About Me

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About Me

Croeso cynnes! As we say in Wales - a very warm welcome to you!

My name is Gaynor and I live with my husband on the coast in Wales in the United Kingdom. I have been a Mental Health Nurse working in the National Health Service for many years. I retired last year from hospital life but I can honestly say it was a truly rewarding and fulfilling occupation. I loved every minute of it.

My time is now spent doing my favorite hobbies, knitting and sewing and walking our Jack Russell dog, Eddie, on the beach where he loves to chase the sea-gulls! Eddie is our latest addition to the family. Yes, we named him after the Jack Russell in the T.V. Series, 'Frasier'!

When I'm not dog walking I am usually meeting up with friends having a chat over a coffee, or planning another lunch to cook for them! Yes, I spend more time cooking! And of course, it's mostly French cooking as it is very much my favourite food.

You may be asking what is a Welsh woman doing writing about French recipes?

Well that's a good question. I think the reason I love French food so much is that it very much reminds me of the sort of cooking my mother and grandmother used to do. No, they didn't do French cooking, in fact they had never been to France in their lives. And yet the basic meals they cooked were so much like the type of French food I have fallen in love with.

The simple stews my mother made would be simmering all day long and the kitchen always had the most wonderful aroma when we came home from school. She didn't use the French herbs, at least not in the variety that I do, but she would use lots of onions, parsley, thyme and sage.

We had lots of homemade soups, such as pea soup and lentil soup. All made with pieces of ham and a good stock. The ham made a hearty meal with vegetables for one day and the stock would make a large pan of soup for the following days. Nothing was wasted! Parsley sauce was made to go with the ham. The parsley was grown in abundance in the garden.

We had blackcurrant bushes and gooseberry bushes which gave us enough fruit for the most wonderful fruit pies and of course, fresh home-made jams to keep going for a few winter months. The fruit pies we had were fabulous and we often had home-made jam tarts.

When I married and we had a family our own, I continued as much as I could along the same lines as my mother and grandmother.

However, we didn't have the large garden to grow a lot of vegetables but there would always be room for some fresh herbs. And again, we couldn't keep chickens which has always been a passion of mine, to have our own hens and fresh eggs (I am learning how to keep chickens at Drought Smart Plants in the hope I can have some one day!)

What a difference I noticed when holidaying in France. The food always tasted so much better! The traditions were still there. Families enjoyed eating out together in the local restaurants and a glass of wine with the meal was always a pleasure!

The French don't have the same amount of heart disease that we have. Maybe it's because of the wine they drink with their food that helps keep the cholesterol down or the healthy Mediterranean Diet which research has now proven, helps promote a long and healthy life.

Although they do put butter in a lot of their cooking, they don't seem to spread it on their bread as much as we do. And their portions are smaller than ours. Perhaps that is another reason that they keep so slim!

So, perhaps because of the nostalgia for my childhood memories of the food that my mother and grandmother cooked I was reawakened to this when I discovered French food. Whatever the reason, I am truly passionate about French food and have fallen in love with both the food, the people and the way of life.

I don't speak French fluently (I really must try harder) but I manage to get by and I usually ask, or even beg some of the small restaurateurs to tell me what they put in a particular recipe. My husband, bless him, does speak French, so he helps me out on occasions! And I have found that most are only too pleased to share some of their knowledge with you. I am not sure if the bigger hotels would be as obliging, but you never know!

Over the years I have tried many French recipes and they all go down well with everyone. I now have quite a good collection of French recipes.

I was busy sorting them all out recently (you get to do this when you are retired,everything gets put on hold while you're working!) when it occurred to me that maybe other people would also like to share my passion for French recipes.

Well, this was the beginning of what now is French-recipes-to-love.com. I do hope you enjoy browsing all the wonderful French recipes and especially love making them for your family and friends

I wish you a very healthy and happy life!

Gaynor

If you have a website which is complimentary to French recipes to love and would like to exchange links, please get in touch with me using the form below,I would love to hear from you.

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