go hungry after just one serving. (Yes, fear not, the 1/4 cup of buttah goes a long way...)

SHRIMP SAUTÉED IN BUTTER SAUCE

Sautéed shrimp are appreciated all over France, where even small villages have a fishmonger who sells excellent-quality fish and shellfish. This butter sauce, made in the same pan as the shrimp, becomes infused with their sweet, briny taste. Look for fresh or frozen wild shrimp, which have more flavor than farmed varieties. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. shrimp
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Lemon wedges for serving

DIRECTIONS:

To peel and devein the shrimp, carefully pull off the legs on the inside curve of each shrimp. Peel off the shell, beginning at the head end of the shrimp, pulling off the tail. Using a small knife, carefully cut a shallow groove along the back of each shrimp. With the tip of the knife, gently lift and scrape away the dark vein, then rinse the shrimp under cold running water. Drain on paper towels.

In a fry pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it foams. Add the shrimp, sprinkle with the salt and pepper and cook, turning often, until the shrimp turn pink, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with the garlic and parsley and turn to coat the shrimp well in the sauce.

Transfer the shrimp and sauce to a serving bowl and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Serves 2 to 3.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of French Cooking, by Georgeanne Brennan & Sarah Putnam Clegg (Oxmoor House, 2009).