Decadent and Simple

Everyday at 4:00, french children have a gouter (pronounced goo tay)...it's an afternoon snack. A popular gouter among french children is a baguette with melted dark chocolate inside of it. We have been having this as a special treat for Saturday morning breakfast. We pair it with a yogurt and fruit parfait. As decadent as it sounds, it's actually fairly healthy, especially if you use the dark chocolate. It's also super easy to make. 

1 demi baguette
3 squares of a dark chocolate bar

Take a bread knife and cut a slit vertically down the length of the baguette, but not all the way through. Cut up some small pieces off a chocolate bar. I use a dark chocolate hershey bar. Put these in the slit that you just cut. Wrap in tinfoil and put in a 350 oven for 10 minutes. When time is up, unwrap and put back in oven for about 5 minutes or until chocolate is fully melted. Slice and serve warm.

French Kids Eat Everything

I am currently obsessed with France! I am reading a book called French Kids Eat Everything and it, like another book, Bringing Up Bebe, has changed the way I look at life. I heard about this book while listening to the author on NPR a few weeks ago. She talks about moving her family from Canada to France and how it changed her picky eaters into kids who enjoy things like fish and beet puree. She also talks alot about the French school lunch program, which is phenomenal..even in the poorest parts of the country. Here is a link to the author's blog: www.karenlebillon.com. She blogs about lunch menus throughout the country, from big cities to small villages. The sad truth is that most children in France are eating better than most adult Americans. It is pretty fascinating to see their approach to kids and food. They have a full hour for eating alone in schools. No rushing through lunch with a winter coat and hat on. What is served is served at a very young age, no substitutions and no snacks throughout the day. This book has inspired me to try and eat a little more like the french. They eat in courses. 1st course is usually a type of salad or small soup, 2nd course is protein and veggie, 3rd course is cheese and maybe a baguette, and the 4th course is dessert...which is usually fresh fruit, with the ocassional chocolate mousse once a week. Dinner is an experience, not something to rush through. I  keep joking with the kids and tell them that we are gonna move to France. That will probably never happen, but hopefully someday an extended vacation?