Take it With Me

In a follow up to the "things I like about you," there are a few things that deserve to be pointed out that they "get right" over here... the kind of thing that, if I could, I would like to take it with me when I go... To wit:

*There are very few 18 wheeler trucks and the ones that we have seen usually have the soft canvas sides rather than the travelling metal boxes you see in the US. Must save a ton on gas as the truck is so much lighter.

*Gatorade scoop -- though here it is called "Hydra Endurance" or some such. The key is, the plastic scoop that comes in the container is narrow and tapered in such a way that you do not dump it all over your counter... even when pouring it into a narrow bottle. Brilliant!

*Pickle jar pull up dispenser - The pickle jars have dispensers in them that you pull up from the middle and it raises the pickles up on a plastic tray the width of the jar so that you do not have to fish around with a fork (or, gasp, your fingers) to get the last pickle out. How did we live without it?

*Deli meat is amazing here. Now when I say deli meat, I mean, of course ham or salami... because those are the choices... ham or salami. And really just ham. There are about 12 different kinds of ham for your choosing, from super high-end stuff to perfectly affordable everyday ham. The best part is that even the cheapest jambon is very good quality wheras the cheapest ham in the US is in the shape of a square and looks like SPAM. Let's change the subject. None of that here.

*While it's not an everyday deli item like it might be at home, the dried packaged meat is worth noting. You can buy a pre-packaged selection, with prosciutto, saucisson sec, and serrano. Just open it up and serve with wine, cheese, and a crusty baguette. So tasty.

*Orangina - enough said.

*Lardons - are the word for bacon but in France it really is more like chopped salt pork. It is such an important cooking staple that they sell them in pre-packaged containers already cut up and ready to put into your frying pan with oil, garlic and shallots as the way to start every dish. And I mean, *EVERY* dish.

*Cereal - is not all that different or special except that it is cheap. Seems like pure, unsweetened granola in the States is like six dollars a box. And for that you get one of those mini boxes that is only half full. Here, you buy a full-sized box of store-brand Muesli and you get no less than six dried fruits with crunchy granola. It's fantastic. Lance may never be able to eat another cereal again. I'm not kidding. (No really, she's not kidding. You have no idea how fantastic the cereal is here).

*Credit card toll booth - They do have something here similar to "Fastlane" or "EZPass" like we have in the States, but we do not have it in our car. However, we were pleasantly surprised when we pulled up to the toll booth manned by a French woman and realized that they took credit cards. THEN, to top it off - your credit card is faster than using cash - I am not sure how they run the card that fast but literally it is seconds! We got brave the next time through and went to the unmanned, automated lane. No problem... insert your ticket, then your credit card, gate opens, your card spits back out, and on your way you go. It's just freaking brilliant. I can't say enough about it.

*Booze. Okay, some of the liquor here is really (REALLY) bad. To that end, don't ever, EVER, drink rum in France. Just take my word on it. Instead, drink Gin or Vodka. Even the hypermarche store brand is quite excellent. Really, it's fantastic. If you don't believe me, instead pick up a bottle of Armagnac. It will make your belly very happy.

There are more things we will miss, I know. Perhaps we will need yet another "things we like about France" posting, but this is the list we have at the moment and it seemed like a good time to share it with you. There are many things I'd like to take with me. These are a few.