celebrating joyful living every day. and dachshunds.
Bonjour! Last year, during the throes of another COVID winter and pregnancy, L'Husband and I celebrated Valentine's Day at home with romantic homemade mini pizzas followed by chocolate fondue for dessert. Today's post shares some photos of our meal and ideas for your very own fête à la pizza. We all know chocolate is traditional… Continue reading Romantic Pizza for Valentine’s Day
Bonjour! Thank you for being a part of Joie de Vivre this year! I started 2022 with some bold plans and a commitment to posting once per week - which I mostly did. I also revisited and revised my Joyful Living Mission Statement to reflect my personal values of authenticity, sustainability, and joy. As we… Continue reading 2022 Blog Year in Review
Bonjour! Today’s post reshares my recipe for Halloween candy bark, originally published in fall 2020. Enjoy! As summer slides into fall, leaves change color, and Halloween approaches, I start to anticipate all the fun planning, decorating, baking, and gift wrapping I get to do in the coming months. Not only is Halloween the official kickoff… Continue reading Recipe: Halloween Candy Bark (Repost)
Bonjour! The change of summer to autumn always has me looking forward to seeing the leaves change colors, decorating with pumpkins, and wearing flannel anything. Today’s post features a simple recipe for a tasty apple fritter cake with maple icing - just in time for fall! I love apple fritters and had fun tinkering this… Continue reading Recipe: Apple Fritter Cake with Maple Icing
Bonjour! In honor of the first day of spring (yay!), today's post shares a simple homeopathic recipe for soothing seasonal allergies: organic ginger-lemon-honey tea. Since they're predicting the 2022 allergy season will be a doozy, we'll all need some extra self-care. I'm planning ahead so a sore throat and runny nose won't diminish my usual… Continue reading Recipe: Ginger-Lemon-Honey Tea for Seasonal Allergies (Repost)
Bonjour! I started Joie de Vivre - a French phrase meaning “joy in living” - in 2019 so I could write about some of my favorite things, from food and travel to ways to incorporate simple pleasures to make everyday living more joyful. Over the years, my priorities and focus have evolved to include caring… Continue reading What Is Joyful Living?
Bonjour! New year, new me, and I’m excited to try some new recipes! Today's post shares my recipe for a mixed berry and yogurt parfait, perfect for breakfast, snack, or le dessert (mmm). Check out more of my recipes here (including some that are even a little healthy, FODMAP-friendly for IBS, and organic!) Since pregnancy… Continue reading Recipe: Berry Coulis-Greek Yogurt Parfait
Bonjour! As the holidays approach, I get Very Excited about the coming season of gift-giving, decorating, and extra treats (edible and otherwise). And, as per usual, I am limiting les excursions out and about due to the persistence of the pandemic and my own (mild to moderate) reentry anxiety (vaccine booster notwithstanding). So entertaining à… Continue reading Easy Holiday Appetizer: Honey Goat Cheese and Fancy Crackers
Bonjour! As I posted recently, I love to decorate my house, especially for the holidays. Just in time for Halloween, today's post shares a simple and tasty dessert inspired by the spookiest season. Hold on to your hats, because this dessert is easy, it's sweet, and it's fun! Les Ingrédients 1 box chocolate pudding mix1… Continue reading Recipe: Halloween “Dirt Cup” Dessert
Bonjour! I love to bake from scratch (sometimes), but I also like to take the semi-homemade route (most of the time). Today’s post shares a recipe for almond Danish using pre-made almond paste and puff pastry... because making paste and pastry from scratch is a lot of work (le sigh) and perfectly tasty ingredients already… Continue reading Recipe: Semi-Homemade Almond Danish
Bonjour! It's been awhile since I baked, and I'm ready to get back in the kitchen and have some fun. As St. Patrick's Day approaches, I'm feeling inspired to try my hand at Irish soda bread. I tried this traditional in Ireland when I visited in 2017 (and met Winnie!). The bread should pair nicely… Continue reading Recipe: Irish Soda Quick Bread
Bonjour! Happy Festivus! The holidays season is upon us. My family celebrates Christmas, and every year we kick off the celebration the day after Thanksgiving by making a big batch of chili and watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. ("Don't throw me down, Clark!") Today's post shares my secret family recipe for chili, a dish I… Continue reading Recipe: Christmas Chili
Bonjour! As summer slides into fall, leaves change color, and Halloween approaches, I start to anticipate all the fun planning, decorating, baking, and gift wrapping I get to do in the coming months. Not only is Halloween the official kickoff of the holiday saison, it's a great excuse to eat lots of candy corn and… Continue reading Recipe: Halloween Candy Bark
