"Cook Out"

On the day that the grill arrived, we had all the girls over for a cookout. I was expecting some big gas grill that sat out on the balcony but instead it’s the cutest electric grill I’ve ever seen. I didn’t even know electric grills existed! We cooked ‘out’ kebabs and sausages in the kitchen and my friend Abby got to come meet everyone too!

Life here just kind of revolves around food and coffee. Whenever we get together, everyone is cooking all night and we eat forever…meals are so long it’s great! I’m reading this book my friend Laura in NC gave me before I left and it’s about the French people’s obsession with food. There are so many festivals and celebrations of food around France at different times throughout the year. Each area has a specialty dish, cheese, and wine. Like I said, lunch is the big meal and it’s really making sense to me. A long lunch gives you a nice break in the middle of the work day and then you are less hungry for dinner. After all, you just go to sleep after dinner while all the food sits in your body. After lunch you walk around, work, shop, and work off all of the food you just ate. Speaking of walking I walk A LOT! If all I do is go to work and then sit for the rest of the day, its still 2 hours of walking…not including shopping or visiting friends!

I’m also cooking…like real cooking, making my own sauces and everything! It’s crazy how little we learn to cook in the US. We are doing a Thanksgiving with all of the assistants but nobody knows how to make anything!! All of the young French people I’ve met know how to make all kinds of things! Donc, I’m learning! Groceries are the one thing that is cheaper in France than in America I think. Vegetables especially are so cheap; it just makes more sense to cook here! Also, restaurants are more expensive in France and there are less fast food options.