75 - Fresh Blooms, Strawberry Charlotte & Brocante Finds - A slow day in my French Farmhouse

Bonjour! As France is being hit with its first heat wave of the year and our region in the southwest being especially affected this week, these past few days have been all about taking things slowly and patiently. Even though my mind was buzzing with ideas and projects, the 36 degree heat we experienced for several days gently invited us all to simply rest and move more slowly and perhaps dream a little bit about having a swimming pool someday. The garden however is still being incredibly generous and I have found myself especially attentive to the flowers that would not withstand such heat for very long. Every morning I have been taking a little walk around the garden to see who could come indoors for some freshness. Last week the garden was graced with soft puffy peonies and now the roses are making themselves at home everywhere. I gathered all the bouquets spread around the rooms to freshen them up, removing wilted blooms, washing the vases, filling them with cool fresh water and adding new flowers to arrangements already in place. A lovely little cycle where each flower gets to be enjoyed for as long as possible. Over the weekend I attended a floral class with a friend at a local florist and got to learn the technique behind making round bouquets. It was both fascinating and slightly challenging learning the right hand movements to make the stems naturally twist into place but I must say I was quite happy with the result. I also have to mention the lovely Kevin from Fleurs de Roussillon in Jonzac who helped the class with such grace and talent, helping us shape our bouquets using flowers grown on his own farm. I shared all the links in the description box in case you happen to be in the region someday. It truly is worth a visit. The flower shop also carried books and I was delighted to stumble upon the French version of Cat Flower Garden by Florette Pham, another little gem I linked below this video. It really feels like the perfect companion for anyone wanting to grow flowers for cutting. From seedlings all the way to harvesting and arranging I am so excited to dive into it properly and follow the rhythm of the seasons alongside the book. Whilst we were in Jonzac we also stopped by a couple of beautiful antique shops. I was far too busy treasure hunting to take my camera out but here are a few bits I filmed. I am especially fond of the gold thread ribbons and trimming, particularly the pair of embroidered hearts. They are so delicate and beautiful. I think they would look incredible on cushions someday but for now I'm letting ideas infuse a little longer before deciding exactly what they should become. My lovely friend also spotted something very special for me that day, a little pot a crème. You may remember the 19th century set I previously filmed displayed on its serving dish except it only came with seven little pots instead of eight. Well lo and behold my friend immediately recognized the lonely little pot sitting on a shelf as being a perfect match to my set and she was absolutely right. So now my set is finally complete. Now that strawberry season is fully underway and with everyone only craving fresh cold dishes in this heat I decided to prepare a true French classic, la charlotte aux fraises, made using boudoir. This is a very traditional dessert that many French families grew up eating. It looks wonderfully impressive yet is actually very easy to prepare and incredibly delicious. I shared the full recipe in the description box but essentially the biscuits encase layers of creamy strawberry mousse, fresh strawberries and more biscuits stacked in between. The result is light and cloud-like, not overly sweet so that the strawberries remain the true star of the dessert and I must warn you it is dangerously moorish. As the evening slowly cooled down we finally got to enjoy the charlotte outside in the garden, sitting beneath the tree with a soft breeze moving through the leaves. It felt like such a gift after the heavy warmth of the day. I hope this video encourages you to slow down when the season asks for it, to gather small joys where you can and to savour these fleeting spring days in your own gentle way. A bientôt!