Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Ambiance – Champignons d’Octobre.

Armed with my camera and macro lens, my boots and hat, I headed for the woods.

Goal?

But…champignons of course!!

..my favorite hat..

Note: I’m not a mushroom expert, except when it comes to eating them, in which case I do have a strong opinion. So I may be wrong in my classification of these mushrooms. It is very difficult to identify them, since some are so close in appearance and character. See the end of the post for the sources I tapped into. The photos are of course my own.

..Entoloma lividum – toxic, under leaves

.. Hypholoma fasciculare – a poisonous mushroom, very common, grows on dead wood..

..Polypore feutré (Inonotus cuticularis)– a parasite that live on the damaged parts of live trees..

..armillaria gallica – toxic, grows on dead branches and leaves

..dacrymyces microsporus -grows on dead branches and tree trunks..

..Clavaire etroite – common on dead leaves and rotting wood..

..Russules Maculée – common under leaves on alcalic soil..

Sources:

I will soon  have to go back into the woods, because I haven’ captured even half of what is still out there; And some of my photos didn’t turn out good enough which I’ll have to redo. So, until such time…

♥ don’t eat mushrooms which haven’t been identified by an expert..

♥ keep unidentified mushrooms apart for the others..

♥ clean your hands after touching a strange mushroom..

♥ don’t forget your camera..

à bientôt!

Ronelle

Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Ambiance – Old bonbon jars.

I think the majority of people will never have enough storage space in the kitchen. I am no different. I’m also a firm believer of “out of sight, out of use” which means everything in my kitchen is in plain sight, ready for the taking. You can see some images of our Loire home kitchen here). But it means mean that  a lot of stuff can lie around in every nook and corner. And that of course…I hate too! It is always those small “tools” lying around in drawers that work on my nerves. So I prop them in old glass jars that I bought at the brocante, at the same time functional and nice to look at. The same goes for old apothecary jars, which I can unfortunately not show, since they are stored at the Loire house in Motlouis. They are SO beautiful!!you can see one filled with old porcelain pieces I pick up(bottom right image) These are old bonbon jars can now also be bought new, as reproductions from recycled glass, with the words engraved...bonbons, café, chocolats. Imagine how nice they would look on your shelves filled with petits gateaux over Christmas time, chocolats at Valentine or Oeufs de Pâques eggs during Easter? Any other sturdy glass jar can work too, just figure it big enough so you don’t get caught with your hand in the cookie jar!

..old glass bonbon jars and an old apothecary jar(the bottom right picture, left jar on the shelf)..

*Because it is still winter and too cold to hold a book …a movie with which you can cuddle up completely covered by blankets…Rabbit hole with Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart and directed by john Cameron Mitchell (2010). The story of a couple coming to terms with the loss of their son.

…Rabbit hole…

…bon weekend…

..from the bonbon girl..