Paris and Cruising The Seine River

 LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN 

We fly into Paris on Monday and, the next day, join a riverboat cruise on the Bizet which sails on the Seine on a Paris-to-Normandy itinerary. It begins and ends in the French capital. Ports of call on this 12-night sailing include Conflans, Vernon, Giverny, Les Andelys, Rouen, Honfleur and the Normandy D-Day landing beaches. I am looking forward to seeing Monet's home and the surrounding area. I plan to blog our journey (depending on the Wi-Fi connection) and share some of the sights and our food experiences. There is a culinary course included on this voyage.   

PARIS 

I took this photo in 2012 when we were there. 

DID YOU KNOW 

Civil engineer Gustave Eiffel was born in Dijion, France 1832. He was the chief engineer for the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower, which was built for the Paris World's Fair in 1889. It is a testament to his engineering skills, as the Eiffel Tower has withstood the elements of weather and time.

Vintage Eiffel Tower Snow Globe
The exact origin of the snow globe is unknown. But most experts believe the snow globe concept sprung from the paperweight. The first documented snow globe was an Eiffel Tower globe that appeared at the 1889 Paris Exhibition.
The snow globe trend got a late start in the United States. They first appeared in the 1920s. Most featured cities and were sold as souvenirs. The snow globes were mostly manufactured in Germany till 1927, when the U.S. received its own patent. To keep costs lower in the 1950s, manufacturers began making snow globes from plastic. Over the decades, lights, movements, music, themes, and characters have become incorporated into the snow globe.

I have a fall recipe to share with you before we leave. Please note that in the previous recipe, I updated the part about when to salt the Brussels sprouts.

Apple Cranberry Slab Pie 

Cook's Notes: 
On a sweet autumn note- be sure to put Apple-Cranberry Slab Pie on your list to try. It was absolutely delicious with the pairing of fall flavors, apples and cranberries, with a maple icing. Pair the puff pastry dessert with a cup of coffee and a visit with a neighbor. Recipe adapted from Magnolia Journal 2016
Pastry Ingredients:

• 1 package puff pastry 2 sheets, thawed
• 6 cups of diced apples (I used 4 Granny Smith and 1 Honey Crisp)
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
• Pastry Topping: 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Icing 

• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or 1/4 teaspoon maple extract
• dash of salt
• about 5 teaspoons of milk 

Directions:

• Thaw pastry sheets on a large sheet of wax paper that is lightly floured. Keep sheets covered with another piece of wax paper so they don't dry out.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Stir in diced apples and cranberries.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
• Lightly roll one pastry sheet to approximately a 12 x 9 rectangle and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 

• Spread apple mixture down the center of the pastry sheet, leaving a 3/4-1 inch border. Moisten the edges with a little milk. 
• Unfold the remaining pastry sheet and roll to a 12 x 9 rectangle. Gently stretch over the bottom layer with apple mixture. Lightly press the edges all around the rectangle using fork tines.
  
• Brush top crust lightly with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture for pastry topping. 
• Cut slits in pastry for vents.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until apple mixture is bubbling a bit through the vents. To prevent over-browning, cover the pie loosely with foil if needed.