Bonjour! Sometimes, one just feels like baking and eating an entire try of brownies, perhaps when it's gray and chilly and blustery. Perhaps when the United States is mere weeks away from a contentious presidential election. Perhaps when the coronavirus pandemic, voter suppression, census shenanigans, and Supreme Court tomfoolery crush our souls (le sigh). I… Continue reading Recipe: Gluten-Free Brownie Muffins
Bonjour! As the weather turns chilly, gray, and rainy, the scarves and wool socks come out. Le Chien resists wearing his coat and attempts to flee when he sees it (le sigh). And I start I to crave comfort food, which for me tends toward warm or carby delights like biscuits. Or meatloaf. Or chili.… Continue reading Recipe: Greek Green Beans
Bonjour! Happy October! Fall has officially arrived in Vermont, which means it's time to make an annual batch of applesauce, mmm. Today's post shares how I simplify what can be a laborious (peeling, coring, chopping so many apples. So. Many. Apples.) and time-consuming (simmering the sauce for hours on the stove) process. My secret weapons?… Continue reading Recipe: Slow Cooker Applesauce with Secret Ingredient
Bonjour! My love for French language and culture often inspires me to create a taste of France chez moi. I was lucky about to visit Paris in 2006, after I graduated from the University of Alabama, and still dream of visiting again one day (le sigh). In the meantime, I find ways to recreate elements… Continue reading Le French Picnic Chez Moi
Bonjour! This is an easy, breezy post on what will hopefully be an easy, breezy summer Thursday. It’s been a long summer in the middle of a very long year, and we all need a little break. What better to accompany a break from work or chores or news or pandemic worries (le sigh) than… Continue reading Recipe: Easy Summer Mocktail
Bonjour! This past Saturday morning, I woke up with the urge to bake. No, quarantine is not getting to me - I am a lifelong baker and have been helping L'Husband learn to bake. Maybe it was the drizzly, gray morning, surely invigorated by the tantalizing vanilla scent of fresh baked goods. Maybe it was… Continue reading Recipe: Gluten-Free Quick Bread
Bonjour! Though it's the middle of June, spring has barely arrived in Vermont, and pollen is everywhere. My nose is dripping, my throat is scratchy and sore, and my eyes are bloodshot and itchy, zut alors. I used to just pop a Claritin or Sudafed and drag myself through the rest of my day in… Continue reading Recipe: Ginger-Lemon-Honey Tea for Seasonal Allergies
Bonjour! One thing I do to increase joy in my daily life is try to elevate everyday items and activities. I use fun napkins at mealtimes; I bring daffodils (a happy surprise at the new house) from the garden into the home; I light a candle on my desk and use a pretty teacup when… Continue reading Recipe: How to Make Orangina at Home
"Soup's not a meal!" - Kenny Bania, Seinfeld Bonjour! The disruption of daily life by the coronavirus pandemic has forced many to “shelter in place” or “stay home, stay safe,” as we call it in the United States, and I’m noticing chatter online about how to prepare easy meals at home. I recently wrote about… Continue reading Recipe: Tomato Soup and Quesadillas
"I took your idea and I made it better." - Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation Bonjour! For a recent Oktoberfest shindig with Ma Famille, I decided to experiment with a new applesauce recipe. I've made applesauce in a Dutch oven on the stove, but never before in the slow cooker, and never before with a… Continue reading Recipe: Slow Cooker Applesauce with Secret Ingredient
"Be a cupcake in a world full of muffins." - Anonymous Bonjour! In honor of Le Chien's second birthday, I decided to continue my foray into pet-friendly baking. As summer rolls into fall, I feel the call to bake even more acutely than normal. Baking brings me a lot of pleasure and honors my commitment… Continue reading Recipe: Maple-Carrot “Pupcakes”
"I stand behind my decision to avoid salad and other disgusting things." - Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation Bonjour! I recently wrote about my experience with IBS and experimenting with a low-FODMAP diet. Planning a day's worth of FODMAP-friendly meals can be challenging, and I tend to eat the same things over and over (and… Continue reading Recipe: Chicken Power Salad
"I’d say I'm about one cookie away from being happy." - Snoopy Bonjour! Baking and cooking are two activities that enhance my personal joie de vivre. Since I became a dog mom, I have always wanted to experiment with baking dog treats, but have been too skeptical to try. In fact, Le Chien's favorite word… Continue reading Recipe: Pumpkin-Peanut Butter Dog Treats
Joie de Vivre 